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iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) vs MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)

iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)1MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)2

Quick look

Quick look: iMac against MacBook Pro
FigureiMac1MacBook Pro2
Price£1,2493launch price£1,4494launch price
ChipCore i53.0GHz quad-core IntelCore i52.0GHz dual-core Intel
CPU4-coreCPU2-coreCPU
Memory8GBmemory, base8GBmemory, base
Storage1TBstorage, base256GBstorage, base
Battery life Not available5No batteryUp to10 hrsvideo playback, claimed
Released7 June 20173ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 5 June 2017.27 October 20166Available online; Apple gave no in-store day
Security updates15 September 20257Security updates ended16 September 20247Security updates ended
Price
The iMac is £1,249 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the MacBook Pro is £1,449 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 (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) · 528 × 450 mm frontMacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) · 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 (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Dimensions450 x 528 x 175 mm14.9 x 304.1 x 212.4 mm
Weight5.66 kg1.37 kg
ColoursNot available8Silver, Space Gray
PortsTwo Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, four USB 3 ports, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45), 3.5 mm headphone jackTwo Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Thunderbolt ports22
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 3
USB-A ports4No USB-A ports.9
HDMINo HDMI port.10No HDMI port.11
SD card slotYesNo SD card slot.11
Headphone jackYesYes
MagSafeNot available12No MagSafe port.9
KeyboardMagic KeyboardFull-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys
Touch IDNo Touch ID.10No Touch ID.11
Touch BarNot available13No Touch Bar.11

Display

Display: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Display size21.5 in13.3 in
Resolution4096 x 23042560 x 1600
Pixel densityNot available8227 ppi
Display typeRetina 4K displayRetina display
Brightness500 nits500 nits
Wide colour (P3)YesYes

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Chip3.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i52.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Apple siliconIntel processor, not Apple silicon.14Intel processor, not Apple silicon.9
CPU cores42
GraphicsRadeon Pro 555 with 2GB of VRAMIntel Iris Graphics 540
Chip options3.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, or 3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i72.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz; configurable to 2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz
Memory (base)8GB8GB
Memory (maximum)32GB16GB
Memory options8GB, 16GB or 32GB8GB or 16GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents15No, as Apple documents16
Storage (base)1TB256GB
Storage (maximum)1TB1TB
Storage options1TB hard drive, 1TB Fusion Drive, or 256GB, 512GB or 1TB SSD256GB, 512GB or 1TB

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Battery capacityNot available554.5 Wh
Rated charge cyclesNot available51,000 cycles17
Video playback (claimed)Not available510 h
Wireless web (claimed)Not available510 h
Included power adapterNot available1861 W
Fast chargingNot available5No fast charging.11

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Wi-Fi802.11ac Wi-Fi802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
Bluetooth4.24.2
Ethernet10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45)No Ethernet port.11
External displays (base)22

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
CameraFaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
SpeakersStereo speakersStereo speakers with high dynamic range
MicrophonesMicrophoneTwo microphones

Platform

Platform: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Shipped withNot available8macOS Sierra19
Newest macOSmacOS Ventura20macOS Monterey21
Model identifieriMac18,220MacBookPro13,121
Model year20172016

Benchmarks

Benchmarks: Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) against Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
SpecificationiMac1MacBook Pro2
Geekbench 7 (CPU, single-core)1,0722294422
Geekbench 7 (CPU, multi-core)2,892221,89422

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications · Default for iMac · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) - Technical Specifications · Default for MacBook Pro · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac receives major update featuring more powerful graphics, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3 and brighter displays · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  4. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Unveils Groundbreaking New MacBook Pro · 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 Unveils Groundbreaking New MacBook Pro · 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. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac receives major update featuring more powerful graphics, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3 and brighter displays. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  9. MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports): No USB-A ports. No MagSafe port. Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) - Technical Specifications. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  10. iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017): No HDMI port. No Touch ID. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  11. MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No Touch ID. No Touch Bar. No fast charging. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) - Technical Specifications. Read 9 Oct 2026

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

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

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  14. iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017): Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications. Read 15 Sep 2026

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

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

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

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

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  19. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Unveils Groundbreaking New MacBook Pro · 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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  22. Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) · third-party figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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Not published by Apple

iMac. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, nano-texture option, GPU cores, storage upgradeable by user, maximum continuous power. Geekbench 7 Metal: the Mac chart has no Metal score for this Mac (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your iMac model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac receives major update featuring more powerful graphics, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3 and brighter displays, read 9 Oct 2026.

MacBook Pro. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: 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 (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) - Technical Specifications; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Unveils Groundbreaking New MacBook Pro; 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 (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)? · Should I upgrade my MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)?

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