The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers exceptional performance that excels in demanding tasks including 3D work, machine learning, and engineering, and comes with a high-quality screen ideal for color-sensitive work. However, it is heavier and significantly more expensive than the LG Ultra 13. The LG Ultra 13 is more affordable, lighter, and thus more portable, making it better suited for general use and on-the-go activities, but it has less powerful hardware which might not be optimal for intensive tasks. Consider your budget, need for portability, and the nature of the tasks you’ll be performing when making your 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 LG Ultra 13
Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
7.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the LG Ultra 13 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is highly regarded for general use due to its powerful CPU and GPU, ample RAM, high-quality Mini LED screen, and long battery life, though it is less portable and pricier. The LG Ultra 13, while also good for general use, balances affordability and extreme portability with slightly lower screen quality and reduced battery life, but it's a more cost-effective option with decent performance.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.1/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good for gaming and AI, while the LG Ultra 13 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a high-performance GPU and a screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, making it good for 3D work, while the LG Ultra 13, with a less powerful integrated GPU and a standard 60Hz refresh rate, is just fair for gaming and 3D applications. Additionally, the MacBook Pro's macOS may not support many popular games which generally run on the LG Ultra's Windows operating system.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
6.6/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.7/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 13 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) outperforms the LG Ultra 13 for engineering and design use due to its superior CPU, RAM, and GPU capabilities, as well as its exceptional screen quality, featuring a higher resolution, brightness, and a wide color gamut coverage, which are crucial for detailed design work. The MacBook Pro also provides a longer battery life and better thermal management, whereas the LG Ultra 13, though lighter and more portable, has lower specs and screen quality that might not be adequate for intensive engineering tasks, but it may be preferred for casual use where portability is a priority.
Content Creation
8.8/10
7.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.7/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
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 LG Ultra 13 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
7.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the LG Ultra 13 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
6.9/10
16.2in
SIZE
13.3in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the LG Ultra 13 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16's high resolution and brightness, combined with its superior color accuracy across wide color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, make it ideal for general use and engineering applications where visual detail and color representation are crucial. The LG Ultra 13, with decent resolution and brightness, offers a satisfactory experience for general activities and design work but falls behind in color precision compared to the MacBook. Both laptops, however, lack high-refresh-rate displays, which limits their effectiveness for 3D work and gaming where fluid motion and quick screen updates are key.
Battery
17.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The LG Ultra 13 has 10 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.
Portability
Good
Excellent
16.2in
SIZE
13.3in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The LG Ultra 13 has excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the LG Ultra 13 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$529
$0
$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 LG Ultra 13 costs $529.
"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."
"The 13.3-inch LG Gram is a fine fit if you need to travel as light as possible for as long as possible without spending a fortune to do it. It might not be particularly sturdy or have an eye-catching design and its webcam is less than ideal, but with its sharp touch display, comfortable backlit keyboard, responsive touchpad and a fingerprint reader for extra security, the Gram makes a respectible everyday laptop for business or school work."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the LG Ultra 13
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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, 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 is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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