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Both Samsung and Apple started 2023 with some great product refreshes. Apple launched a new MacBook Pro featuring the M2 Pro and M2 Max chip, and Samsung launched the Galaxy Book 3 Pro series. Considering that these are both high-end products with premium features like pixel-dense screens and fresh new CPUs under the hood, a comparison comes naturally.

If you're on the fence about which device to buy, we've put together this guide that looks beyond the basic apples-to-oranges comparison of Windows vs macOS and Apple M2 vs 13th-generation Intel CPUs that you'll often see.

Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro vs MacBook Pro 14: Pricing and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro starts at $1,450 and is now up for preorder on Samsung.com. It's set to release on Feb. 17. The MacBook Pro 14, meanwhile, can be purchased through Apple and other retailers. Pricing starts at $1,200. That gets you a system with a 10-core GPU and 16-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 512GB of storage.

Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro vs MacBook Pro 14: Specs

MacBook Pro 14

Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 14-inch

Operating system

  • macOS Ventura
  • Windows 11

CPU

  • Apple M2 Pro (10-Core CPU, 16-Core GPU)
  • Apple M2 Pro (12-Core CPU, 19-Core GPU)
  • Apple M2 Max (12-Core CPU, 30-Core GPU)
  • Apple M2 Max (12-Core CPU, 38-Core GPU)
  • 13th generation Intel Core i5/ Core i7 CPUs

Graphics

  • 16-Core GPU
  • 19-Core GPU
  • 30-Core GPU
  • 38-Core GPU
  • Intel Iris Xe graphics

Display

  • 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR
  • 3024 x 1964 pixels
  • 120Hz ProMotion
  • True-Tone
  • 16:10 Aspect Ratio
  • 500 nits SDR brightness/ 1600 nits peak HDR
  • 14-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X
  • 2880 x 1800 pixels
  • 120Hz Dynamic refresh rate
  • 16:10 aspect ratio
  • 400 nits brightness

Storage

  • 512GB SSD
  • 1TB SSD
  • 2TB SSD
  • 4TB SSD
  • 8TB SSD
  • 256GB SSD
  • 512GB SSD
  • 1TB PCIe SSD

RAM

  • 16GB Unified memory
  • 32GB Unified memory
  • 64GB Unified memory
  • 96GB Unified memory
  • 8GB LPDDR5
  • 16GB LPDDR5
  • 32GB LPDDR5

Battery

  • 70Wh
  • 67W USB-C Power Adapter (included with M2 Pro with 10‑core CPU)
  • 96W USB-C Power Adapter (included with M2 Pro with 12‑core CPU or M2 Max, configurable with M2 Pro with 10‑core CPU)
  • 63Whr battery
  • 65W charger

Ports

  • MagSafe 3
  • HDMI 2.0
  • 3.5mm jack
  • SD Card slot
  • USB-C Thunderbolt 4 (x3)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4 ports
  • USB Type-A
  • HDMI 1.4
  • microSD card slot

Audio

  • High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancellng woofers
  • Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beam forming
  • AKG Quad Speaker (Woofer Max 5W x 2, Tweeter 2W x 2)
  • Studio quality dual-microphones

Camera

  • 1080p
  • 1080p FaceTime HD camera

Biometric authentication

  • Touch ID in power button
  • Fingerprint reader

Connectivity

  • Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax
  • Bluetooth 5.3
  • Wi-Fi 6E (Gig+) 802.11 ax 2x2
  • Bluetooth 5.1

Color

  • Space Gray
  • Silver
  • Graphite
  • Beige

Size (WxDxH)

  • 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.6 inches
  • 12.29 x 8.81 x 0.4 inches

Dimensions

  • 3.5 pounds
  • Starts at 2.58 pounds

Operating system: macOS vs Windows

MacOS vs Windows 11 image

The top and most obvious difference between these two laptops is the operating system. If you own an iPhone or other Apple devices, then you'll want to pick up a MacBook Pro 14. If you own an Android device, especially a Samsung phone, then the Galaxy Book 3 Pro will work great.

