2020 MacBook Pro 16” vs. MacBook Pro 15” (2018) - Specs Comparison
Here is a comparison between the specifications of the 2020 MacBook Pro 16” and MacBook Pro 15” (2018), including differences in the chip, memory, storage, display, battery, ports, and more.
January 24, 2024 10:13 am

The 2020 MacBook Pro 16” features the 45W 9th Generation Intel Coffee Lake 6-core Intel Core i7-9750H up to 8-core Intel Core i9-9980HK with the boost speed up to 5.00 GHz. While the MacBook Pro 15” (2018) features the 45W 8th Generation Intel Coffee Lake 6-core Intel Core i7-8750H up to 6-core Intel Core i9-8950HK with the boost speed up to 4.80 GHz.
If you are in the market looking for a laptop and don't know what's the difference between the 16″ 2020 MacBook Pro 16” and the 15.4″ MacBook Pro 15” (2018) , we have a detailed tech specs comparison between both devices for you to check out here.
2020 MacBook Pro 16” vs. MacBook Pro 15” (2018): Specs Comparison
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Key Features |
What's new | New Optional AMD Radeon Pro 5600M
You can now opt for the latest AMD Radeon Pro with 40 compute units, 8GB of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM2), and 394GB/s of memory bandwidth that can deliver performance up to 75% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M. |
- 6-core Intel Core i7 and Core i9 processors up to 2.9 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 4.8 GHz
- Up to 32GB of DDR4 memory
- Powerful Radeon Pro discrete graphics with 4GB of video memory in every configuration
- Up to 4TB of SSD storage2
- True Tone display technology
- Apple T2 Chip
- Touch Bar and Touch ID
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Availability | 2020 MacBook Pro 16” | MacBook Pro 15” (2018) |
Released | 2020 | 2018 |
Release Info |
- Announced in June 2020.
- Available in June 2020.
| Announced on July 13, 2018 |
Pricing |
- $2,399 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD | Radeon 5300M 4GB
- $2,799 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD | Radeon 5500M 4GB
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- $2,399 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD
- $2,799 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD
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Display | 2020 MacBook Pro 16” | MacBook Pro 15” (2018) |
Size | 16 Inches | 15.4 Inches |
Info | Retina display
- 16‑inch (diagonal) LED‑backlit display with IPS technology; 3072‑by‑1920 native resolution at 226 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
- Supported scaled resolutions:
- 2048 by 1280
- 1792 by 1120
- 1344 by 840
- 1152 by 720
- 500 nits brightness
- Wide color (P3)
- True Tone technology
- Refresh rates: 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz
| Retina display
- 15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2880-by-1800 native resolution at 220 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
- Supported scaled resolutions:
- 1920 by 1200
- 1680 by 1050
- 1280 by 800
- 1024 by 640
- 500 nits brightness
- Wide color (P3)
- True Tone technology
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Exterior | 2020 MacBook Pro 16” | MacBook Pro 15” (2018) |
Size Comparison | |
Dimensions |
- Height: 0.64 inch (1.62 cm)
- Width: 14.09 inches (35.79 cm)
- Depth: 9.68 inches (24.59 cm)
| 13.75” x 9.48” x 0.61” (349.3 mm x 240.7 mm x 155 mm) |
Weight | Starting at 4.3 pounds (2.0 kg) | Starting at 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg) |
Colors | Space GraySilver | Space GraySilver |
Keyboard and Trackpad | Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
- 65 (U.S.) or 66 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys in an inverted‑T arrangement
- Touch Bar
- Touch ID sensor
- Ambient light sensor
- Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure‑sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure‑sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
| Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
- 64 (U.S.) or 65 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys
- Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor
- Ambient light sensor
- Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
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Ports | Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports with support for:
- Charging
- DisplayPort
- Thunderbolt (up to 40Gb/s)
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)
| Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports with support for:
- Charging
- DisplayPort
- Thunderbolt (up to 40Gb/s)
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)
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Internal Specs | 2020 MacBook Pro 16” | MacBook Pro 15” (2018) |
Processor | - 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.50 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W - 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
8 cores, 16 threads, 2.30 → 4.80 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W - 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
8 cores, 16 threads, 2.40 → 5.00 GHz, 16MB SmartCache, 45W
| - 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
6 cores, 12 threads, 2.20 → 4.10 GHz, 9MB SmartCache, 45W - 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8850H
6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.30 GHz, 9MB SmartCache, 45W - 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK
6 cores, 12 threads, 2.90 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
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Integrated Graphics | - 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H
Intel® UHD Graphics 630 24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz - 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9880H
Intel® UHD Graphics 630 24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz - 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK
Intel® UHD Graphics 630 24 Execution Units, 350 → 1250 MHz
| - 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
Intel® UHD Graphics 630 24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz - 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8850H
Intel® UHD Graphics 630 24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz - 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK
Intel® UHD Graphics 630 24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
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Discrete Graphics |
- AMD Radeon Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory (20 CUs)
- AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory (24 CUs)
- AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory (24 CUs)
New
- AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with 8GB of HBM2 memory (40 CUs)
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- AMD Radeon Pro 555X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
- AMD Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR6 memory
- AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 with 4GB of HBM2 memory
- AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB of HBM2 memory
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Memory | 16GB 32GB 64GB 2666MHz DDR4 onboard memory | 16GB configurable to 32GB of 2400MHz DDR4 onboard memory |
Storage | 512GB1TB2TB4TB8TB SSD | 256GB512GB configurable to 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB SSD |
Connectivity | 2020 MacBook Pro 16” | MacBook Pro 15” (2018) |
Wi-Fi |
- 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
- IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
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- 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
- IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
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Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology | Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology |
Battery | 2020 MacBook Pro 16” | MacBook Pro 15” (2018) |
Size | 100 Wh lithium‑polymer battery | 83.6 Wh lithium‑polymer battery |
Battery Life |
- Up to 11 hours wireless web
- Up to 11 hours Apple TV app movie playback
- Up to 30 days of standby time
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- Up to 10 hours wireless web
- Up to 10 hours Apple TV app movie playback
- Up to 30 days of standby time
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Power Supply | 96W USB‑C Power Adapter | 87W USB‑C Power Adapter |
Software | 2020 MacBook Pro 16” | MacBook Pro 15” (2018) |
OS | Shipped with macOS Catalina | Shipped with macOS Catalina |
Built-in Apps | PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player | PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player |
Camera & Audio | 2020 MacBook Pro 16” | MacBook Pro 15” (2018) |
Camera | 720p FaceTime HD camera | 720p FaceTime HD camera |
Audio |
- High‑fidelity six‑speaker system with force‑cancelling woofers
- Wide stereo sound
- Support for Dolby Atmos playback
- Studio‑quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
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- Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
- Three microphones
- 3.5mm headphone jack
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Misc | 2020 MacBook Pro 16” | MacBook Pro 15” (2018) |
Sensors | | |
Security |
- Touch ID sensor
- Apple T2 Security Chip
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- Touch ID sensor
- Apple T2 Chip
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In the box |
- 16‑inch MacBook Pro
- 96W USB‑C Power Adapter
- USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
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- 15‑inch MacBook Pro
- 87W USB‑C Power Adapter
- USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
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Warranty | Your MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one‑year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax. | Your MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one‑year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax. |
More | Video Support
- Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
- Up to two displays with 6016‑by‑3384 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors or
- Up to four displays with 4096‑by‑2304 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
- Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
- Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
- VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
| Video Support
Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
- Up to two displays with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
- Up to four displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
- Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
- VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
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