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Updated January 10, 2024·
Selecting between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" hinges on your needs and budget. The MacBook Pro offers superior performance for intensive engineering tasks, has a higher quality display, and boasts a longer battery life, making it suitable for professional content creation and demanding applications. On the other hand, the IdeaPad is significantly lighter, therefore more portable, has a touchscreen which the MacBook Pro lacks, and comes at a lower price, making it a more budget-friendly option for everyday use and for those who value portability. If your work involves complex tasks and you require peak performance and a top-tier display, the MacBook is a solid investment. If you're looking for a cost-effective laptop for general use, and value a touchscreen, the Lenovo IdeaPad could better meet your needs. 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 (Late 2023)
- Very good 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 IdeaPad 1 15"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.8
7.3
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
487.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) boasts a powerful CPU and more RAM, which contribute to its very good performance for general use; its high-quality screen and long battery life enhance user experience, though it's less portable due to its weight and size. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" also offers a solid CPU and adequate RAM for general tasks, and it is lighter, making it more portable, but its screen quality, battery life, and overall performance are not as advanced as the MacBook Pro's.
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.1
6.2/10
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
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is well-suited for 3D work due to its powerful GPU and high screen refresh rate, which benefit complex visual tasks, but keep in mind that many popular games may not be compatible with its operating system.
Engineering and Design
8.9
6.6
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
18.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is tailored for demanding engineering and design tasks with its powerful CPU and GPU, ample RAM, and exceptional screen quality, offering an immersive and color-accurate visual experience ideal for precision work, but with higher cost and weight. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" comes with less powerful components suitable for basic tasks, a lower quality screen, and reduced performance for engineering design work, though it's lighter and more affordable for everyday use.
Content Creation
8.9
7.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
18.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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
7.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
18.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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
6.4
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers a high-resolution display with bright and vivid colors, which enhances the experience for general use and precision work like engineering and design due to its wide color gamut coverage, including DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. However, its lower refresh rate may not be ideal for 3D applications, which typically benefit from faster screen refreshes to produce smoother motion. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" provides fair overall quality with moderate brightness and resolution, suitable for general tasks and some design work but lacks the higher color accuracy and refresh rates required for top-tier engineering applications and fluid 3D/gaming experiences.
Battery
17.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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.
Build Quality
10.0
6.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$741
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a price of $2,499 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" costs $741.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) 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 (Late 2023) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) | Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,499 | $741 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2023 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.7 lbs | 3.57 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 14.18" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.77" | 9.29" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M3 Pro (12C) | AMD Ryzen 7 5700U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 18 GB | 12 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17.5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.6 Wh | 42 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16.2" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3456 x 2234 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 487 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023)
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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 IdeaPad 1 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | April 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) or the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
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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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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