14-Inch vs 16-Inch MacBook Pro – Which One Should You Buy?

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Today is a rest day, which means that, rather than head to the gym, I’m walking to the studio. This counts as a rest, in my book; it means my day will be absent of the desire to throw a treadmill through a gym window.

Despite this, previous treks to the studio (it’s only a smidgen over a mile from my house – so ‘trek’ is, admittedly, pushing it) would still represent a relatively heavy lift. Literally – I had to cart the 16-inch MacBook Pro there.

Whenever I note how heavy Apple’s biggest laptop is, I’m told to “head to the gym” or “get over it, mate, that’s not a heavy laptop lol”. But I do stand firm on my belief that the 16-inch MacBook Pro is a bad buy for a great many people.

However, I’m equally conscious that the big MacBook Pro is a good buy for some. And now the M4 MacBook Pro has been released, the decision has never been more relevant. So, today, I’m going to offer my thoughts on which sized MacBook Pro is right for you.

Spec Overview

Here’s a comparison table for the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro, 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro (M4 Pro or M4 Max), and 16-inch M4 MacBook Pro (M4 Pro or M4 Max):

Feature	14-inch MacBook Pro (M4)	14-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Pro or M4 Max)	16-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Pro or M4 Max)
Starting Price	£1,599	£1,999	£2,499
Finish Options	Space Black, Silver	Space Black, Silver	Space Black, Silver
Display	14.2″ Liquid Retina XDR	14.2″ Liquid Retina XDR	16.2″ Liquid Retina XDR
Resolution	3024 x 1964	3024 x 1964	3456 x 2234
Brightness (XDR/SDR)	1600 nits peak (XDR), 1000 nits (SDR)	1600 nits peak (XDR), 1000 nits (SDR)	1600 nits peak (XDR), 1000 nits (SDR)
Processor Options	M4 chip	M4 Pro or M4 Max	M4 Pro or M4 Max
CPU Cores	10-core (4 performance, 6 efficiency)	M4 Pro: up to 14-core; M4 Max: up to 16-core	M4 Pro: up to 14-core; M4 Max: up to 16-core
GPU Cores	10-core	M4 Pro: up to 20-core; M4 Max: up to 40-core	M4 Pro: up to 20-core; M4 Max: up to 40-core
Memory Bandwidth	120GB/s	M4 Pro: 273GB/s; M4 Max: 546GB/s	M4 Pro: 273GB/s; M4 Max: 546GB/s
Unified Memory	Up to 32GB	Up to 128GB	Up to 128GB
Storage	Up to 2TB SSD	Up to 8TB SSD	Up to 8TB SSD
Battery Life (Web)	Up to 16 hours	M4 Pro: up to 14 hours; M4 Max: up to 13 hours	M4 Pro: up to 17 hours; M4 Max: up to 14 hours
Battery Life (Video)	Up to 24 hours	M4 Pro: up to 22 hours; M4 Max: up to 18 hours	M4 Pro: up to 24 hours; M4 Max: up to 21 hours
Charging Adapter	70W USB-C	70W or 96W USB-C (depending on CPU/GPU configuration)	140W USB-C
Weight	1.55 kg (3.4 lbs)	1.60 kg (M4 Pro), 1.62 kg (M4 Max)	2.14 kg (M4 Pro), 2.15 kg (M4 Max)
Ports	3 Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC, 3.5mm headphone jack	3 Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, SDXC, 3.5mm headphone jack	3 Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, SDXC, 3.5mm headphone jack
Audio	Six-speaker system, Spatial Audio	Six-speaker system, Spatial Audio	Six-speaker system, Spatial Audio
Camera	12MP Center Stage, 1080p video	12MP Center Stage, 1080p video	12MP Center Stage, 1080p video
Wi-Fi & Bluetooth	Wi‑Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3	Wi‑Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3	Wi‑Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Operating System Features	Apple Intelligence	Apple Intelligence	Apple Intelligence

What’s changed?

Much of my day-to-day leg work is run on a 14-inch MacBook Pro at the moment. It’s specced up with the best M3 Max chip, 64GB of unified memory, and a 2TB SSD.

This is a wonderful laptop. Whenever I have access to the 14-inch MacBook Pro, I rue my decision to go for the big one. It’s lighter, feels just as powerful in everyday use, and suits the retro chunky MacBook Pro design aesthetic far better.

Extended time with this particular variant has made me appreciate it even more. The aforementioned walk to the studio this morning will be absent of that dead weight of a 16-inch laptop.

It is just a more practical laptop for everyday use. Most people do not need to be lugging around a 16-inch laptop. And it’s the same case for the new M4 MacBook Pro. The 14-inch version weighs 1.62kg compared to 2.15kg for the 16-inch version. Trust me, you notice that.

Regardless, my daily driver as far as production duties are concerned is still the 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro, and that puts me in a great position to offer some real-world buying guidance for you today.

14-inch vs 16-inch MacBook Pro: power

We could really get lost in the weeds here, folks. For that reason, I’ll spare you detailed benchmarks and stats. It’s getting boring, to be honest – all modern MacBook Pros are incredibly powerful.

I’ve run tests previously and they do nothing more than confirm that the 14-inch MacBook Pro is a bit slower than its big brother. Although Apple has never confirmed it, this is probably because that smaller chassis has no choice but to force some throttling of whatever M-series chip is inside.

