Updated January 10, 2024·Prices updated 24 hours ago
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 is designed for high-performance tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning, with a powerful processor and advanced GPU, making it suitable for engineering and professional creative work. However, it is less portable due to its weight, and it comes at a higher price point. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360, being lighter and more affordable, is a versatile option for general use and better suited for on-the-go activities with its touchscreen and 2-in-1 form factor. Its performance is suitable for everyday tasks and light creative work, but it may fall short for intensive tasks compared to the MacBook Pro. 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 Samsung Galaxy Book3 360
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
7.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use thanks to its powerful CPU, higher RAM, and superior Mini LED screen with a higher resolution offering more vivid colors and sharpness, along with longer battery life, but it is heavier and less portable.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.4/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
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
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good for gaming and AI, while the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers a powerful GPU and a high-quality display, which is crucial for 3D tasks and ensures smooth visuals, but its refresh rate and compatibility issues with many popular games limit its gaming potential. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 offers a fair gaming experience with a decent GPU and screen refresh rate but may not handle 3D tasks as effectively as the MacBook Pro, and its CPU and screen quality are adequate but not industry-leading.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
7.6/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in engineering and design thanks to its high-resolution Mini LED screen and a powerful combination of CPU and GPU that performs well in demanding tasks. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360, while also good, features an OLED touchscreen useful for hands-on design work, but has less RAM and a less capable CPU and integrated graphics, which might limit performance in intensive engineering applications.
Content Creation
8.8/10
7.8/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 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
7.7/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.2/10
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 Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 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
7.7/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 is favored for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution display with excellent brightness and wide color gamuts, ensuring crisp visuals and accurate color representation for design work. The Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 also has a high-resolution, bright display with good color coverage, making it suitable for similar tasks, though it may fall short of the MacBook's performance in color-sensitive work. However, for 3D applications where refresh rate is crucial, neither of these laptops excel, as they are designed with productivity and creativity in mind, rather than the high refresh rates preferred in gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
17.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 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
Very Good
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 has very good 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
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$1,299
$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 Samsung Galaxy Book3 360 costs $1,299.
"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 Samsung Galaxy Book 3 360 isn’t a laptop that the Korean manufacturer has shouted from the rooftops about, and it seems to have gotten little attention from anywhere. But, it is absolutely a laptop worth paying attention to. Compared to higher-priced devices, like the Dell XPS 13 (2022) and Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (2023), it manages to offer a similar day-to-day experience despite the price difference. It’s really hard to justify the extra cash unless a boosted display is a requirement of yours."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Samsung Galaxy Book3 360
Perfectrec constantly monitors the prices from 1 retailers and sends you a weekly update.
Only the products you care about. No spam.
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 Samsung
Samsung Electronics is one of the largest technology corporation by revenue. Based in South Korea, they are very well known for their wide range of phones, tablets, TVs and appliances. Their main line of laptops is the Galaxy Book series, launched in 2017. This range includes 2-in-1 convertible devices and standard notebooks, with a focus on portability and value for money.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
167,295
Recommendations made
36,248
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.