MacBook Air vs iMac

Best Prices Today: Apple MacBook Air (2020) M1

The MacBook Air has always been one of Apple’s most popular Macs, while the iMac is probably the most famous. The two have much in common, but a lot sets them apart.

On one side we have two MacBook Air with M2 chips that join the line up in July 2022 and slot in alongside an M1 MacBook Air from 2020. On the other side are three iMacs all of which feature the M1 chip. If you are deciding between a new MacBook Air or iMac, or if you are considering switching from iMac to MacBook Air or MacBook Air to iMac and want to know whether it would be a good move, read on. In this article we’ll look into what is the same and what is different so you can be sure to make the right decision.

There are a number of important considerations, but the biggest will probably be whether you should simply choose the Mac with the newest chip–the M2 powered MacBook Air–rather than the almost two year old M1. We’ll address the differences between the M2 and M1 below, paying special attention to the benefits the design of the iMac can bring compared to the design of the MacBook Air.

We’ll start with a look at the design differences before moving onto the price and specs of these two Mac varieties.

For more help choosing the Mac for you read our guide to finding the best Mac. We also have a guide to the best Mac laptop.

MacBook Air vs iMac: Design

The M1 iMac arrived in 2021 with a brand new look and a new size. The old 21.5-inch iMac, with its aluminium frame that hadn’t really changed in over a decade, evolved into a 24-inch iMac that comes in seven different colours. There is a choice of green, yellow, orange, red, purple, blue or silver, with the tone on the back a darker shade than that on the front. The display is surrounded by a white border.

The MacBook Air with M1 chip (which is still on sale) has the same design that Apple has used since 2018, but the M2 MacBook Air, which was introduced in June 2022 and goes on sale in July, boasts a new look. Some had been expecting the MacBook Air to follow the design lead of the iMac, with a similar range of bright colors. That didn’t happen, but there are two new shades bringing the number of color finishes you can choose from to four: Midnight (blue/black), Starlight (gold), Space Gray and silver.

For the 2022 redesign the MacBook Air loses the tapered wedge like design, but it’s still super narrow and light. If you want a portable Mac laptop it can’t be beat. As laptops go, it’s one of the most attractive laptops you can buy. In the case of the MacBook Air (and every other Mac Apple makes, the display is surrounded by a black border).

Of course, what it all comes down to is whether you need to be able to carry the computer around with you, or if it will always be located in the same place. If you don’t need to be able to move it the iMac will be a good option, but if you will be carrying it to and from work or university then it has to be a laptop.

There are benefits to the iMac design that shouldn’t be ignored though. The MacBook Air fits many of the same components into a very small case and there are drawbacks to this. The iMac has two fans where the MacBook Air has no fans (the Mac mini and MacBook Pro each have one fan). It’s possible that having two fans will allow the iMac to maintain cooler temperatures in processor intensive activities, and where the MacBook Air would be throttled and therefore users will see a performance slow down, the iMac should have be able to extend its capabilities and go the extra mile. Indeed, this is what we saw in the benchmarks for the M1 models, more on that below.

There are other benefits to the larger case of the iMac, such as the inclusion of a six speaker sound system, which we will discuss in the audio section below.

MacBook Air vs iMac: Price

There are three standard 24in iMac options to choose from. You can made alterations at the point of sale to increase things like RAM and storage. Here’s what’s on offer:

24-inch iMac:

• M1, 8-core CPU/7-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Retina 4.5K display, for $1,299/£1,249
• M1, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Retina 4.5K display, for $1,499/£1,449
• M1, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Retina 4.5K display, for $1,699/£1,649

MacBook Air:

• M1, 8-core CPU/7-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, for $999/£999
• M2, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, for $1,199/£1,249
• M2, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, for $1,499/£1,549

Which Mac is the best value for money?

If you were wondering which Mac offered the best value for money out of the iMac and MacBook Air the comparison above makes that pretty clear. You can save £250/$300 by buying the 8-core CPU/7-core GPU M1 MacBook Air rather than the identically specced M1 iMac. You can see the best prices for that MacBook Air right now at the top of this article.

Why then would you want to pay a premium to get the iMac? What does the iMac offer that warrants the extra expense? We’re all familiar with the benefits of a laptop – most obviously portability – but what benefits do a desktop computer bring?

Generally desktop computers have larger and more superior components inside them – but in the case of the 24-inch iMac and the cheapest MacBook Air the components are exactly the same. Apple hasn’t designed a different version of the M1 chip for the iMac. Desktops are often more upgradable than laptops, but again, in the case of the iMac this Mac is not more upgradable – in fact it’s even less upgradable than the previous generation of iMac was.

