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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) offers high performance for intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and professional engineering software, with a high-quality screen and better color accuracy. It has a longer battery life and a backlit keyboard but comes at a premium price and is less portable due to its weight. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is more affordable with a touch-enabled IPS screen for convenience and versatility, making it suitable for general use and moderate creative or engineering tasks. It's more portable but has less storage, lower screen quality, and its performance isn't as robust for demanding applications. Both have good keyboards, but the MacBook has a higher quality. If budget is a concern and you prioritize versatility for everyday tasks and light creative work, the Lenovo could be a more economical choice. If performance and screen quality in demanding scenarios are key, the MacBook Pro could be worth the investment. 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 (2023)
- Excellent for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent 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 Flex 5 16
- The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
9.1
7.6
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for general use, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) outshines the Lenovo Flex 5 16 in general use due to its significantly more powerful CPU, superior RAM efficiency, excellent screen quality with high brightness and color accuracy, and longer battery life, all packed in a slim and relatively light chassis ensuring better portability. While the Lenovo Flex 5 offers a good touchscreen display and flexibility as a 2-in-1 convertible, it falls behind the MacBook in CPU performance and screen quality, and it also offers less battery life, which is essential for on-the-go use.
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.2
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has a higher-end GPU and a 120Hz refresh rate screen which makes it good for 3D applications, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a less powerful integrated GPU and a standard 60Hz screen, limiting its performance in gaming and 3D, even though it runs Windows which supports many popular games unlike the MacOS on the MacBook Pro.
Engineering and Design
8.8
7.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
5.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) excels in engineering and design due to its high-performance CPU and GPU, ample RAM, and superior screen quality with Mini LED technology offering great color accuracy and resolution, but is less portable due to its weight and size.
Content Creation
9.1
7.6
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is excellent for content creation, while the Lenovo Flex 5 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
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Flex 5 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
9.3
7.3
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a high-resolution display and exceptional color accuracy making it ideal for engineering and design tasks, where precise color representation is key; however, its screen isn't optimized for high refresh rates, which are crucial for a smooth 3D experience. The Lenovo Flex 5 offers a flexible use with decent resolution and color accuracy suitable for general and design purposes, but it also lacks the high refresh rate needed for gaming and 3D applications. Both laptops offer quality suitable for everyday tasks and professional design work, but neither is tailored for the high refresh rate demands of 3D and gaming environments.
Battery
17.5 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 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
7.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,423
$779
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) has a price of $2,423 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $779.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
16.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and Lenovo Flex 5 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) | Lenovo Flex 5 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,423 | $779 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.7 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.77" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 Pro (12C) | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17.5 Hours | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.6 Wh | 52.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16.2" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3456 x 2234 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 487 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"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."
Lenovo Flex 5 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | April 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solidly equipped, 2-in-1 in the lower price segment. Performance is definitely sufficient for everyday tasks and in tests the battery proved itself to be very economical. That aside, there is a lot of standard fare on show and a search for real highlights ends in vain. The low color coverage and reflective display can be avoided by going for an optional 2.5K display but this also presumably results in poorer battery life. The cooling uses only one fan and leads to a raised temperature on one side of the device under load. Additionally, there is very loud fan noise, also under load or when gaming. On top of that, we also occasionally noticed electronic noises."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) or the Lenovo Flex 5 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.
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