Hartley Charlton
The MacBook Pro comes in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, with three different models starting at $1,599, $1,999, and $2,499. So which one should you choose?
With three similar models to choose from, our guide will help you decide which of these MacBook Pros is best for you. The three models are:
- 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4: The entry-level model for users who want a machine that’s more powerful and versatile than the MacBook Air.
- 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro or M4 Max: The more powerful, high-end model with a choice of performance-focused chips. It comes with faster memory bandwidth, more storage, support for additional external displays, and an 8TB storage option, but loses two hours of battery life.
- 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro or M4 Max: A model with identical specs to the 14-inch model with M4 Pro or M4 Max chips, but with a significantly larger display and up to two more hours of battery life. It also gets High Power Mode for a performance boost.
Every MacBook Pro can be customized to add a more powerful processor and more memory and storage. Read on for a detailed breakdown of all the differences between the three MacBook Pro models.
| 14-inch MacBook Pro (with M4) |
14-inch MacBook Pro (with M4 Pro and M4 Max) |
16-inch MacBook Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 14.2-inch display | 14.2-inch display | 16.2-inch display |
| 0.61 inches thick (1.55 cm) | 0.61 inches thick (1.55 cm) | 0.66 inches thick (1.68 cm) |
| Weight 3.4 pounds (1.55 kg) | M4 Pro: Weight 3.5 pounds (1.61 kg) M4 Max: Weight 3.6 pounds (1.62 kg) |
M4 Pro: Weight 4.7 pounds (2.14 kg) M4 Max: Weight 4.8 pounds (2.16 kg) |
| Configurations start with the M4 with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU | Configurations start with the M4 Pro with a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU | Configurations start with the M4 Pro with a 14-core CPU and 20-Core GPU |
| High Power Mode to Boost M4 Max Performance | High Power Mode to Boost M4 Max Performance | |
| 120GB/s Memory Bandwidth | M4 Pro: 273GB/s Memory Bandwidth M4 Max: 546GB/s Memory Bandwidth |
M4 Pro: 273GB/s Memory Bandwidth M4 Max: 546GB/s Memory Bandwidth |
| 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB of unified memory | M4 Pro: 24GB or 48GB of unified memory M4 Max: 36GB, 48GB, 64GB, or 128GB of unified memory |
M4 Pro: 24GB or 48GB of unified memory M4 Max: 36GB, 48GB, 64GB, or 128GB of unified memory |
| Support for dual external displays | M4 Pro: Support for dual external displays M4 Max: Support for up to four external displays |
M4 Pro: Support for dual external displays M4 Max: Support for up to four external displays |
| Three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports | Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports | Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports |
| Fast charging via MagSafe 3 or USB-C port | Fast charging via MagSafe 3 or USB-C port | Fast charging via MagSafe port 3 or USB-C (with 240W cable only) |
| Up to 24 hours of battery life | M4 Pro: Up to 22 hours of battery life M4 Max: Up to 18 hours of battery life |
M4 Pro: Up to 24 hours of battery life M4 Max: Up to 21 hours of battery life |
| Built-in 72.4Wh lithium-polymer battery | Built-in 72.4Wh lithium-polymer battery | Built-in 100Wh lithium-polymer battery |
| 70W USB-C Power Adapter | 70W USB-C Power Adapter (with M4 Pro with 12-core CPU) or 96W USB-C Power Adapter (with M4 Pro with 14-core CPU or M4 Max, configurable with M4 Pro with 12-core CPU) | 140W USB-C power adapter |
| 512GB, 1TB or 2TB of storage | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB of storage | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB of storage |
| From $1,599 | From $1,999 | From $2,499 |
Display size
MacBook Pro is available in 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch display sizes. The 16.2-inch display is a better desktop replacement, providing much more screen real estate for displaying multiple windows and using professional apps that benefit from the extra display area. The 14.2-inch display is still larger than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, and will likely be a better overall balance of needs for most users.
Design
The 16-inch model is, of course, physically larger than the 14-inch model, with a noticeably larger overall footprint. It's also worth noting that the 16-inch model is also 0.13 cm thicker and 1.4 pounds (0.64 kg) heavier.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro is definitely more portable and comfortable to carry around than the 16-inch model. While the 16-inch MacBook Pro can still fit into larger bags and is a reasonable size for travel, it is a much larger and heavier machine. If you are considering the 16-inch MacBook Pro, you should make sure that you are comfortable with its size and weight, especially if you plan to use it on the go.
