Best Mac 2018: the best Macs to buy this year

Best Mac 2018: the best Macs to buy this year

In spite of recent events, such as the Telugu characters that have been crashing people’s devices, we don’t blame you for yearning for an Apple computer.

The MacBook Air may be on its last leg, but the best Mac has more to do with performance, specs and design as they relate to macOS than all of those things accounted for separately. So, there’s a huge difference between comparing different Macs and pitting the best Macs and the best Windows PCs against each other. And, because they’re all compatible with macOS High Sierra, it’s easier to stand by our benchmarks, knowing full well that all the best Macs can run the same software.

Today, the best Macs come in all shapes and sizes. And, while there’s no 17-inch MacBook Pro, there is one with an OLED touch display in lieu of the function keys – and there may soon be one with a full OLED keyboard. What’s more, the all-in-one iMac Pro has become even more powerful, with an up to 18-core Intel Xeon processor. That said, how do you choose the best Mac for your needs?

Well, you’ll be glad to know that we’ve come up with an ordered list that includes the most up-to-date MacBooks, iMacs and Mac minis that you can buy in 2018. The only Macs you won’t find on this list are the ones we’ve yet to have the chance to review, or those that frankly didn’t make the cut following their consideration. Without further ado: on your mark, get set, let’s take a look at the best Mac desktops and laptops you can spend your money on today.

WHAT IF YOU’RE THINKING OF GOING PRO?

Now that the two less powerful options have been dispatched, only the freshly redesigned MacBook Pro remains. The high-end machine packs in seventh-generation Intel Core processors, PCIe SSDs standard, and a Retina display in all models.

In that sense, the MacBook Pro sets itself apart from the low-power options further down the ladder. Whether it competes with other systems in its price range is another story, but this is definitely where you want to head if you run any kind of complex software.

The 13-inch version competes most directly with the Dell XPS 13. The slim PC is one of our favorite laptops, and unfortunately undercuts the MacBook Pro 13’s price fairly seriously in terms of base model, starting at $1,000 to the MacBook Pro 13’s $1,300, which is for the model without a Touch Bar and two Thunderbolt 3 ports.

The MacBook Pro 15 is in a better position, despite the higher price. Its most obvious competitor is the Surface Book 2, which starts at the same $2,300 price point. The Surface Book 2 beats out the MacBook Pro 15 in terms of graphical and processor performance, screen resolution, and of course is a 2-in-1 with a touch screen and stylus.

Other issues came to light once we actually had the system in our hands. The Touch Bar wasn’t the revolution in computing Apple hyped it up to be. Features like suggestive text and tab previews work well on smartphones, but their presence is often unnecessary, and many users may find themselves setting the Touch Bar to operate as brightness and volume control, instead of custom app controls.

The keyboard has a frustratingly short throw, which makes typing for long periods uncomfortable. Finally, battery life is seriously lacking, and that was one of the major selling points of previous models.

However, the MacBook Pro models fight back with a large touchpad, excellent hard drive performance, and forward-looking ports. Like previous MacBook Pro models, it’s also sleek and attractive, but you’ll have to decide how much that’s worth to you. It’s a very expensive system, and arguably not a great value. But then again, Macs have never been the budget option.

1. 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar 

     

More of the same in the best way

CPU: Dual-core Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 – 650 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch, (2,560 x 1,600) IPS | Storage: 256GB – 1TB PCIe 3.0 SSD | Dimensions (H x W x D): 30.41 x 21.24 x 1.49cm

Faster RAMStronger processor

Subpar battery life

Keyboard learning curve

If you were expecting the 13.0-inch Mac Book Pro of this year to rectify our complaints of late 2016, you ought to be prepared for disappointment with the latest iteration of Apple’s professional-grade laptop. However, if what you craved were updated internal specs and the same all-aluminum uni body design of yesteryear, the mid-2017 MacBook Pro will absolutely please you. Complete with the same controversial Touch Bar and some pretty beefy specs, the Mac Book Pro is a marvel to behold, even if it’s still limited to Thunderbolt 3 ports alone.

2. 27-inch iMac with 5K Retina display 

    

Apple's biggest iMac puts everything on display

CPU: Quad-core Intel Core i5 – Core i7 | Graphics: AMD Radeon R9 M380 – R9 M395 (2GB) | RAM: 8GB – 32GB | Screen: 27-inch Retina 5K (5,120 x 2,880) IPS | Storage: 25GB – 1TB PCIe Flash; 2TB – 3TB Fusion Drive | Dimensions (H x W x D): 51.6cm x 65cm x 20.3cm

PerformanceDisplay

Core i7 costs extra

No Target Display Mode

If you want the big screen of an iMac with the precision of a Retina display then there's only one iMac for you: the iMac with 5K Retina display. It comes with a choice between two Intel Core i5 chips as well as 1TB of HDD or Fusion Drive storage and it’s so pretty we want to marry it. For designers and video creators looking to make the move to pixel-heavy content, the 5K iMac pairs an illustrious display with a heaping deal of screen real estate to boot. It may not have the expandability of a Mac Pro, but at least you don't have to worry about buying a monitor.

