14-Inch vs. 16-Inch MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide 2024

[fenderbass146]

I've owned one of these since they came out in 2019.... 16" Core i9 2.4Ghz model w/32GB RAM and a 2TB SSD. IMO, it's basically the best Mac portable you can buy if you want to dual boot into Windows 10, and probably for Windows VMs too.

After hours of debate though, I pulled the trigger to pre-order one of these new 16" models and accepted Apple's trade-in credit for giving them this 2019 model back.

In my case, it's only because I have a really nice "gaming laptop" now with AMD RTX2080 graphics -- and it'll support Windows 11 with no problems, should I want to upgrade to that. I'm realizing that on the Mac side, my ideal setup would be having the Mac that runs the native OS X stuff as well as possible (and that increased battery life!). The other stuff can just be done on the other machine.

It's nice having "one tool to do it all" ... but not worth the compromises when the new M1 CPUs are this much more efficient on the Mac side.

Forsure, I'm a light gamer so the 5300 plays still modern games at medium or high settings so the macbook is my do it all computer since I sold my gaming computer. I could live with eventually getting a dedicated windows box at home again, but right now I'm not gaming like I used to. I work in IT so still need window but I hate Windows laptops. If in the next few years I can get VM and microsoft allows it, a windows arm VM that has x64 emulation would allow me to make one of these sweet new M macbooks my next main achine.

 

[kurtster]

One more difference. The 14" supports two external displays (both 6K), while the 16" (with the M1 Max) supports up to four (3 6K + 1 4K).
Mea culpa, I was looking at the stock configs. Both sizes can support the same number of external displays.

 

[AppleMad98004]

I literally just got a 2019 16" a few days ago (used) and I plan on having it for the next 2-3 years. As of now I still rely on Windows VM's and Bootcamp a lot, but man am I excited about the 14". I've always liked the smaller form factor but always needed the power of the bigger models. I'm so excited the more portable option is a no comprmise performance monster like it's big brother. I love where Apple is going. I really hope official Windows ARM comes along so I can run it in VM's and x64 emulation in said VM's. If that happens it will be a no brainer for my next laptop to get one of these or the next gen version.

Microsoft has absolutely no incentive to do this. The only reason we ever got Windows on a Mac is because Apple went to Intel chips from PowerPC. Microsoft's position is buy Windows and an x86 machine. That is what you did when you bought an Intel Mac. Apple Silicon is leaving Windows behind.

 

[fenderbass146]

Microsoft has absolutely no incentive to do this. The only reason we ever got Windows on a Mac is because Apple went to Intel chips from PowerPC. Microsoft's position is buy Windows and an x86 machine. That is what you did when you bought an Intel Mac. Apple Silicon is leaving Windows behind.

With Windows ARM growing, I could see it happening. I'm not asking to dual boot Windows again, but VM support would be nice. There is demand albeit small.

 

[mrkkbb]

It is almost same weight as 13.3 inch MBP 2019.

Half pound heavier, you will feel it if you lug a laptop around all day at a conference.

 

[LeeW]

These chips are for Apple's "Pro" machines. Apple is not targeting the Pro user with the Mac mini.

Which I am already seeing as a missed opportunity for Apple. I am not buying one of these MBPs, I am spending too much time WFH to have use for a laptop and I am seeing a lot of similar views across developer discussion forums.

Had they updated the MM then all those folks, myself included would have dropped decent chunks of money on a better MM. Shame really.

 

[NYC Russ]

One more difference. The 14" supports two external displays (both 6K), while the 16" (with the M1 Max) supports up to four (3 6K + 1 4K).

An M1 Max 14" supports the same as the 16" M1 Max:

Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Pro) or
Up to three external displays with up to 6K resolution and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Max)

MacBook Pro - Tech Specs

See all the technical specifications for the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips.

www.apple.com

 

[StoneJack]

Half pound heavier, you will feel out if you lug a laptop around all day at a conference.

if you intend for mobile only use, sure, for lighter models there is 13.3 M1 and MBA.. which are good options for conference work (ie light work, no CAD, gaming, etc)

 

[mrkkbb]

These chips are for Apple's "Pro" machines. Apple is not targeting the Pro user with the Mac mini.

