Can't Decide Between 14" and 16"

[StoneCold X]

So I pre-ordered the 16" MBP with M1 Max, 32 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD and have been a little bit nervous about the size because I carry around my laptop on a daily basis for work.

Because of this, I ordered the 14" MBP with M1 Max, 64 GB RAM and 2 TB SSD (this is what Apple Stores stocked for upgraded specs) from the Apple Store this morning.

I love the bigger screen on the 16" but my main concern is carrying it around daily, and I like the specs on the 14" but my main concern is working with the screen size.

I guess I am going to take advantage of Apple's return policy and use both to see what I prefer.

First world problems.....lol

 

[Grolubao]

So I've tried both today. The 16" is HUGE! I mean proper behemoth, I can't imagine anyone carrying that stuff around.

My laptop is mostly at home and even so I prefer the 14". The 16" is so heavy and hard to handle

Bear in mind I come from a 15" one and I just can't go with the 16". Reminds me more of the old school 17" one

 

[Juicy Box]

Size is definitely a factor for making a decision, but there could be some HW advantages to the 16" over the 14".

Maybe wait until there are some tear downs and side-by-side comparisons, it might help push you towards one over the other.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

So I've tried both today. The 16" is HUGE! I mean proper behemoth, I can't imagine anyone carrying that stuff around.

My laptop is mostly at home and even so I prefer the 14". The 16" is so heavy and hard to handle

Bear in mind I come from a 15" one and I just can't go with the 16". Reminds me more of the old school 17" one

huge...but then the display and screen real estate is also huge ,and much bigger than the 14.isnt that worth it ?

i mean you get a bigger display which is nice.higher resolution(whilst being 2* retina scaling) .MUCH better battery.better thermals (both passive and active id say) .bigger trackpad.better speakers.

 

[ascender]

I've always said that the issue with the 16" is the footprint rather than the weight of it (assuming you're ably bodied). So I struggled with it when trying to use it on the move in cramped spaces - i.e. trains & planes! I've had no issue with having it in a rucksack or messenger bag and traveling from place to place, walking across London etc.

Apart from being very comfortable to use for long periods without an external monitor, it also lets me work with two windows side-by-side which is something I struggle with on the smaller ones.

13/14 is the perfect mix of power & portability though.

 

[adgoodma]

The 16 sits on my desk attached to two monitors 99% of the time. I like the bigger screen. Even though I lug it in and out of work everyday, the size of the screen makes it worth it!

 

[JPack]

Forget about carrying the 16-inch around on a daily basis. You won't want to do that after the romance wears off. You made the right choice with 14.

 

[Beau10]

I feared the 16" for awhile until work purchased one. It's fine and I feel portable enough, but when I go back to my old 13" the difference is pretty extreme.

I actually don't mind lugging the 16" around... I'm out and about all the time. For me it's more about how much space it takes up on a small cafe table, or when I'm lounging at home with it on my lap. The older 16" is just barely comfortable to sit like this for an hour or so at a time, whereas my 13" does not really fatigue at all, but the screen is a bit cramped. I fear the new 16" with at least 1/3 heavier might be just a bit too much to feel comfortable in my lap.

I *think* the 14" will be the sweet spot for portability and power. My eyesight is pretty good and I'll likely increase the scaled resolution to what I have on my current 16" - 2048 * 1280 - using SwitchResX in a pixel doubled format to retain sharpness.

 

[Realityck]

So I've tried both today. The 16" is HUGE! I mean proper behemoth, I can't imagine anyone carrying that stuff around.

My laptop is mostly at home and even so I prefer the 14". The 16" is so heavy and hard to handle

Bear in mind I come from a 15" one and I just can't go with the 16". Reminds me more of the old school 17" one

Compare the first retina (mid 2012 15" MBP had 15.4" screen )
Height: 0.71 inch (1.8 cm)
Width: 14.13 inches (35.89 cm)
Depth: 9.73 inches (24.71 cm)
Weight: 4.46 pounds (2.02 kg)2

2021 Mac Book Pro 16"
Height 0.66 inch (1.68 cm)
Width: 14.01 inches (35.57 cm)
Depth: 9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
Weight (M1 Pro): 4.7 pounds (2.1 kg)
Weight (M1 Max): 4.8 pounds (2.2 kg)

Not much of a difference except just slightly heavier and its smaller!