However, if you look at the disadvantages of a laptop the advantages of the desktop become a little clearer. The MacBook Air is thin and light, which is a benefit if you want the ultimate in portability, but that also means there is less room inside the case for things like cooling and speakers. Hence the MacBook Air has no fan while the iMac has two. Hence the speakers in the MacBook Air, while perfectly acceptable, are not going to compare with the six speaker sound system inside the iMac.

If you want a portable Mac the MacBook Air is ideal. But there are benefits associated with spending a little more on a desktop.

Below are the best deals we are seeing for the iMac right now:

M1 iMac 8-core CPU/7-core GPU, MSRP $1,299/£1,249

The best price for the M2 MacBook Air is as follows:

M2 MacBook Air 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, MSRP $1,199/£1,249

M2 MacBook Air, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, MSRP $1,499/£1,549

For more iMac deals and more MacBook Air deals see our dedicated deals articles.

MacBook Air vs iMac: Specs

It’s possible to argue that a desktop should cost more than a laptop, but is the iMac worth $200-$300 more than the MacBook Air? Perhaps a deeper look at the specs will help us determine that.

Screen

We’ll start with the screen, because that is probably the most obvious difference between these two Macs – other than that one is a laptop and the other a desktop.

The iMac has a much, much larger 24in screen (actually 23.5in) that, at 4.5K, is vastly better than that on the M1 MacBook Air, which measures 13.3in.

However, there’s also a M2 MacBook Air that doesn’t merely sport a new design, it also has a larger 13.6in display that is brighter and better than the display of the M1 MacBook Air.

Both the iMac and the MacBook Air have Retina displays, although the M2 MacBook Air’s display is officially a “Liquid Retina” display, which brings some advances in contrast ratio and the range of colors available. Both the M2 MacBook Air and the 24-inch iMac offer 500 nits brightness, which is an improvement on the M1 MacBook Air’s 400 nits. All three models offer True Tone, which is a technology that can adjust the brightness and colour to ensure that colours look correct depending on the light in your surroundings.

If size is what matters to you the 24-inch iMac display is superior simply because it is bigger than the MacBook Air display – it offers 4,480 x 2,520 resolution compared to 2,560 by 1,664 pixels for the M2 13.6in MacBook Air. But the quality of the M2 MacBook Air display is a leap on from the M1 MacBook Air, giving buyers a good reason to look beyond the M1 model.

If your only reason for choosing the desktop is the large screen then keep in mind that you could always plug an external monitor into a MacBook Air and have two screens. Read about How to use a second screen with a Mac. Of course, you could do exactly the same with the iMac if you think even a 24in display will feel cramped. Incidentally, the MacBook Airs only support one additional display… officially – read How to connect two or more external displays to Apple Silicon M1 Macs to find out how to add more.

Processor

In this article we are considering Macs that feature two different Apple-made chips: the M1, introduced in November 2021, and the M2 which arrived in June 2022. We don’t yet have benchmarks for the M2 in the MacBook Air, but we have tested the M2 in the MacBook Pro, so we have an idea of what to expect (although the MacBook Pro does sport a better version of the M2 with more graphics chips and it also has a fan so expect better results from that model).

To recap, this is how the line up looks:

24-inch iMac:

• M1, 8-core CPU/7-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Retina 4.5K display, for $1,299/£1,249
• M1, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Retina 4.5K display, for $1,499/£1,449
• M1, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Retina 4.5K display, for $1,699/£1,649

MacBook Air:

• M1, 8-core CPU/7-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, for $999/£999
• M2, 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, for $1,199/£1,249
• M2, 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, for $1,499/£1,549

The entry-level iMac and MacBook Air share the same M1 with 8-core CPU/7-core GPU.

The other two iMacs feature one more GPU core – an M1 with 8-core CPU/8-core GPU.

The M2 MacBook Air offers either an 8-core CPU/8-core GPU, or an 8-core CPU/10-core GPU.

That 8-core GPU in the M2 is likely to beat the 8-core GPU in the M1 because there are a number of enhancements in the newer chips.

We have run benchmarks on the M2 MacBook Pro, which may give you some idea of what to expect from the M2 MacBook Air. As you can see from the table below, the M2 MacBook Pro with 8-cores performs better than the M1 iMac with the same number of cores.

Graphics

In terms of graphics there is quite a range of options here, from the M1 with 7-core or 8-core GPU to the M2 with 8-core or 10-core GPU. The more cores you have the more capable the Mac will be of intensive graphics, so if you have the need to run particularly graphics heavy apps or games, you might be thinking that the 10-core MacBook Air will be preferable.