That said, I'd love to see a M1 Pro in the Mac mini as well.

The M1 was for Pro machines too and found its way to the Mac mini. I hope that at least the M1 Pro makes its way over to the mini.

 

[MN7119]

Coming from a 2013 15" MacBook Pro, the mid range 16" was a nice upgrade. Now the wait!!!!

 

[JamesPet]

I've owned one of these since they came out in 2019.... 16" Core i9 2.4Ghz model w/32GB RAM and a 2TB SSD. IMO, it's basically the best Mac portable you can buy if you want to dual boot into Windows 10, and probably for Windows VMs too.

After hours of debate though, I pulled the trigger to pre-order one of these new 16" models and accepted Apple's trade-in credit for giving them this 2019 model back.

In my case, it's only because I have a really nice "gaming laptop" now with AMD RTX2080 graphics -- and it'll support Windows 11 with no problems, should I want to upgrade to that. I'm realizing that on the Mac side, my ideal setup would be having the Mac that runs the native OS X stuff as well as possible (and that increased battery life!). The other stuff can just be done on the other machine.

It's nice having "one tool to do it all" ... but not worth the compromises when the new M1 CPUs are this much more efficient on the Mac side.

I have literally the same just 64gb ram. I use it mostly for Parallels - software development and I need to admit I hate it. It's a great computer until you plug two external monitors, after that constant fan noise, super hot. If you run MS teams with a camera on you are doomed. It runs that stupid virtual process which makes up to 900% CPU and my mouse moves pixel by pixel.

I went for 16" Max with 64gb RAM, hopefully it's going to work much better

 

[jobshadajob]

This week, Apple announced a major update for its high-end MacBook Pro models, with the new machines featuring a complete redesign, the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, larger mini-LED displays with ProMotion, an HDMI port and SD card slot, full-sized function keys, and more.

The redesigned MacBook Pro is available in all-new 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. Despite both being high-end models, the 14- and 16-inch models do have some different design aspects, features, and capabilities, so should you consider purchasing the smaller MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,999, or do you need the larger MacBook Pro, which costs at least $500 more? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two high-end MacBook Pro models is best for you.

Comparing the 14-Inch MacBook Pro and 16-Inch MacBook Pro

The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models share almost all of their key features, such as display technology, chip configurations, and connectivity options. Apple lists these same features of the two machines:

Similarities

• Mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1,000 nits sustained brightness, 1,600 nits peak brightness, P3 wide color, True Tone, and ProMotion
• Options for the M1 Pro or M1 Max chip with up to 10-core CPU and 32-core GPU
• Up to 64GB of unified memory
• Up to 8TB of storage
• Touch ID
• 1080p FaceTime HD camera
• High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers, wide stereo sound, and spatial audio support
• Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
• Three Thunderbolt 4 ports
• HDMI port
• SDXC card slot
• 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones
• 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
• Available in Silver and Space Gray

Apple's breakdown shows that the two MacBooks share most of their important features, but there are still some meaningful differences between the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro that are worth highlighting, including display size, thickness, weight, battery size, and power adapter.

Differences


14-Inch MacBook Pro

• 14.2-inch display
• Configurations start with M1 Pro with 8-core CPU and 14-core GPU
• 0.61 inches thick (1.55 cm)
• Weighs 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg)
• Integrated 70-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
• 17 hours of battery life when playing back video
• Fast charging over MagSafe 3 or Thunderbolt 4
• 67W USB-C Power Adapter (with M1 Pro with 8-core CPU)
• 96W USB-C Power Adapter (with M1 Pro with 10-core CPU or M1 Max, configurable with M1 Pro with 8-core CPU)
• Starts at $1,999

16-Inch MacBook Pro

• 16.2-inch display
• Configurations start with M1 Pro with 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU
• 0.66 inches thick (1.68 cm)
• Weighs 4.7 pounds (2.1 kg)
• Integrated 100-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
• 21 hours of battery life when playing back video
• Fast charging over MagSafe 3 only
• 140W USB-C Power Adapter
• Starts at $2,499

Other MacBook Options

If you are looking for an Apple silicon MacBook Pro, but the latest M1 Pro and M1 Max models are out of your price range, there is the M1 MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,299. This is $700 cheaper than the 14-inch MacBook Pro, and is a good option for users who want a machine that is more capable than the MacBook Air, but something more affordable than the high-end MacBook Pro.

