If you're looking for an elite device that delivers ultimate performance, you'd likely be better off with Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro instead. Additionally, features like Wi-Fi 6 and facial recognition are a great bonus that most users will appreciate. However, it's still very capable and is also more affordable, making it more attractive to the average user. It may not be as powerful and capable as the MacBook Pro when it comes to very intensive visual workloads, storage, longevity, and high-speed peripheral connectivity. While both of these laptops are superb, we ultimately think that most people will find the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 to be the overall better choice. The MacBook Pro's quad Thunderbolt 3 ports, while impressive, may force buyers to trade their existing USB-A peripherals for USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ones (or buy an adapter).
Finally, the ThinkPad includes some legacy USB-A ports, which is great since many peripherals still use a USB-A connection. In contrast, the MacBook Pro only features a fingerprint reader for Touch ID.
The ThinkPad also has a face-recognizing IR camera and a fingerprint reader for full Windows Hello biometric security compatibility. On top of having touch has a display option, Lenovo's workstation also offers compatibility with Wi-Fi 6, which is a feature that people who want top-notch wireless internet speeds should consider. The ThinkPad P1 isn't without some of its own victories. Six-speaker sound system with dual force-cancelling woofers Overall, the MacBook Pro outclasses the ThinkPad P1 in these areas, though it's important to note that you'll be paying a pretty penny to get those advantages. 4TB), four Thunderbolt 3 ports, a more advanced audio setup, and almost double the battery life of the ThinkPad P1. However, the MacBook Pro fires back with double the potential storage (8TB vs. Notably, the ThinkPad P1 offers an OLED display with touch as an option for folks who like using the feature, something that the MacBook Pro doesn't have. Both devices also have gorgeous displays with excellent resolution, rich color accuracy, and brightness.
The 8GB variant of the Radeon Pro 5500M, in particular, offers a huge VRAM advantage that will be felt during more intensive tasks, such as high-resolution video editing. Both also have beastly GPUs that are excellent for visual media productivity, although the MacBook Pro's Radeon Pro GPUs perform considerably better than the NVIDIA Quadro cards in the ThinkPad P1. The two devices are very similar: both feature workhorse CPUs, and both have up to 64GB of memory. Source: Windows CentralThe Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (left) and the MacBook Pro (right).īoth of these laptops are performance titans, and that's reflected in the spec sheet.