Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M3) vs Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

MacBook Pro 14″ (M3) compared with MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
AppleMacBook Pro 14″ (M3)AppleMacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
Overview
ReleasedNovember 2023July 2018
Display
Screen size14.2″15.4″
Resolution3024 × 1964 (better)2880 × 1800
PanelMini-LEDIPS LCD
Refresh rate120 Hz–
Brightness600 nits (better)500 nits
HDR peak brightness1,600 nits–
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeLiquid Retina XDR display with mini-LED backlightingRetina display; LED-backlit IPS; millions of colours
Pixel density254 ppi220 ppi
Colour rangeWide colour (P3); 1 billion coloursWide colour (P3)
Display features1,000,000:1 contrast; 1,000 nits sustained full-screen HDR brightness; ProMotion adaptive refresh up to 120 Hz; fixed 47.95, 48, 50, 59.94 and 60 Hz rates; True ToneTrue Tone; scaled resolutions of 1920 × 1200, 1680 × 1050, 1280 × 800 or 1024 × 640
Performance
ProcessorApple M3Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8850H or Intel Core i9-8950HK
CPU cores86
CPU threads–12
Graphics10-core GPUAMD Radeon Pro 555X, AMD Radeon Pro 560X, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 or AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20
Memory8 GB, 16 GB or 24 GB16 GB or 32 GB (better)
Storage512 GB to 2 TB256 GB to 4 TB (better)
CPU8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency coresSix-core Intel Core i7 at 2.2 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 4.1 GHz and 9 MB L3 cache, or Core i7 at 2.6 GHz with up to 4.3 GHz and 9 MB L3 cache; both configurable to Core i9 at 2.9 GHz with up to 4.8 GHz and 12 MB L3 cache. Exact i7-8750H, i7-8850H and i9-8950HK identifiers confirmed by MacGeneration.
GPU10-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing; media engine supports H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW, video and ProRes encode/decode, and AV1 decodeIntel UHD Graphics 630 with automatic switching to discrete Radeon Pro graphics. The 2.2 GHz base has Radeon Pro 555X with 4 GB GDDR5, configurable to 560X with 4 GB GDDR5. The 2.6 GHz base has 560X, configurable to Vega 16 or Vega 20 with 4 GB HBM2; Vega options became available on 14 November 2018.
AI engine16-core Neural Engine–
Memory typeUnified memory; 8 GB or 16 GB, configurable to 24 GB16 GB of 2400 MHz DDR4 onboard memory, configurable to 32 GB
Memory bandwidth100 GB/s–
Storage typeSSD; 512 GB or 1 TB, configurable to 2 TBPCIe-based onboard SSD; 256 GB base with 2.2 GHz processor configurable to 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB or 4 TB; 512 GB base with 2.6 GHz processor configurable to 1 TB, 2 TB or 4 TB. Core i9 upgrades retain the storage and graphics options of their base configuration.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 22 hoursUp to 10 hours
Battery capacity69.6 Wh83.6 Wh (better)
Weight1.55 kg (better)1.83 kg
Thickness15.5 mm15.5 mm
Width × depth312.6 × 221.2 mm349.3 × 240.7 mm
Battery life detailUp to 15 hours wireless web; marketed as 70 Wh, with actual rating 69.6 Wh in Apple’s footnoteLithium-polymer battery; up to 10 hours wireless web or iTunes movie playback and 30 days standby. Apple's June 2018 tests used the 2.6 GHz Core i7, 16 GB memory and 512 GB SSD. Weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
Charger70 W USB-C Power Adapter87 W USB-C Power Adapter
Fast chargingWith optional 96 W USB-C Power Adapter–
Materials100% recycled aluminium enclosureAluminium enclosure
ColoursSilver, Space GreySilver; Space Grey
Connections
Ports2 × Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, SD card slot, MagSafe 3, headphone jack4 × Thunderbolt 3, headphone jack
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 5
Bluetooth5.35.0
Webcam1080p FaceTime HD720p FaceTime HD
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detailTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 up to 40 Gb/s; HDMI; SDXC slot; MagSafe 3; 3.5 mm jack with high-impedance headphone supportFour Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports support charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt up to 40 Gb/s and USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gb/s; 3.5 mm headphone jack. VGA, HDMI, DVI and Thunderbolt 2 output require separate adaptors.
External displaysOne external display with the built-in screen active; macOS Sonoma 14.6 or later supports two with the lid closed: primary up to 6K 60 Hz (or 4K 144 Hz), secondary up to 5K 60 Hz (or 4K 100 Hz), according to Apple’s updated display support page; original tech specs state HDMI up to 4K 120 HzBuilt-in screen plus two 5120 × 2880 displays at 60 Hz with over a billion colours, or four 4096 × 2304 displays at 60 Hz with over a billion colours
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, including 12 full-height function keysFull-size backlit keyboard with 64 US or 65 ISO keys, four arrow keys, Touch Bar and ambient light sensor; third-generation keyboard designed for quieter typing
TrackpadForce Touch trackpadForce Touch trackpad with pressure sensing, Force clicks and Multi-Touch gestures
SpeakersSix-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers; wide stereo; spatial audio with Dolby AtmosStereo speakers with high dynamic range
MicrophonesStudio-quality three-mic array with directional beamformingThree microphones
BiometricsTouch IDTouch ID fingerprint sensor; Apple T2 Security Chip supports secure boot and encrypted storage
In the box14-inch MacBook Pro, 70 W USB-C Power Adapter, USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable (2 m)15-inch MacBook Pro; 87 W USB-C Power Adapter; 2 m USB-C Charge Cable

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