The M1 MacBook Pro is an entry-level model, featuring a 13.3-inch display, Touch ID, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, the Touch Bar, and a 720p webcam. It is a more consumer-oriented and less capable machine compared to the high-end MacBook Pro, but is more than adequate for most users.

There is also the M1 MacBook Air, which sports the same processor as the M1 MacBook Pro, a 13.3-inch display, Touch ID, and ports, as well as most other hardware features, and starts at $999. For casual users, this means that the additional $300 to upgrade to a MacBook Pro may be difficult to justify.

• Apple M1 MacBook Air vs. M1 MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide
• Apple M1 MacBook Pro vs. Intel MacBook Pro (13-Inch) Buyer's Guide

M1 MacBook Pro still has a number of improvements over the MacBook Air, offering slightly better performance, a brighter display, the Touch Bar, improved microphone and speaker quality, two extra hours of battery life, and an active cooling system. If you want slightly better performance than the M1 MacBook Air, as well as better battery life, display brightness, and speaker and microphone quality, the MacBook Pro is the better option.

Likewise, users who intend to perform a lot of graphics-based tasks should skip the MacBook Air entirely and buy the M1 MacBook Pro because the eight-core GPU MacBook Air configuration is only $50 less than the MacBook Pro, but this is only the case if you don't need more than 256GB of storage, because a storage upgrade would further push up the MacBook Pro's price.

Final Thoughts

The 14-inch MacBook Pro is clearly a more portable machine than the 16-inch model, so if you intend to carry the MacBook Pro around frequently or need the versatility of easily fitting it into a bag, the smaller model will be the better option. Buyers of the 14-inch models are not missing out on any major MacBook Pro features, so this will be the best model for most customers.

The 16-inch model is $500 more than the 14-inch model, so you should be sure that you need the additional display area or battery life. That being said, if you upgrade the 14-inch model to the same M1 Pro with 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU that the 16-inch model starts with, the price difference shrinks to $200.

Buyers of the 16-inch model should be aware that it is considerably larger, thicker, and heavier than the 14-inch model. The 16-inch model may also provide slightly better performance than the 14-inch model due to being larger with potentially better thermals, but this is yet to be confirmed with benchmark tests. The 16-inch model's speakers are also likely to provide better sound quality owing to the device's larger size, but we can't be sure of this until real-world comparisons emerge.

While the performance difference in real terms between the two high-end MacBook Pro sizes is yet to be seen, most users will be better off buying the 14-inch model. We will revisit this recommendation after we see the real-world performance of the two machines.

Article Link: 14-Inch MacBook Pro vs. 16-Inch MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide

Yes, but the article doesn't say if you can upgrade the RAM AFTER the purchase, or if it is soldered to the motherboard.

 

[SDJim]

Helpful would be to point out that if you configure a 14" the same as a base 16" (M1-Pro, 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU), the price difference is only $200 ($2,299 vs $2,499) for the larger chassis.

 

[Coreymac84]

Didn’t they say the 16” has a better sound system? Or did I not hear that correctly in the presentation?

 

[gugy]

For me that use for motion graphics, it was a no-brainer. Went with the 16 MAX with 64GB RAM. Can't wait.
As for the price, I think it's fair. When they were introducing the MAX during the keynote, I was think it could start at $5k, so I was pleasantly surprised it was less.
The only thing I am bummed, was hoping for a stand alone display with a "for the rest of us" price point. The XDR at $7k (stand/nano) is insanity for my budget. Almost the price of two MBP MAX. That's crazy.

 

[BasedReborn]

Yeah I’m conflicted, I want the biggest screen and choose 14inch. Probably will regret it

 

[Darth.Titan]

Yes, but the article doesn't say if you can upgrade the RAM AFTER the purchase, or if it is soldered to the motherboard.