The MacBook Pro 14 runs macOS, which has great synergy with other Apple devices, including access to FaceTime, iMessage, and even some iPhone apps on the macOS app store. You even get better content creation apps on macOS, like iMovie and Final Cut Pro. Apple has made it easy to connect all its products together, so it'll be easy to set up, too.

MacBooks are great for those who own iPhones, and the Galaxy Book 3 Pro is great for those with Android devices

On the other side, if you use an Android or Samsung phone/tablet, then the Galaxy Book 3 Pro might be a better option. It runs Windows 11, so you get access to streaming your Samsung Android phone's apps on your PC with Microsoft's Phone Link app. You also can use Phone Link to see an Android phone's text messages on your PC. It also plays nicely with Samsung's Galaxy tablets, letting you use it as a second screen for your PC. Windows 11 is great for its many productivity applications, too, and is highly customizable.\

Design: Both are classic clamshell laptops

There's not much to say here other than both of these laptops are classic clamshell laptops, and that one is slightly heavier than the other. (Although, it's worth noting the new Samsung series also includes the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, which is a 2-in-1 convertible with touch support.) Both of these laptops come in 14 and 16-inch sizes and are made of aluminum.

A man with a MacBook Pro in a van.

Whichever size model you choose, you'll likely notice that the MacBook Pro is a bit heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro since it weighs 3.5 pounds against the Galaxy Book's 2.58 pounds. So if you don't want to carry a little extra heavier laptop, the Galaxy Book 3 is your better option. In terms of dimensions, it's a nearly exact match there, but the Galaxy Book is slightly thinner.

As another part of the design, we do want to consider the speakers. Apple's MacBook has a six-speaker system with force-canceling woofers and a three-mic array. Samsung's Galaxy Book 3 Pro sports quad speakers tuned by AKG and studio-quality dual microphones. Listening to your favorite music shouldn't be an issue on either of these laptops, but considering Apple uses force-calling woofers and has a six-speaker system, it definitely features the better audio experience.

Display: The AMOLED on the Galaxy Book is better

Galaxy Book 3 Pro on a desk.

The biggest difference between these two laptops is definitely the display. Samsung is using what it calls a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the Galaxy Book 3 Pro series. Meanwhile, Apple is using its classic Liquid Retina XDR display. Between the two, we think that Samsung wins out.

To be clear, both displays are quite excellent, with 120Hz refresh rates for smooth scrolling and high resolutions, but there are some important differences. Apple is packing in plenty of pixels into its MacBook Pro 14 display with a 3024 x 1964 resolution. Samsung packs in the 2880 x 1800 resolution into the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 14 and 16.

Both displays are quite excellent since they have smooth 120Hz refresh rates and high resolutions, but there are some important differences.

The difference, though, is in brightness, which will come into play if you plan on using your laptop outdoors. The MacBook can hit 1,000 nits brightness in HDR mode and 1,600 nits peak. Samsung's display only hits 400 nits. Other than that, the display area on the MacBook is better because it has an area around the notch that makes it taller. The Samsung notebook also has a small black bar/bottom bezel, though it's not as big as in the past generation.

Because Samsung is using its AMOLED technology aboard the Galaxy Book 3 Pro, you'll end up with a laptop that has a more vibrant screen. Samsung claims its display can cover 120% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Apple doesn't provide that measurement, but based on a review of last year's Galaxy Book 2 series, we do know that AMOLED panels are much more vibrant, with great color reproduction and color accuracy. We'll have more details when we get our hands on the Galaxy Book 3 Pro.

MacBook Pro 14 with lots of apps on the desktop

If you're unfamiliar, Liquid Retina XDR is Apple's fancy marketing name for mini-LED technology. Technically, it's an LCD that uses IPS technology, with high pixel density and smaller LEDs grouped into local zones that are individually dimmed. This helps create better contrast ratios.

So if you're the type of person who is always streaming movies or watching YouTube, then we definitely suggest the Galaxy Book 3 Pro. Creative types should not pass on the MacBook, though, as the True Tone technology, wide color gamut, and XDR technology still make images look great.