If you look at the Metal tab above you’ll see that the 8-core M2 sweeps ahead of the 8-core M1, but the 8-core M1 in the MacBook Air wasn’t as good as it’s equivalent in the iMac, so you can expect that the equivalent M2 in the MacBook Air will underperform. However, the 10-core GPU MacBook Air does get a better score than the 8-core GPU MacBook Pro, as you would expect.

So, while you may be drawn to the MacBook Air because of its lower price and additional GPU cores on offer, keep in mind that if you wait for an M2 iMac, which could arrive later in 2022, you could see even better results. Another Mac to consider if you really need a powerful machine would be the MacBook Pro. Read about how the MacBook Pro compares to the iMac.

RAM and Storage

All M1 Macs ship with 8GB RAM as standard and the option of upgrading to 16GB, the M2 MacBook Pro increases RAM support to 24GB, but still ship with 8GB as standard.

Apple is refers to its RAM as unified memory architecture, or UMA, and it is accessible to both the CPU and the GPU. Apple indicates that there should be performance benefits due to this, because the memory can be allocated according to where it is needed most. For those who were put off the M1 Macs because of the RAM limitations the M2 chip does answer that complaint. If you need even more RAM the M1 Pro expends support to 32GB, the M1 Mac to 64GB and the M1 Ultra even further to 128GB RAM.

As for storage, there are basically two choices 256GB or 512GB.

If 256GB is enough for you choose from a $999/£999 or $1,199/£1,249 MacBook Air or a $1,299/£1,249 or $1,499/£1,449 iMac. Just note that the 256GB storage in the $1,199/£1,249 MacBook Air has been found to underperform, probably because uses a single 256GB chip rather than two 128GB ones like it did for the M1 MacBook Air. See: The $1,199 M2 MacBook Air vs the $1,499 model.

If you want 512GB then the options are a $1,499/£1,549 MacBook Air or a $1,699/£1,649 iMac.

It’s hard not to see these prices and conclude that the MacBook Air is better value for money. It certainly is when it comes to the storage on offer.

The only question is whether you need 512GB storage. If you use Apple’s iCloud for storage you might find that you don’t need so much physical storage inside your Mac. Read: How much does iCloud cost?

If you do need a lot of storage then you may want to consider the limits of how much storage you can add to these different Macs. The thing is, they all offer up to 2TB – and that will cost you an additional $600/£600 regardless of which Mac you are purchasing. (The entry level iMac only offers up to 1TB storage, while the more expensive models can extend to 2TB).

Ports & Peripherals

Finally a section where the iMac trumps the MacBook Air.

The M1 MacBook Air offers two Thunderbolt ports (which double up as USB 4 ports), the M2 MacBook Air adds a MagSafe port to the offering, so at least one of your USB ports isn’t being given over to charging. The entry-level 24in iMac also offers two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, while the more expensive 24in iMac adds 2 USB 3 ports, which could be helpful if you have older peripherals. The iMacs also offer Gigabit Ethernet (although that’s a build-to-order option on the entry-level model). You can always purchase a separate USB hub for more ports.

The other difference is the keyboard. The MacBook Air features a keyboard with Touch ID. Not all the 24in iMac models ship with the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID – if you buy the £1,249/$1,299 iMac is ships with a Magic Keyboard with Lock Key, but this is configurable to have the Touch ID option.

To choose the Touch ID keyboard when you purchase the entry-level iMac you need to click on Change to another keyboard, and choose Magic Keyboard with Touch ID (and which ever language applies to you). It costs an additional £50. The other iMacs ship with the Touch ID keyboard.

Touch ID allows you to unlock your Mac, sign in to apps, and pay for things using Apple Pay using your fingerprint. You can set up multiple fingerprints for various users of the Mac – so there is no danger than another user can spend your money.

Gigabit Ethernet is only offered for the iMac, but both the MacBook Air an iMac offer 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6.

Both the MacBook Air and iMac can support one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz.

Both the MacBook Air and the iMac have a FaceTime HD camera integrated into the screen. The M1 MacBook Air has a 720p FaceTime HD camera, while the iMac and the M2 MacBook Air both trump that with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera with image signal processor.

MacBook Air vs iMac: Verdict

Every time we look at how the 24-inch iMac compares to another Mac we are struck by how badly the iMac competes. Apple’s desktop can’t compete with the M2 MacBook Air, and it is considerably more expensive. While we appreciate the benefits of a desktop and the 4.5K display, it’s hard to recommend it when it costs so much more. It would have been easier to defend the iMac if Apple had given it an M1 Pro chip, then at least we could have expected a power boost. But as it stands, the iMac is too expensive when you can get the same specs in portable form.

Best Prices Today: Apple MacBook Air (2020) M1