Chip Configurations
Both the 14- and 16-inch models can be upgraded to the M4 Max chip with a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU, but if you want to spend as little as possible or don’t need that much performance for intensive workflows, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is also available with the standard M4 chip. The M4 offers a more balanced processor with a greater emphasis on efficiency for longer battery life, which is better suited for users with less demanding needs. Buyers should be aware that the M4 chip is limited to 120GB/s of memory, 32GB of memory, 2TB of storage, and only supports two external displays.
The base configuration of the 14-inch MacBook Pro is includes the M4 Pro with a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, while the base 16-inch model includes the M4 Pro with a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU. If you upgrade the 14-inch model to the same M4 Pro with a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU that the 16-inch model starts with, it jumps to $2,299 — just $300 less than the 16-inch model's starting price.
For those who are leaning toward the 16-inch MacBook Pro and want at least a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU, the small price difference between the two models of just $300 may make it easier to choose the larger machine. On the other hand, if you don’t need the performance of the M4 Pro with its 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU, the 16-inch model may be overkill, and getting the 14-inch model is the best way to keep costs down.
High Power Mode
The M4 Pro and M4 Max chips offer a software feature called High Power Mode. When enabled, High Power Mode boosts the machine’s performance to better handle the demands of intensive, long-running workloads.
High Power Mode is designed to optimize and improve the performance of resource-intensive tasks like color grading 8K ProRes video, according to Apple. When enabled, High Power Mode deprioritizes resource-intensive system processes to take full advantage of the M4 Max chip’s performance. This setting is effectively the opposite of “Low Power Mode,” which aims to reduce system performance in favor of extending battery life.
- How to Use High Power Mode on Your MacBook Pro
The M4 and M4 Pro chips don't support High Power Mode, so if you want to be able to selectively push your processor to its limits, you'll need to buy a machine with the M4 Max chip.
Battery Life
Thanks to its larger size, the 16-inch MacBook Pro contains a larger battery and has a longer battery life. The 14-inch model contains a 72.4 Wh battery, while the 16-inch model contains a 100 Wh battery.
Apple claims that the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro can deliver up to 24 hours of battery life with video playback, but that drops to 18 or 22 hours when configured with the M4 Pro or M4 Max. The 16-inch model delivers 22 hours of battery life with the M4 Max and 24 hours with the M4 Pro when playing video. For users who need the most battery life, the 14-inch M4 or 16-inch M4 are the best options, but the battery life of the other configurations is still good enough for most users.
Charging and connectivity
The 14-inch MacBook Pro uses a 70W or 96W USB-C power adapter for charging, while the 16-inch model comes with a 140W power adapter. Both models support fast charging, but require a 96W or higher USB-C power adapter. The 96W USB-C power adapter is a $20 option on the base model of the 14-inch MacBook Pro, but it comes standard on the 14-core M4 Pro and M4 Max configurations.
Both models can use the MagSafe 3 or USB-C ports for fast charging. They can charge up to 100W through their USB-C ports, but because the 16-inch model has a larger battery, it doesn’t qualify as “fast charging” on that machine.
The MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips comes with Thunderbolt 5 ports, but the model with the standard M4 chip is limited to Thunderbolt 4. Thunderbolt 4 wired data transfer should be more than enough for most users, but it's still a difference worth noting.
Final Thoughts
The 16-inch MacBook Pro is $500 more expensive than the 14-inch model with the base M4 Pro chip, so you'll want to be sure you need the extra display real estate, battery life, and maybe even High Power Mode support to justify its higher price. That said, if you upgrade the 14-inch model to the same M4 Pro with a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU that the 16-inch model starts with, the price difference is down to $300, and it might be worth going for the larger model, especially if you can take advantage of its longer battery life.
Buyers of the 16-inch model should be aware that it is significantly larger, thicker, and heavier than the 14-inch model, to the point that it may be unnecessarily bulky for some users. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is clearly a more portable machine, so if you're going to be carrying your MacBook Pro around, you'll want to consider adding a 14-inch MacBook Pro to your laptop. frequently, or need the versatility to easily slip it into a bag for transport, the smaller model is the best option by far.
If you need more than 16GB of memory and are interested in the 14-inch model with the M4 chip, the 24GB memory configuration bumps the price up to $1,799. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip comes with 24GB of memory as standard and starts at $1,999. In that case, it might be worth spending the extra $200 to get two extra CPU cores and six extra GPU cores, unless you're particularly concerned about losing two hours of battery life.
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