As for similar laptops, there are some key differences between the MacBook Pro 13 and the HP Envy 13, two of the best student laptops currently on the market. HP’s offering is a versatile 2-in-1 with an otherwise traditional PC architecture (and, of course, bundled with Windows), while Apple’s latest “budget Pro” boasts its shiny second-generation M2 SoC and a proprietary operating system. At first glance, the comparison between the MacBook Pro 13 and the HP Envy 13 does not reveal a clear winner in the battle for precious student dollars.
Regardless of the brand, there are certain features that virtually all students expect from their laptops: they must be capable, portable and affordable, the three pillars that represent the “crumb” of the laptop pie for students. But the icing is also important, the features that wow in showcases and review videos and are often the deciding factor when it comes time to choose one computer or another.
MacBook Pro 13 vs HP Envy 13
Design
It may come as a surprise to the Cupertino faithful who celebrate Apple’s legendary understated aesthetic, but the design of the 2022 MacBook Pro 13 is largely a mistake. The latest 13-inch model does not benefit from the streamlined redesign with which last year’s high-end MacBook Pros were blessed, but instead appears identical to the chassis of previous models with new hardware inside. With dimensions virtually identical to HP’s competitor, the only real design feature that stands out on the Apple side is the much-discussed Touch Bar, which, personally, I have always found more irritating than beneficial.
HP has also done little on the design front to update the Envy, but it benefits from the “if it ain’t broke” legacy that continues to pay off. The 2-in-1 convertible chassis surpasses Apple’s traditional clamshell only in its flexibility and versatility, continuing to admirably fill the nebulous space between tablet and desktop with some of the most attractive features of both.
Performance
This year’s Pro 13 features Apple’s much-hyped new M2 SoC, which (according to the manufacturer) boasts an 18 percent faster CPU and 35 percent faster GPU than the previous generation. It is also possible to increase the RAM to 24 GB from the basic 16, but this upgrade means a $400 price increase, a dubious proposition for only 8 GB of storage.
HP’s main feature is the 12th generation Intel processor featured in this year’s model, either a Core i7-1250U or a Core i5-1230U, both extremely efficient and powerful SoCs. The Envy also proudly carries the third edition of the Intel Evo badge, which means it achieves a number of key Intel-defined performances. These include consistent battery responsiveness, wake-up from sleep in less than a second, and support for features such as Wi-Fi 6E (Gig+) and dynamic background noise suppression.
Battery life
Both machines claim a battery life of more than 20 hours, thanks largely to the power efficiency improvements of the M2 and Intel’s 12th-generation SoCs. Since we have not yet tested both models here on the site to confirm these claims, the battery life test remains a tie based on the manufacturer’s specifications.
Price
A cursory glance at the base models of both machines would point to a clear winner in this category: the HP Envy 13 starts at a very reasonable $899, while the cheapest iteration of the MacBook Pro costs a whopping $1,299. However, the Envy’s starting price is slightly misleading, as the sub-$900 model includes a lower-tier Core i5 processor and just 8 GB of RAM, which in today’s landscape is rather meager, especially if you plan to play games or multitask applications that require moderate memory usage.
Moving up to the Core i7 model and a more reasonable 16 GB of RAM, and choosing the 2.8K resolution display instead of the default 1920 x 1200, the Envy’s price rises to $1,179. However, securing the same 16 GB of RAM on the MacBook Pro 13 carries a $200 markup over Apple’s base price, or $400 for 24 GB.
Final Words
Although both machines are good choices for a student on the go, the Envy 13 wins our vote by a slight margin due to its potential as a multi-role device and its flexible pricing. Although you need to add several hundred dollars to the starting price to get a machine that can compete with its Apple counterpart, there is a significantly cheaper model available that is still a very capable machine, while Apple does not offer a base model anywhere near the sub-$900 range.
Even in areas where the MacBook Pro might be a superior option based on hardware, it has drawbacks that make it a hard sell. The superior integrated GPU, for example, would seem to recommend the Pro 13 for gaming, but Apple will always be limited in terms of game libraries compared to the PC offering.
