Skip to main content

Comparison: Here’s how Apple’s current Mac lineup looks in terms of specs & price

In a somewhat surprising move, Apple this year overhauled much of its Mac lineup with new options, improved performance, and in some cases, price cuts at WWDC. Given that the event was so full of new information, however, many changes got glossed over.

Below, we do a full breakdown of Apple’s current Mac lineup in terms of price, specs, and upgrade options…

MacBook Air

Despite killing off the 11-inch model last year, the 13-inch MacBook Air lives to see another year and has received a minuscule update this month. The update is nothing to get too excited about, but it’s notable nonetheless that Apple is still paying some attention to its most affordable MacBook with the worst screen.

With the 2017 upgrade, the MacBook Air now offers a 1.8GHz processor compared to the 1.6GHz chip it initially offered. It’s still an Intel Core i5 Broadwell processor, which is two generations behind the Kaby Lake standard, however and might have just been updated because Intel wasn’t manufacturing the older chips.

Here’s how the MacBook Air models breakdown:

Size: 

  • 2.96 pounds
  • .68 inches thick at thicket point

Display

  • 13.3-inch 1440 x 900
  • One 3840 x 2160 external display

$999 MacBook Air

  • 1.8Hz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
    • Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz
  • Intel HD Graphics 6000
  • 8GB memory
  • 128GB PCIe-based flash storage

$1199 MacBook Air

  • 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
    • Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz
  • Intel HD Graphics 6000
  • 8GB memory
  • 256GB PCIe-based flash storage

Build-to-order upgrades:

  • +$150 for bump to 2.2GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor
  • +$200 for increase to 512GB storage

Entry price: $999

Max-out price: $1,549

12-inch MacBook

Apple’s 12-inch MacBook was due for an upgrade and that’s exactly what it saw at WWDC. Apple updated the machine with new Kaby Lake processors and the second-generation Butterfly keyboard, as well as graphics improvements.

It’s very much still the case that you sacrifice ports and speed for the 12-inch MacBook’s ultra-portable design, but it’s still a solid offering.

Here’s how the 12-inch MacBook looks:

Size: 

  • 2.03 pounds
  • .51 inches thick at thickest point

Display

  • 12-inch 2304 x 1440
  • Supports one 3840 x 2160 external display at 30Hz

$1299 MacBook

  • 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core m3 processor, Kaby Lake
    • Turbo Boost up to 3.0GHz
  • 8GB 1866MHz LPDDR3 memory
  • 256GB SSD storage
  • Intel HD Graphics 615
  • Keyboard with second-generation butterfly mechanism

Build-to-order upgrades:

  • + $100 for 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.0GHz
  • + $250 for 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
  • + $200 for 16GB RAM

$1599 MacBook

  • 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
  • Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz
  • 8GB 1866MHz LPDDR3 memory
  • 512GB SSD storage
  • Intel HD Graphics 615
  • Keyboard with second-generation butterfly mechanism

Build-to-order upgrades:

  • + $150 for 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
  • + $200 for 16GB RAM

Entry price: $1299

Max-out price: $1,949

13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar

In addition to bringing new processors to the 13-inch MacBook without Touch Bar, Apple also introduced a new, more affordable model. While the machine originally started at $1,499, there’s a new $1,299 tier, albeit with less storage than you previously would have gotten.

Here’s how the 13-inch MacBook Pro looks:

Size

  • 3.02 pounds
  • .59-inches thick

Display

  • 13.3-inch 2560 x 1600
  • Supports one 5K external display or two simultaneous 4K internal displays

$1299 MacBook Pro

  • 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
  • Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
  • 8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory
  • 128GB SSD storage
  • Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
  • Two Thunderbolt 3 ports

$1499 MacBook Pro

  • 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
  • 8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory
  • 256GB SSD storage
  • Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
  • Two Thunderbolt 3 ports

Build-to-order upgrades:

  • + $300 for 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.0GHz
  • + $200 for 16GB RAM
  • + $200 for 256GB storage ($1299 model only)
  • + $400 for 512GB storage
  • + $800 for 1TB storage

Entry price: $1,299

Max-out price: $2,599

13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Apple also updated its 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar model, bringing new processors and graphics. The updates come less than a year after the initial release of the Touch Bar models, but should offer noticeably improved performance.

Size

  • 3.02 pounds
  • .59-inches thick

Display

  • 13.3-inch 2560 x 1600
  • Supports one 5K external display or two simultaneous 4K internal displays

$1799 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

  • 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
  • Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz
  • 8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory
  • 256GB SSD storage
  • Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650
  • Four Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • Touch Bar and Touch ID

$1999 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

  • 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
  • Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz
  • 8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory
  • 512GB SSD storage
  • Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650
  • Four Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • Touch Bar and Touch ID

Build-to-order upgrades:

  • + $100 for 3.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.7GHz
  • + $300 for 3.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.0GHz
  • + $200 for 16GB RAM
  • + $200 for 512GB storage ($1799 model only)
  • + $600 for 1TB storage ($400 for $1999 model)

Entry-level price: $1,799

Max-out price: $2,899

15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Much like its smaller sibling, the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar has seen a mid-year upgrade with more power on the inside. The machine remains insanely expensive, but you get the most powerful notebook Apple offers for that price.

