Skip to content
MacIQ

iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) vs MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)

iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021)1MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)2

Quick look

Quick look: iMac M1 against MacBook Pro M1
FigureiMac M11MacBook Pro M12
Price£1,2493launch price£1,2994launch price
ChipM1chipM1chip
CPU8-coreCPU8-coreCPU
GPU7-coreGPU8-coreGPU
Memory8GBunified memory, base8GBunified memory, base
Storage256GBstorage, base256GBstorage, base
Battery life Not available5No batteryUp to20 hrsvideo playback, claimed
ReleasedMay 20216Release date, month onlyOrderable online from 30 April 2021.10 November 20207Available online; Apple gave no in-store day
Security updatesNot available8Security updatesNot available8Security updates
Price
The iMac M1 is £1,249 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the MacBook Pro M1 is £1,299 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).
Kind of Mac
The iMac M1 is an all-in-one; the MacBook Pro M1 is a laptop. The MacBook Pro M1 has a battery, whereas the iMac M1 has none.

True to scale

iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) · 547 × 461 mm frontMacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) · 304.1 × 212.4 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 (24-inch, M1, 2021) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationiMac M11MacBook Pro M12
Dimensions461 x 547 x 147 mm15.6 x 304.1 x 212.4 mm
Weight4.46 kg1.4 kg
ColoursBlue, Green, Pink, Silver9Silver, Space Gray
PortsTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, 3.5mm headphone jackTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Thunderbolt ports22
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 3
USB-A portsNo USB-A ports.10No USB-A ports.11
HDMINo HDMI port.12No HDMI port.13
SD card slotNo SD card slot.12No SD card slot.13
Headphone jackYesYes
MagSafeNot available14No MagSafe port.11
KeyboardMagic KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard with Touch Bar and Touch ID
Touch IDNo Touch ID.10Yes
Touch BarNot available15Yes

Display

Display: Apple iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationiMac M11MacBook Pro M12
Display size24 in13.3 in
Resolution4480 x 25202560 x 1600
Pixel density218 ppi227 ppi
Display type4.5K Retina displayRetina display
Brightness500 nits500 nits
Wide colour (P3)YesYes
Nano-texture optionNo nano-texture display option.12No nano-texture display option.13

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationiMac M11MacBook Pro M12
ChipApple M1 chipApple M1 chip
Apple siliconYesYes
CPU cores88
Performance cores44
Efficiency cores44
GPU cores78
Neural Engine cores1616
Chip optionsM1 with 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU or 8-core GPUM1 with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU16
Memory (base)8GB8GB
Memory (maximum)16GB16GB
Memory options8GB or 16GB8GB or 16GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents17No, as Apple documents18
Storage (base)256GB256GB
Storage (maximum)2TB2TB
Storage options256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationiMac M11MacBook Pro M12
Battery capacityNot available558.2 Wh
Rated charge cyclesNot available51,000 cycles19
Video playback (claimed)Not available520 h
Wireless web (claimed)Not available517 h
Included power adapter143 W61 W
Fast chargingNot available5No fast charging.20

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationiMac M11MacBook Pro M12
Wi-Fi802.11ax Wi-Fi 6802.11ax Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth5.05.0
EthernetGigabit Ethernet configurable21No Ethernet port.13
External displays (base)11

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationiMac M11MacBook Pro M12
Camera1080p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
SpeakersHigh-fidelity six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofersStereo speakers with high dynamic range
MicrophonesStudio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamformingStudio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming

Platform

Platform: Apple iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationiMac M11MacBook Pro M12
Shipped withNot available22macOS Big Sur23
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate24macOS 27 Golden Gate24
Model identifieriMac21,225MacBookPro17,126
Model year20212020

Benchmarks

Benchmarks: Apple iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)
SpecificationiMac M11MacBook Pro M12
Geekbench 7 (CPU, single-core)2,168272,16627
Geekbench 7 (CPU, multi-core)8,365278,30927

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) - Technical Specifications · Default for iMac M1 · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

    ↩

  2. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs · Default for MacBook Pro M1 · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

    ↩

  3. Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac features all-new design in vibrant colours, M1 chip, and 4.5K Retina display · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

    ↩

  4. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

    ↩

  5. Doesn’t apply: no battery

    ↩

  6. Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac features all-new design in vibrant colours, M1 chip, and 4.5K Retina display · Apple’s figure · read 3 Oct 2026

    ↩

  7. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

    ↩

  8. Security updates: no end date published. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 22 Sep 2026

    ↩

  9. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

    ↩

  10. iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021): No USB-A ports. No Touch ID. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) - Technical Specifications. Read 15 Sep 2026

    ↩

  11. MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020): No USB-A ports. No MagSafe port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs. Read 15 Sep 2026

    ↩

  12. iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No nano-texture display option. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) - Technical Specifications. Read 9 Oct 2026

    ↩

  13. MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No nano-texture display option. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

    ↩

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

    ↩

  15. Doesn’t apply: the Touch Bar was only fitted to MacBook Pro

    ↩

  16. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

  20. MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020): No fast charging. Checked: Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils game-changing MacBook Pro. Read 9 Oct 2026

    ↩

  21. Apple Support (UK) — iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) - Technical Specifications · Apple’s figure · read 11 Oct 2026

    ↩

  22. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac features all-new design in vibrant colours, M1 chip, and 4.5K Retina display. Read 9 Oct 2026

    ↩

  23. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

    ↩

  24. Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

    ↩

  25. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model · Apple’s figure · read 10 Oct 2026

    ↩

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

    ↩

  27. Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) · third-party figure · read 11 Oct 2026

    ↩

Not published by Apple

iMac M1. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, memory bandwidth, storage upgradeable by user, media engine, maximum continuous power. Geekbench 7 Metal: the Mac chart row for this Mac does not state its GPU core count, so no Metal score is shown (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac features all-new design in vibrant colours, M1 chip, and 4.5K Retina display, read 9 Oct 2026.

MacBook Pro M1. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, memory bandwidth, storage upgradeable by user, media engine. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model, 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 M1 (24-inch, 2021)? · Should I upgrade my MacBook Pro M1 (13-inch, 2020)?

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