Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 Max vs HP Chromebook Plus 15a (Intel Core i3) (2026)

Which is better? We compared both on score, owner ratings, pros and cons.

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 Max

9.6/10 Outstanding

4.8★ (2,400 owners)

M3 Max chip, 128GB unified RAM, 22hr battery, 16.2" Liquid Retina XDR, 16-core GPU. The creative workstation.

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HP Chromebook Plus 15a (Intel Core i3)

8.8/10 Great

4.4★ (3,200 owners)

ChromeOS, Core i3, 15.6" FHD, 8GB, Google AI, 10hr battery. Best-value Chromebook.

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At a Glance

	Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 Max	HP Chromebook Plus 15a (Intel Core i3)
247Verdict Score	9.6/10	8.8/10
Owner Rating	4.8★ (2,400)	4.4★ (3,200)
Verdict	Outstanding	Great
RAM	128GB unified	8GB
Battery	22 hours	10 hours

Quick Verdict

Both are strong choices, but the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 Max edges ahead with a 9.6/10 vs 8.8/10. M3 Max chip, 128GB unified RAM, 22hr battery, 16.2" Liquid Retina XDR, 16-core GPU. The creative workstation. That said, the HP Chromebook Plus 15a (Intel Core i3) is worth considering if ChromeOS, Core i3, 15.6" FHD, 8GB, Google AI, 10hr battery. Best-value Chromebook..

Pros & Cons Side by Side

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 Max

M3 Max with 128GB unified RAM handles simultaneous 4K video exports, ML training and Xcode compilation without throttling
22-hour battery while running M3 Max tasks — no power cable on international flights
16.2-inch ProMotion 120Hz Liquid Retina XDR display is the finest laptop display available
Hardware-accelerated ML processing for ProRes video and Neural Engine workloads outperforms x86 competitors at 3x the power consumption
The laptop that Apple sells to production studios, research labs and professional developers worldwide

£4,500+ requires absolute professional justification — MacBook Pro 14 covers 90% of workflows
16-inch at 2.15kg is heavier than 14-inch M3 Pro for daily carry

HP Chromebook Plus 15a (Intel Core i3)

ChromeOS is genuinely more secure than Windows — zero native malware in 15 years of ChromeOS existence
Google AI integration: Google Docs, Sheets and Drive with Gemini AI built natively
Under £400 for Core i3 8GB 15-inch — more computing power than equivalently priced Windows laptops at this tier
10-hour battery for a budget 15-inch is practical for full working days
Automatic ChromeOS updates for 10 years — security patching without user attention

ChromeOS — no native Windows or macOS software compatibility
Limited offline functionality — best with internet connection
Less suitable for professional applications (design, video editing, coding IDEs) vs Windows/Mac