It's been well established by now that the RAM is integrated into the M1 SoC. RAM cannot be upgraded afterwards.

 

[mrkkbb]

if you intend for mobile only use, sure, for lighter models there is 13.3 M1 and MBA.. which are good options for conference work (ie light work, no CAD, gaming, etc)

Kind of defeats the purpose of a mobile pro machine, though. I do a lot of numerical modeling on the go. Hopefully the next years iteration will be lighter. I wonder if the additional weight comes from the cooling redesign and the larger battery?

 

[TheMacDaddy1]

I've owned one of these since they came out in 2019.... 16" Core i9 2.4Ghz model w/32GB RAM and a 2TB SSD. IMO, it's basically the best Mac portable you can buy if you want to dual boot into Windows 10, and probably for Windows VMs too.

After hours of debate though, I pulled the trigger to pre-order one of these new 16" models and accepted Apple's trade-in credit for giving them this 2019 model back.

In my case, it's only because I have a really nice "gaming laptop" now with AMD RTX2080 graphics -- and it'll support Windows 11 with no problems, should I want to upgrade to that. I'm realizing that on the Mac side, my ideal setup would be having the Mac that runs the native OS X stuff as well as possible (and that increased battery life!). The other stuff can just be done on the other machine.

It's nice having "one tool to do it all" ... but not worth the compromises when the new M1 CPUs are this much more efficient on the Mac side.

Mac for computing and Xbox Series X for gaming. I will eventually get a PS5 as well.

PC gaming requires a Windows PC, that runs Windows...no thanks. That and cheating in any AAA MP game is so bad these days. The developers of AAA games don't even care there is cheating on the PC because they make the vast majority of their money/sales via sales of console AAA games. I will not turn on cross play for any game that allows PC gamers into the mix.

 

[McKodiak]

I don't disagree with what Apple did here. Pro laptops shouldn't sacrifice functionality for portability, especially when it's fairly portable already. I would LOVE to have these specs in an Air case but that is not physically possible. I'm probably not a Pro user. I've convinced myself to get Pro computers just for the longevity of them. I think these new ones are ugly, price point is out of reach, but the specs are wonderful.

 

[theluggage]

Now I'm curious what the rumored redesigned MBA (for 2022) will be like. MagSafe? HDMI?

I'm gonna guess 2xUSB4/TB3 and only a maybe on MagSafe.

The M2 is still going to be a fairly stripped down, low power SoC for tablets, ultraportables and entry-level desktops. Also, HDMI, SD and USB-A impose a minimum depth on the design, and the Air is always going to be as thin as humanly possible.

...which is as it should be: the Air prioritises portability, the Pro puts more emphasis on functionality.

 

[jezbd1997]

These chips are for Apple's "Pro" machines. Apple is not targeting the Pro user with the Mac mini.

That said, I'd love to see a M1 Pro in the Mac mini as well.

They will have a faster more versatile Mac mini soon enough... the one they released with M1 is very basic and not many ports at all

 

[headlessmike]

Which I am already seeing as a missed opportunity for Apple. I am not buying one of these MBPs, I am spending too much time WFH to have use for a laptop and I am seeing a lot of similar views across developer discussion forums.

Had they updated the MM then all those folks, myself included would have dropped decent chunks of money on a better MM. Shame really.

I'm sure it will come. For now they are focusing on the high profile notebooks.

 

[tweaknmod]

The base 14" is all you need folks! Don't get into the hype and buy the most expensive configuration because next year there'll be a better one! That's how I justify my base 14" purchase hahahaha....

Same here - I just bumped-up the storage to 1TB, and I've got the ultimate machine (for me) for years to come!

 

[theluggage]

Apple would have made it so much easier on me if they would have released a new Mini.

I'm going to make do with what I've got until about next summer and can (hopefully) stand back and see what the complete new Apple range looks like.

However, yeah, if I got impatient and went for a laptop that I was mostly going to use docked with a large external display I'd probably go for the 14" over the 16" given that there isn't a huge performance difference between them. The 16" would only make sense if I wanted to do a lot of screen-intensive work while "hot desking" without an external display - the 14" would be more compact for actual travel and take up less desk space when docked to a large display.