 

[Grolubao]

Compare the first retina (mid 2012 15" MBP)
Height: 0.71 inch (1.8 cm)
Width: 14.13 inches (35.89 cm)
Depth: 9.73 inches (24.71 cm)
Weight: 4.46 pounds (2.02 kg)2

2021 Mac Book Pro 16"
Height 0.66 inch (1.68 cm)
Width: 14.01 inches (35.57 cm)
Depth: 9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
Weight (M1 Pro): 4.7 pounds (2.1 kg)
Weight (M1 Max): 4.8 pounds (2.2 kg)

Not much of a difference except just slightly heavier and its smaller!

I hear you, I'm just stating that holding it with one hand is almost impossible due do the shape and heaviness. It's HUGE honestly... I was shocked

 

[Grolubao]

Forget about carrying the 16-inch around on a daily basis. You won't want to do that after the romance wears off. You made the right choice with 14.

This. 100% I would not carry the 16" around. It's pretty much a desktop workstation that you can take it with you if you have no other resort but I'm sure you wouldn't want to do that

 

[JonoNZ]

I had a 16" on order, after the seeing the reviews and the bulk of the thing I think the extra thickness and heft is noticeable. I cancelled it and ordered a 14" 64GB 4TB -- now have to wait until early December for that, but I'll be happier with the 14" I think.

 

[Realityck]

I hear you, I'm just stating that holding it with one hand is almost impossible due do the shape and heaviness. It's HUGE honestly... I was shocked

Well at least this go around everyone has some interesting choices on which to go with, a more mobile model versus as what the recent post called it a workstation which it is. I see the stores have M Pro models in stock.

There is one more 16" model is someone wants a monster for pickup when ever it shows up.

• A 16" M Max 32 core 64 GB RAM and 4 TB SDD ($4,899.00 USD)

 

[Realityck]

Another store stock configuration for pickup will be available

• A 14" M Max 32 core 64 GB RAM and 2 TB SSD ($4,099.00 USD)

 

[mouthster]

I went with the 16" because 99% of the time I'm just taking it to another room in the house. But out of curiosity I looked up some of the older 15" Macs I used to take everywhere:

PowerBook G4 15" - 5.7 lbs
MacBook Pro Core2Duo 15" - 5.5 lbs.

 

[nquinn]

I have to say I ordered the 16" (currently using a 2019 16" intel for work), but after visiting the Apple store today to compare them I think I may revert to the 14".

The new 16" model is just massive. While it's footprint is similar to the older models, the increased depth and weight make it just feel like a huge brick.

Like the other poster here, I also still mostly plan to use this at home and am still questioning it. I was totally set on the 16" previous to this but now am leaning like 60-70% towards the 14".

The 14" feels like a sleek laptop while the 16" feels like someone stuck a screen on a desktop lol.

 

[Grolubao]

I have to say I ordered the 16" (currently using a 2019 16" intel for work), but after visiting the Apple store today to compare them I think I may revert to the 14".

The new 16" model is just massive. While it's footprint is similar to the older models, the increased depth and weight make it just feel like a huge brick.

Like the other poster here, I also still mostly plan to use this at home and am still questioning it. I was totally set on the 16" previous to this but now am leaning like 60-70% towards the 14".

The 14" feels like a sleek laptop while the 16" feels like someone stuck a screen on a desktop lol.

