The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers superior performance for intensive engineering tasks and has a better display quality suitable for professionals who need high color accuracy. However, it is less portable due to its size and weight. It also provides a longer battery life compared to the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, which may be important if you frequently work on the go. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is significantly lighter and thus more portable, making it a better choice if you need to carry your laptop around often. Additionally, it is less expensive yet offers touchscreen functionality which the MacBook lacks, but with lower performance for demanding tasks and shorter battery life. 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 ThinkBook 13s
Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
7.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is rated very highly for general use because it offers a robust CPU, ample RAM, and a high-quality Mini LED screen, contributing to an excellent user experience with impressive battery life despite being less portable due to its size and weight.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.4/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is well-suited for 3D due to its powerful integrated GPU and high screen refresh rate, which are important for fluid visual rendering, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s's less powerful integrated GPU and standard refresh rate make it only fair for gaming and 3D tasks. Additionally, while MacBook's MacOS limits the range of games that can be played, the ThinkBook runs Windows, which is compatible with a wider selection of popular games.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
7.5/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
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 Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in engineering and design due to its powerful Apple M1 Pro processor, ample 32GB RAM, and advanced GPU, coupled with a high-quality Mini LED screen that offers vibrant colors and high brightness. In comparison, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s also performs well with its Intel i7 processor and integrated Iris Xe graphics but has half the RAM at 16GB and a standard IPS display, making it more portable and cost-effective but less suited for the most demanding tasks.
Content Creation
8.8/10
7.8/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
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 ThinkBook 13s 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
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
7.2/10
16.2in
SIZE
13.3in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When selecting a laptop for general use, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 excels due to its high-resolution display and bright screen, which enhance everyday viewing experiences, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s offers a decent display that's quite suitable for standard tasks. For engineering and design, professionals often seek accurate color representation, and the MacBook Pro 16 delivers here with wider color gamuts, ensuring more precise colors for intricate work. However, for 3D applications, such as gaming, where the action on screen is fast-paced, refresh rate becomes critical, and in this respect both laptops may not perform as well due to their lower refresh rates compared to specialized gaming laptops.
Battery
17.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has 8 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
2.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$1,000
$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 ThinkBook 13s costs $1,000.
"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 best thing about the ThinkBook 13S is that it’s a good deal. Business buyers looking for ThinkPad-level performance and software without ThinkPad pricing will probably find the ThinkBook a solid option. While nothing about it is really spectacular, it’s certainly unusual to see the ThinkBook’s screen resolution at a sub-$1,000 price, and its performance will be more than adequate for most office tasks. The generous port selection, 16:10 aspect ratio, physical webcam shutter, and clear audio are certainly icing on the cake."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
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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