However, you’ll only spot that under extremely heavy loads and if you’re sat there timing your exports, compiles, or renders. Which no one does apart from us reviewers.

A quick test involving a 10-minute piece of 4K footage from my Sony FX3 camera between the M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro and M2 Max 14-inch MacBook Pro illustrates this perfectly.

16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro (32GB)

• Render: 01:20
• Export: 02:41

14-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro (64GB)

• Render: 01:02
• Export: 02:42

Winning the render race is more important – rendering gets you to the end result quicker as a video editor. As for the export, it is indeed a dead heat against the 14-inch MacBook Pro, but we know why.

We’re not testing apples for apples here. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros have vastly different cooling abilities, as noted earlier, and the latter is far less likely to reach for the throttling control when things get intense. Secondly, my tests are ridiculously ‘back street garage’; there are far more comprehensive and scientific ways to measure this stuff.

This will hold true for the M4 MacBooks too. Yes, they have better chips but there is only so much a chip can help with. We are talking mega-fast speeds here across the M-series so we’re splitting hairs here.

Even during heavy production work – you’re barely going to notice the difference between the two. I haven’t; they are super fast laptops.

14-inch vs 16-inch MacBook Pro: battery

This is the most significant difference between the different sizes. The 16-inch MacBook Pro has noticeably more battery stamina than the 14-inch version.

This is one area of tech comparisons which I’ve never attempted to benchmark – real-world scenarios matter much more. And I’ve had a lot of that with both of these laptops.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro remains an incredible performer, battery-wise – the best I’ve experienced, in fact. I’ve reached the point with that machine where I genuinely forget that it hasn’t been connected to the power after many hours of creative use.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro isn’t far off, but it does chew through its battery quicker – to the point where you think more readily about the availability of a power outlet. I’d say you have to plug it in once on average whereas you really don’t ever need to with the 16-inch size.

As for the M4 MacBook Pros, there are no differences in the battery hardware. You get about 14 hours of battery life with the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro and 17 hours with the 16-inch M4 MacBook Pro.

14-inch vs 16-inch MacBook Pro: price

The ‘cheapest’ 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro is $1,599/£1,599, add an M4 Pro chip and that bumps you up to $1,999/£1,999. An M4 Max 14-inch MacBook Pro costs $3,199/£3,199.

Stepping up to the 16-inch version, and you’ll be asked for $2,499/£2,499. This obviously gets you the M4 Pro chip, four extra CPU cores and 10 extra GPU cores. So if you just want the bigger display size, then you’ll need to pay an extra $900/£900.

At the top end, for a 16-inch M4 Max MacBook Pro you’ll spend a minimum of $3,499/£3,499. That’s a mere $300 difference between the 14-inch and 16-inch M4 versions. At that point, if you want the bigger screen, the cost seems virtually non-existent.

When you’re spending this much on a laptop, the differences in price are often marginal. After all, top-end MacBooks are usually bought by businesses, creative individuals, or people who just want the absolute best and who have the budget for it.

Therefore the price is, surprisingly, a moot point. You know your budget far better than I do, and you’ll therefore know whether or not the price plays an ultimate role in your decision-making between the two.

Bear in mind that opting for the 16-inch version means you will also be getting the M4 Pro chip. Ask yourself if you really need that power and extra 2 inches, it could save you $1000/£1000.

14-inch vs 16-inch MacBook Pro: size

I won’t overdo this point, and your thirst for power, display size and the all-important wantability factor (I’ll come onto that next) should dictate your choice, but these are vastly different laptops in terms of footprint.

If you’ve never spent time in the same room as a 16-inch MacBook Pro but you’re considering buying one, I’d urge you to head to an Apple Store. They are surprisingly large.

The 14-inch version, by comparison, really is the sweet spot for most people. You sacrifice screen estate (more than you think, in fact), and it won’t last quite so long in-between charges, but it’s damn near perfect for everything else, which makes any perceived deficiencies in power completely irrelevant.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro begins to feel like a desktop machine and most people who need them end up using them in a similar way. If you’re travelling around a lot, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is the sensible option.

14-inch vs 16-inch MacBook Pro: wantability

Don’t worry, you’re in a safe place. You can say it – honestly. In fact, I’ll say it for you: Mac purchases are driven significantly by how much you just want that particular laptop.

My iPad mini 7 review makes no excuses for why I immediately buy devices I love.

There doesn’t have to be a reason for it. Equally, it’s damn near impossible to define the feeling of needing a particular MacBook Pro.

That’s absolutely fine. Apple is a master at making us want stuff for no discernible reason, and if you’ve got the budget for it, why not? Although I must note at this juncture that due to the nature of the wantability factor, this particular part of the decision-making process is entirely up to you.

If I was buying a new MacBook Pro now then, for my needs, I’d be buying a 14-inch M4 Max MacBook Pro.

My next MacBook Pro move

I have to confess, it is unlikely that I’ll be buying an M4 MacBook Pro as a long-term machine. I will be reviewing it though!

But the theory is the same for whatever generation MacBook Pro you are buying.

I firmly believe that the 14-inch MacBook Pro is the best and more appropriate device for most people. The 16-inch is just simply too big, whilst the extra cost only brings you minimal battery life improvements, and performance gains that are only noticeable to those who desperately need them.

The 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro gets my vote!

Which one are you going for? Let me know your reasons in the comments, please!

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