Disappointingly, the machine still maxes out at 16GB of RAM due to battery life concerns.

Size

  • 4.02 pounds
  • .61 inches thick

Display

  • 15.4-inch 2880 x 1800 display
  • Supports up to two 5K displays simultaneously or four 4K displays

$2399 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

  • 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor
  • Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz
  • 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory
  • 256GB SSD storage
  • Radeon Pro 555 with 2GB memory
  • Four Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • Touch Bar and Touch ID

Build-to-order upgrades:

  • + $300 for 3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz
  • + $200 for 512GB storage
  • + $600 for 1TB storage
  • + $1,400 for 2TB storage
  • + $100 for Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB memory

$2799 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

  • 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor
  • Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz
  • 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory
  • 512GB SSD storage
  • Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB memory
  • Four Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • Touch Bar and Touch ID

 

Build-to-order options:

  • + $200 for 3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz
  • + $400 for 1TB storage
  • + $1,200 for 2TB storage

Entry-level price: $2,399

Max-out price: $4,199

Mac Mini

Despite its neglect, the Mac mini is still available and sold by Apple. The machine stands as the cheapest way to get a computer running macOS, though it offers some pretty outdated specifications. For those looking to get their foot in the door, however, it can be a good choice.

$499 Mac Mini 

  • 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
  • 4GB memory
  • 500GB hard drive
  • Intel HD Graphics 5000

Build-to-order options:

  • + $100 for 8GB RAM
  • + $300 for 16GB RAM
  • + $250 for 1TB Fusion Drive

$699 Mac Mini

  • 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
  • 8GB memory
  • 1TB hard drive
  • Intel Iris Graphics

Build-to-order options:

  • + $300 for 3.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz)
  • + $200 for 16GB RAM
  • + $200 for 256GB SSD storage
  • + $200 for 1TB Fusion Drive

$999 Mac Mini

  • 2.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
  • 8GB memory
  • 1TB Fusion Drive
  • Intel Iris Graphics

Build-to-order options:

  • + $200 for 3.0GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz)
  • + $200 for 16GB RAM
  • + $100 for 2TB Fusion Drive
  • + $0 for 256GB PCIe-based storage
  • + $200 for 512GB PCIe-based storage
  • + $600 for 1TB PCIe-based storage

Entry-level price: $499

Max-out price: $1,999

 

iMac

Then, there’s the iMac. The iMac saw an update at WWDC this year with a brighter and more colorful display, improved performance, and more affordable options. The update comes as Apple touts the iMac as one of its most popular choices thanks to its all-in-one build. You still have to pay more to get things such as fast storage and strong graphics, but it’s worth it in many cases.

Here is how the iMac models stack up in terms of price, performance, and options:

21.5-inch iMac

$1099 iMac

  • 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
  • Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
  • 8GB 2133MHz memory, configurable to 16GB
  • 1TB hard drive
  • Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
  • Two Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • 1920-by-1080 sRGB display

Build-to-order options:

  • + $200 for 16GB RAM
  • + $100 for 1TB Fusion Drive storage
  • + $200 for 256GB SSD storage

$1299 iMac

  • 3.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor
  • Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz
  • 8GB 2400MHz memory, configurable to 16GB
  • 1TB hard drive
  • Radeon Pro 555 with 2GB video memory
  • Two Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • Retina 4K 4096-by-2304 P3 display

Build-to-order options:

  • + $300 for 3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz
  • + $200 for 16GB RAM
  • + $100 for 1TB Fusion Drive storage
  • + $200 for 256GB SSD storage
  • + $400 for 512GB SSD storage

$1499 iMac

  • 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor
  • Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz
  • 8GB 2400MHz memory, configurable up to 32GB
  • 1TB Fusion Drive
  • Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB video memory
  • Two Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • Retina 4K 4096-by-2304 P3 display

Build-to-order options:

  • + $200 for 3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz
  • + $200 for 16GB RAM
  • + $600 for 32GB RAM
  • + $100 for 256GB SSD storage
  • + $300 for 512GB SSD storage
  • + $700 for 1TB SSD

27-inch iMac

$1799 iMac

  • 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor
  • Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz
  • 8GB 2400MHz memory, configurable up to 32GB
  • 1TB Fusion Drive
  • Radeon Pro 570 with 4GB video memory
  • Two Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • Retina 5K 5120-by-2880 P3 display

Build-to-order options:

  • + $200 for 16GB RAM
  • + $600 for 32GB RAM
  • + $100 for 256GB SSD storage
  • + $200 for 2TB Fusion Drive storage
  • + $300 for 512GB SSD storage
  • + $700 for 1TB SSD

$1999 iMac

  • 3.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor
  • Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz
  • 8GB 2400MHz memory, configurable up to 64GB
  • 1TB Fusion Drive
  • Radeon Pro 575 with 4GB video memory
  • Two Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • Retina 5K 5120-by-2880 P3 display

Build-to-order options:

  • + $300 for 4.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz
  • + $200 for 16GB RAM
  • + $600 for 32GB RAM
  • +$1,400 for 64GB RAM
  • + $100 for 256GB SSD storage
  • + $200 for 2TB Fusion Drive storage
  • + $300 for 3TB Fusion Drive storage
  • + $300 for 512GB SSD storage
  • + $700 for 1TB SSD storage

$2299 iMac

  • 3.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor
  • Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz
  • 8GB 2400MHz memory, configurable up to 64GB
  • 2TB Fusion Drive
  • Radeon Pro 580 with 8GB video memory
  • Two Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • Retina 5K 5120-by-2880 P3 display

Build-to-order options:

  • + $200 for 4.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz
  • + $200 for 16GB RAM
  • + $600 for 32GB RAM
  • +$1,400 for 64GB RAM
  • + $100 for 3TB Fusion Drive storage
  • + $200 for 512GB SSD storage
  • + $700 for 1TB SSD storage
  • +1,400 for 2TB SSD storage

Entry-level price: $1,099

Max-out price: $5,299

iMac Pro

Apple also offered us a first-look “tease” of its upcoming iMac Pro powerhouse all-in-one. The machine will be available later this year in December for a base price of $4,999, but price will increase quickly once you start adding more power under the hood. The iMac Pro will also come in Space Gray – a first for Apple’s all-in-one.

Here’s what we now about the machine so far:

Display:

  • 27-inch (diagonal) Retina 5K display
  • 5120‑by‑2880 resolution with support for billions of colors
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Wide color (P3)

Processor

  • 8-Core
  • 10-Core
  • 18-Core

RAM

  • 32GB of 2666MHz DDR4 ECC memory
  • 64GB
  • 128GB

Storage:

  • 1TB SSD
  • 2TB SSD
  • 4TB SSD

Graphics

  • Radeon Pro Vega 56 graphics processor with 8GB of HBM2 memory
  • Configurable to Radeon Pro Vega 64 graphics processor with 16GB of HBM2 memory

Mac Pro

While there is a major “modular” Mac Pro upgrade in the works, Apple continues to sell the current trash can style model, and actually gave it a small performance boost earlier this year. Standing as Apple’s most expensive Mac, the Mac Pro is geared towards professional users and packs a decent punch under-the-hood:

$2999 Mac Pro

  • 3.5GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon E5 processor
  • 16GB 1866MHz DDR3 ECC memory
  • Dual AMD FirePro D500 with 3GB GDDR5 VRAM each
  • 256GB PCIe-based flash storage

Build-to-order options:

  • + $800 for 3.0GHz 8-core with 25MB of L3 cache
  • + $2,000 for 2.7GHz 12-core with 30MB of L3 cache
  • + $400 for 32GB (4x8GB) of 1866MHz DDR3 ECC
  • + $1,200 for 64GB (4x16GB) of 1866MHz DDR3 ECC
  • + $200 for 512GB PCIe storage
  • + $600 for 1TB PCIe storage
  • + $200 for Dual AMD FirePro D700 GPUs with 6GB of GDDR5 VRAM each

$3999 Mac Pro

  • 3.0GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon E5 processor
  • 16GB 1866MHz DDR3 ECC memory
  • Dual AMD FirePro D700 with 6GB GDDR5 VRAM each
  • 256GB PCIe-based flash storage

Build-to-order options:

  • + $1,200 for 2.7GHz 12-core with 30MB of L3 cache
  • + $400 for 32GB (4x8GB) of 1866MHz DDR3 ECC
  • + $1,200 for 64GB (4x16GB) of 1866MHz DDR3 ECC
  • + $200 for 512GB PCIe storage
  • + $600 for 1TB PCIe storage

Entry-level price: $2,999

Max-out price: $6,999

Wrap up

Apple this year did two things with its WWDC Mac overhaul: it continued to make the venerable computer line more affordable, with new lower-priced options for the iMac and MacBook Pro tiers, while it also put a focus on pro users with more powerful options and the upcoming iMac Pro.

This may result in a more convoluted Mac lineup as a whole, but it also means that there is machine that will fit everyone’s needs and budget, whether it’s the $499 Mac Mini or the $4,999 iMac Pro.

What are your thoughts on Apple’s current Mac lineup? Let us know down in the comments.


FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com