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iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) vs MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015)1MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)2

Quick look

Quick look: iMac against MacBook Pro
FigureiMac1MacBook Pro2
Price£8993launch price£9994launch price
ChipCore i51.6GHz dual-core IntelCore i52.7GHz dual-core Intel
CPU2-coreCPU2-coreCPU
Memory8GBmemory, base8GBmemory, base
Storage1TBstorage, base128GBstorage, base
Battery life Not available5No batteryUp to12 hrsvideo playback, claimed
Released13 October 20153Released9 March 20156Released
Security updates16 September 20247Security updates ended16 September 20247Security updates ended
Price
The iMac is £899 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the MacBook Pro is £999 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).
Kind of Mac
The iMac is an all-in-one; the MacBook Pro is a laptop. The MacBook Pro has a battery, whereas the iMac has none.

True to scale

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) · 528 × 450 mm frontMacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) · 314 × 219 mm footprint

An all-in-one and a laptop are different shapes, so they stand side by side rather than superposed: the front face of one and the footprint of the other, from Apple’s published dimensions, at one scale. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.

Specifications

Each figure is from the source marked by its Mac’s name unless it carries its own small number, which links to where that figure was read.

Body

Body: Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Dimensions450 x 528 x 175 mm18 x 314 x 219 mm
Weight5.68 kg1.58 kg
PortsTwo Thunderbolt 2 ports, four USB 3 ports, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45), 3.5 mm headphone jackMagSafe 2 power port, two Thunderbolt 2 ports (up to 20 Gbps), two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps), HDMI port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, SDXC card slot
Thunderbolt ports22
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 2Thunderbolt 2
USB-A ports42
HDMINo HDMI port.8HDMI port
SD card slotYesYes
Headphone jackYesYes
MagSafeNot available9Yes
KeyboardMagic KeyboardFull-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted T arrangement)
Touch IDNo Touch ID.8No Touch ID.10

Display

Display: Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Display size21.5 in13.3 in
Resolution1920 x 10802560 x 1600
Pixel densityNot available11227 ppi
Display typeLED-backlit display with IPS technologyRetina display
BrightnessNot available11300 nits
Wide colour (P3)Not available11No wide colour (P3) display.12

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Chip1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i52.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Apple siliconIntel processor, not Apple silicon.13Intel processor, not Apple silicon.12
CPU cores22
GraphicsIntel HD Graphics 6000Intel Iris Graphics 6100
Chip options1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 or 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i52.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz; 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz; configurable to 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz
Memory (base)8GB8GB
Memory (maximum)16GB16GB
Memory options8GB or 16GB8GB or 16GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents14No, as Apple documents15
Storage (base)1TB128GB
Storage (maximum)2TB1TB
Storage options1TB hard drive, 1TB or 2TB Fusion Drive, or 256GB flash storage (SSD)128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Battery capacityNot available574.9 Wh
Rated charge cyclesNot available51,000 cycles16
Video playback (claimed)Not available512 h
Wireless web (claimed)Not available510 h
Included power adapterNot available1760 W
Fast chargingNot available5No fast charging.10

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Wi-Fi802.11ac Wi-Fi802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
Bluetooth4.04.0
Ethernet10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45)No Ethernet port.10
External displays (base)12

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
CameraFaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
SpeakersStereo speakersStereo speakers
MicrophonesDual microphonesDual microphones

Platform

Platform: Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Shipped withOS X El Capitan18OS X Yosemite19
Newest macOSmacOS Monterey20macOS Monterey21
Model identifieriMac16,120MacBookPro12,121
Model year20152015

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) - Technical Specification · Default for iMac · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) - Technical Specifications · Default for MacBook Pro · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates iMac Family with Stunning New Retina Displays · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  4. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display & MacBook Air · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  5. Doesn’t apply: no battery

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  6. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display & MacBook Air · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  7. endoflife.date — Apple macOS · third-party figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  8. iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015): No HDMI port. No Touch ID. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) - Technical Specification. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  9. Doesn’t apply: MagSafe is a notebook charging port

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  10. MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015): No Touch ID. No fast charging. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) - Technical Specifications. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  11. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) - Technical Specification; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates iMac Family with Stunning New Retina Displays. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  12. MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015): No wide colour (P3) display. Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) - Technical Specifications. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  13. iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015): Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) - Technical Specification. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  14. Apple Support (UK) — Install memory in an iMac · Apple’s figure · read 18 Oct 2026

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  15. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro: how to remove or install memory · Apple’s figure · read 18 Oct 2026

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  16. Apple Support (UK) — Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops · Apple’s figure · read 15 Oct 2026

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  17. Doesn’t apply: internal power supply, no power adapter in the box

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  18. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates iMac Family with Stunning New Retina Displays · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  19. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display & MacBook Air · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  20. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  21. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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Not published by Apple

iMac. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: colours, refresh rate, nano-texture option, GPU cores, storage upgradeable by user, maximum continuous power. Geekbench 7: the Mac chart has no entry for this Mac, so no figures are shown (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) - Technical Specification; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates iMac Family with Stunning New Retina Displays, read 9 Oct 2026.

MacBook Pro. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: colours, refresh rate, nano-texture option, GPU cores, storage upgradeable by user. Geekbench 7 Metal: the Mac chart has no Metal score for this Mac (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) - Technical Specifications; Identify your MacBook Pro model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display & MacBook Air, read 9 Oct 2026.

If you own one of them

Whether to move is a different question from which is better. Each Mac has a page on it: what its successor changes (the newest Mac in its line where Apple sells one, otherwise the Mac this site treats as its replacement, which can be in another line), what it fetches and whether it still gets updates. Should I upgrade my iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015)? · Should I upgrade my MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)?

The pairs a buyer of either Mac would also weigh. Any two Macs in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.