Beyond those displays, both of these devices have great webcams. Samsung's webcam is 1080p, and so is the one in the MacBook Pro 14. Samsung backs its webcam with features like blurred backgrounds thanks to Samsung Studio Mode. And Apple has its webcam backed by an advanced image signal processor, which improves the quality of images thanks to features like noise reduction.

Performance: You can't beat the M2 Pro Max

Galaxy Book 3 Pro Family (3)

If performance is at the top of your mind when buying these laptops, then there's no doubt that the MacBook Pro 14 will be much better for you. For video editing and content creation, the MacBook is unmatched thanks to the power of the M2 Pro and M2 Pro Max chips. For regular productivity, though, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro series is great, especially with Intel's new 13th-generation CPUs, which are hybrid processors with performance and efficiency cores. Anything beyond basic productivity is the strength of the MacBook Pro.

The real secret is the GPU cores on the MacBook, which pack a lot of power for high-end tasks. On the GPU, there are either 16 cores and 19 cores on the M2 Pro, or a crazy 30 cores and 38 cores on the M2 Max. Even the CPU cores are powerful with options for 10 CPU cores or 12 CPU cores on the M2 Pro and 12 CPU cores on the M2 Max. Whatever your needs might be, those CPU and GPU cores combine to be highly efficient.

The MacBook Pro open with screens back to back and side by side.

The Galaxy Book 3 Pro series uses Intel's P-series chips that offer up to 14 total cores. These chips are known to be great for productivity because of their performance and efficiency cores. While they only include about a 10% productivity boost from last-gen, according to Intel, and these chips aren't exactly the best for multi-core performance like video editing and other high-end tasks due to the integrated Iris Xe graphics. You can see this when you look at the Geekbench scores for an M2 MacBook Pro against a similar laptop with a 12th-generation Intel P-series CPU. The MacBook really excels in all areas where that demanding graphics chip is needed.

Lenovo Yoga 9i Core i7-1260P

MacBook Pro 14 (M2 Pro)

MacBook Pro 14 (M2 Pro Max)

Geekbench 5 (Single/Multi)

1,736 / 9,525

1,941/14,965

1,926/14,939

Beyond raw CPU and GPU power, the MacBook Pro 14 is more customizable than the Galaxy Book 3 Pro. If your wallet is up for it, you can add a crazy amount of memory and storage to the MacBook. RAM goes as high as 64GB or 94GB on the MacBook Pro 14, but maxes out at 32GB on the Galaxy Book 3 Pro. As for storage, you get options for 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB on the MacBook, but only as high as 1TB on the Galaxy Book 3 Pro.

Ports and connectivity: The Galaxy Book 3 Pro has more ports

Looking at the ports and connectivity on these devices, it's just about as even as it gets. Both of these laptops have Wi-Fi 6E support. The MacBook Pro, though, has Bluetooth 5.3, whereas the Galaxy Book 3 Pro only has Bluetooth 5.1. It's not a difference you'll feel, depending on if your accessory supports it. Neither laptop offers 5G support, though.

You can't get 5G support on either laptop.

As far as ports go, well, the MacBook has some interesting features. You get MagSafe charging, which can free up the USB-C port on your device when power is needed. The MacBook also packs in a full-size SD Card slot, an extra Thunderbolt 4 port, HDMI, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The Galaxy Book 3 Pro has HDMI, a microSD card, USB-A, and dual Thunderbolt 4 ports. The inclusion of USB-A is useful on the Galaxy Book 3 Pro since you won't need a dongle to connect older USB drives, but the HDMI port is only the older 1.4 standard, so you can't get the most out of 4K monitors. microSD card is less common these days for photography, but it's a great way to add extra storage.

Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro vs MacBook Pro 14: Which should you buy?

No doubt, if you're a creative type who will always be editing videos and photos, and you might have an iPhone, the MacBook Pro 14 will be the better buy for you. It has a great CPU, as well as a GPU that'll help power you through your tasks. If you just want a laptop for productivity or multimedia consumption, and you're more invested in Android, then you'd want to buy the Galaxy Book 3 Pro, especially for the amazing AMOLED screen.

Regardless of which one you choose, both are great devices, but we invite you to check out our list of the best Samsung laptops and best Macs for more choices.