3. 21.5-inch iMac

 

Modest strides in an economical package   

CPU: Dual-core Intel Core i5 – quad-core i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 – AMD Radeon Pro 560 (4GB) | RAM: 8GB – 32GB | Screen: 21.5-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080; sRGB) – 4K UHD (4,096 x 2,304; P3 wide color) Retina IPS display | Storage: 1TB HDD – 1TB Fusion Drive SSD | Dimensions (H x W x D): 20.8 x 6.9 x 17.7 inches (52.8 x 17.5 x 45cm; W x D x H)

Powerful, even at entry level Excellent value

Poor audio performance

Baffling mouse charging method

You know you’re getting an unusually good value from an Apple product when, even at the entry-level, you can expect high performance, lots of storage and more ports than you know what to do with. The latest in Apple’s all-in-one desktop lineup, that’s the 2017, 21.5-inch iMac in a nutshell. There’s still no touchscreen, but at a fraction of the cost of Microsoft’s Surface Studio, you might be thankful that there isn’t. Instead, you’re getting a 7th-generation Intel processor and your choice of an IPS display carefully wrapped in an all-metal chassis. 

4. 21.5-inch iMac

Small, but perfectly formed

CPU: Dual-core Intel Core m3 – Core m7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 12-inch Retina (2,304 x 1,440) IPS | Storage: 256GB – 512GB PCIe Flash | Dimensions (W x D x H): 28.05cm x 19.65cm x 1.31cm

DisplayDesign

Underpowered

Keyboard

Apple's 2015 MacBook refresh wasn't for everyone and, despite being rosier and "goldier" than ever, that contention didn’t change in 2016. Most notably, Apple’s replacement of our favorite ports with the brand-new USB-C remains controversial.There's also the keyboard, wherein Apple has re-engineered every key to be thinner and far less springy to the touch. Even though its Intel Core M processor has nowhere near the power of the Pro or even the Air, the laptop is more than capable of running iMovie, Photos, and even Photoshop with ease.

5. 15-inch MacBook Pro 

Still the most capable MacBook there is

CPU: Quad-core Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 530; AMD Radeon Pro 450 – 455 | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.4-inch Retina (2,880 x 1,800) IPS | Storage: 256GB – 2TB PCIe Flash | Dimensions (H x W x D): 1.49cm x 30.41cm x 21.24cm

Loads of USB-C portsTouch Bar smartly designed

Touch Bar needs more app support

Direct light washes out Touch Bar

After some much-needed patience, we finally have the MacBook Pro overhaul we deserve. Complete with a thinner, lighter design, a Space Gray color option and an OLED Touch Bar in lieu of the function keys, this MacBook Pro introduces the big changes we’ve been waiting for. Although you may be turned off by the lack of conventional ports, there’s a lot to love about the 15-inch MacBook Pro, including lots of RAM, fast storage and a massive trackpad. Sure, you'll be shelling out an extra wad of cash, but it's the best MacBook Pro money can buy. 

6.MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is a slim, lightweight laptop with a 13in screen. There are two base configurations available, and both are only available in silver:

• MacBook Air, 13in, 1.8GHz, 128GB: £949
• MacBook Air, 13in, 1.8GHz, 256GB: £1,099

View them online from Apple here.

From there, you can upgrade the processor to 2.2GHz, or up the storage further to 512GB. No matter what, it comes with 8GB RAM.

It's worth noting that the Air is still using the 2015 model's Broadwell processor, which means those clock speeds can be misleading - the processors in the Air aren't as much faster than than the MacBook's as they look.

The Air probably isn't powerful enough for most gamers or video editors, but for students, commuters, and casual users, this is a good option - and the cheapest too.

Connectivity is either an upgrade or a downgrade from the MacBook, depending on your perspective. You get more ports to use - MagSafe 2, two USB 3.0 ports, Thunderbolt 2, and an SDXC card slot - but no USB-C, meaning the Air is a bit less future-proof.

There was once an 11in model of the MacBook Air, but that has been discontinued and is no longer available from Apple. It might still be available second-hand from sites like eBay and CEX, though.

And if you're open to the idea of Air-style laptops from other companies, check our roundup of the best alternatives to the MacBook Air.