Hey,
So looking at maybe upgrading in the new year to a MacBook Pro. Simple question, is there any advantage in form factor, performance, battery or anything else that would make the 16 inch MacBook Pro better for us than the 14 inch?
In other words, is the screen size the only difference between the two?
O
Comments
It depends
Greetings,
There are a couple of advantages to the 16 inch VS the 14 inch. It does have a bigger battery and the speakers are better. If neither of those are a big concern then there is no real advantage to the bigger one. I purchased the 14 inch a couple of weeks ago and I love the hardware. Just doing everyday tasks, mine will last several days on battery power. My biggest gripe is not with the hardware but with Monterey.
My 2 cents
The MacRumors Buyer's Guide lists the following differences:
If you are totally blind, that larger screen real estate isn't going to offer anything. However, it's going to come at he cost of bulk and weight. If you need to carry your laptop with you, that has to be a price not worth paying. And, of course, the higher $$$ price tag of the 16-inch model is mostly due to that larger screen which you aren't going to benefit from.
The only consideration here in my opinion is whether you will be sharing the laptop with somebody else. Somebody who may appreciate and benefit from that larger screen.
If you agree that the larger screen isn't worth paying for, then what might be from the list of differences?
The extra battery life might be, but the 14-inch model is going to outlast most of the competition. Is that extra 4 hours of video watching actually going to make a meaningful difference in real world use? My M1 MacBook Air can easily go a couple of busy days without needing charging. Would I like even more battery life? Heck yes if it was free, but it's already at a level where I wouldn't pay extra for more. If I was in the market for the new MacBook Pro, I don't think that the additional battery life of the 16-inch model would translate in to something that I would be happy to have paid extra for.
This leaves just the High Power Mode of the 16-inch model. My understanding is that there's only a small number of use cases which will benefit from this, and they are all at a high end professional level. It's also only available with the Pro Max chip, so you can forget that $2499 starting price.
If it was me, I couldn't see an argument for the 16-inch model.
However, my opinion might be different if I came at it from a position where the price didn't have to be a primary consideration. Then, knowing that I don't carry my laptop around, being able to go for the most powerful option with the best available battery life would no doubt be where I would end up 😄
The bottom line for you is that you are in a great and very fortunate position. Both options are a tremendous piece of kit, and I am confident that you will love whichever you choose. Be sure to let us know which one it is ☺️
This is great advice
Thanks so much for the comparison table. That was really what I needed.
I'll be paying for it over several months which minimises that huge ouch factor, but your points are still very valid. I really need to go into the shop and feel it for myself.
I'm astounded at how thin they are... I thought they'd be chunky old beasts. That battery is a draw for me indeed, but also having charging ports on both sides. I know it's a daft gripe and hardly worth an upgrade but my MBA has both USB-C ports on one side which is an annoyance if using it on my bed when the charger is on the other side. As I say, first world problem or what.
My main concern is the lack of windows support on M1. I do quite a bit of 3D printing and the slicing software I use is pretty rough on Mac but good on windows. Same goes for other more technical apps. I fear by jumping to the M1 I'm actually going to lose functionality to a point.
Anyway, something to consider for the new year. It might be that the new MacBook Air which I imagine is coming next year will tick all the boxes without the hefty price tag, after all we don't need mega bright screens.
How do you find the audio on the 14 inch? I've got a mid 2020 intel MacBook Air which sounds... Okay. I wouldn't ever really use it to watch more than YouTube videos though.
Also, forgive my questions, is setup and system restore etc better with the M1 machines? I like to do a scorched earth every now and then to keep things running smoothly and finding it impossible with my current machine due to wobbly VoiceOver support in the restoration process.
Just a thought
Something that's never mentioned in size comparisons of laptops is the size of the keyboard. It may not be any different if, for instance, the bigger speakers take up the extra area on the side of the keyboard, but, then again, it might. I just thought I would throw that in as something to look out for.
Is it a full sized keyboard on the 16?
Is it a full keyboard, as in with a num pad on the 16 inch? I'm assuming not as I've not read anything to the contrary but, as I understand it, VoiceOver can be a little better to control with a full sized keyboard.
Mac 2020
FYI. The mac from last year also have the M1 chip and will do the same as new Mac. Only difference is the speed which the one from last year still faster than most lop taps today. Save money and look at the 2020 with M1 chip.
The 16 inch is not a full keyboard
Unfortunately the keyboard on the 16 inch is not a full keyboard. From what I have heard the keyboard is the same size on both the 14 and 16 inch models. One of the reasons I went with the new ones is the SD card slot.