Precisely my feelings. I was 95% sure I was going to get the 16" but after testing it in store the only word I could use to describe it was: behemoth. I chatted with the sales assistant and he even said that indeed it looked too big and felt like a desktop. I think once I pick the 14" I'll forget I ever had the 15" before

 

[ProfessionalFan]

Been using the 14 for a couple hours and it feels more like the old 15 than it does the recent 13. It may be the perfect size. The 16 in pics and videos just looks too big. It reminds me of the old 17 inch

 

[FNH15]

Compare the first retina (mid 2012 15" MBP had 15.4" screen )
Height: 0.71 inch (1.8 cm)
Width: 14.13 inches (35.89 cm)
Depth: 9.73 inches (24.71 cm)
Weight: 4.46 pounds (2.02 kg)2

2021 Mac Book Pro 16"
Height 0.66 inch (1.68 cm)
Width: 14.01 inches (35.57 cm)
Depth: 9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
Weight (M1 Pro): 4.7 pounds (2.1 kg)
Weight (M1 Max): 4.8 pounds (2.2 kg)

Not much of a difference except just slightly heavier and its smaller!

Thank you for this comparison. I was concerned about portability coming from my 2018 15”, but I carried around a 2013 15” Retina in college, so this is some reassurance indeed!

 

[justinf77]

I have to say I ordered the 16" (currently using a 2019 16" intel for work), but after visiting the Apple store today to compare them I think I may revert to the 14".

The new 16" model is just massive. While it's footprint is similar to the older models, the increased depth and weight make it just feel like a huge brick.

Like the other poster here, I also still mostly plan to use this at home and am still questioning it. I was totally set on the 16" previous to this but now am leaning like 60-70% towards the 14".

The 14" feels like a sleek laptop while the 16" feels like someone stuck a screen on a desktop lol.

I had a 2019 16" before selling it for a 13" M1 MBP. I was dead set on the 16" but when I received it today, it just felt like a behemoth. I literally laugh every time I open the laptop because the screen is JUST SO BIG. I don't remember having this reaction to the 2019 16", and I'm not sure why.

I immediately checked the Apple Store app and ordered a 14" for same-day delivery to compare. So far, this feels like the perfect size.

I'm going to keep using both for a while before I make up my mind, but now I'm heavily leaning towards keeping the 14".

 

[icyfire]

I just checked out both at the Apple Store, I think the 14" is going to be the perfect size for the vast majority of customers. The screen is just big enough that you don't feel like you're missing out on real estate but the laptop is compact enough for easy portability. The 16" looks and feels absolutely gigantic and the only reason I think people should get it is if you are doing significant productivity type work (video/photo editing particularly) and it's going to be sitting on a desk most of the time. I had the same dilemma about the size before hand but once I saw both, no doubt will be getting the 14".

 

[16bitplus]

I bought both to compare and I am sticking with the 14". I had the 2019 16" then went with the M1 MBA because it ran so hot. The M1 MBA was great, just a little small and lacked the ports I needed.

The 14" is the "just right." between the two. You notice the extra screen size and at the end of the day I have a 27" monitor I can hook it up to if I need a second screen.

 

[PhallicPhillip]

I've only had the new 16" for about 4 hours, but coming from the 2019 16" I hardly notice any difference. I did not try the 14" in the store because I don't often use an external monitor and value the extra screen real estate. Personally, I don't mind using the 16" at work, but then again I am often using it on a desk. It's a portable desktop for me. But I agree that for the average person, the 14" would likely be the way to go.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

I've only had the new 16" for about 4 hours, but coming from the 2019 16" I hardly notice any difference. I did not try the 14" in the store because I don't often use an external monitor and value the extra screen real estate. Personally, I don't mind using the 16" at work, but then again I am often using it on a desk. It's a portable desktop for me. But I agree that for the average person, the 14" would likely be the way to go.

the 14" would likely be the way to go.

the 14" would likely be the way to go.

what makes you say that ? it has worse battery ,smaller display,worse thermals ,speakers..

 

[PhallicPhillip]

If mobility is the bigger corner

the 14" would likely be the way to go.

what makes you say that ? it has worse battery ,smaller display,worse thermals ,speakers..

I was trying to respond to OP and their purported use case. I actually forgot about the battery life, that's a big factor in favor of the larger model. Don't get me wrong, I'm confident about selecting the 16" for myself. The size is fine and still quite portable for me.