The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is typically much more expensive than the Lenovo Slim 7 16, offering a higher battery capacity, more RAM, and a more vibrant display with better color accuracy, making it ideal for professional content creation and demanding engineering tasks. With the Apple M1 Pro chip, it ensures strong performance but is less suited for gaming. Conversely, the Lenovo features a touch screen, a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU which is better for gaming and engineering software that requires a Windows environment, and while it offers a solid performance, it has a shorter battery life than the MacBook. Both are similar in size and weight, offering portability, but if budget is a concern and Windows compatibility is required, the Lenovo is the practical option; however, if you prioritize longer battery life, higher performance for creative tasks, and a premium build, and can afford the higher cost, the MacBook Pro is the better choice. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Excellent for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim 7 16
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
7.7/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use due to its powerful M1 Pro processor, ample RAM, superior screen quality with Mini LED technology, and longer battery life, though it is slightly less portable than the Lenovo Slim 7 16. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim 7 16 provides good general use capabilities with a capable AMD Ryzen processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics, it has a touchscreen and a decent amount of RAM, and while battery life is shorter than the MacBook's, it maintains good portability.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
7.5/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, higher RAM, and superior screen quality which are all very important for these tasks; additionally, it has better built-in speakers and a higher-quality keyboard, making long work sessions more comfortable. In contrast, the Lenovo Slim 7 16, while still capable for engineering and design use with a good CPU and dedicated Nvidia GPU, offers less RAM and lower screen quality, but its portability and touch screen feature could be advantageous for some users.
Content Creation
8.8/10
7.6/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.9/10
7.6/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
9.4/10
8.3/10
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Slim 7 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 boasts a high-resolution display with superb color accuracy and brightness, making it ideal for general users and professionals in engineering and design who rely on true-to-life colors. However, its refresh rate is typically lower than specialized gaming laptops, which is why it's less optimal for 3D applications where smooth motion is crucial. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim 7 16 provides a very competent screen for general use and engineering with high resolution and good color representation but also falls short for gaming and 3D tasks, owing to its modest refresh rate compared to that of dedicated gaming machines.
Battery
17.5 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has 9.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$1,440
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,949 and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 costs $1,440.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) to be good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in 3D tasks due to its powerful integrated Apple M1 Pro GPU and high-quality Mini LED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, though MacOS limits its game compatibility. Conversely, the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is equipped with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a higher-refresh-rate IPS screen, making it more suitable for gaming on Windows 11 Pro, which supports a wide array of games.
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Lenovo Slim 7 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"At $1,011, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Pro is a real bargain among full-sized laptops, with a handsome 16-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio touch screen, a speedy CPU, a comfortable keyboard, ample memory, and a roomy solid-state drive. It's not a blazing gaming rig or mobile workstation, but it doesn't pretend to be. Its biggest negative is that it may be hard to find—during our review, it sold out and was marked "Temporarily Unavailable" on Lenovo's site."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Lenovo Slim 7 16
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
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