If you’re wondering which Mac to buy, you’ve come to the right place. In our Mac buying guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac Studio, with expert buying advice to help you choose the machine (and configuration) that’s right for you.

Apple makes six different types of Mac: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro, but within each of those categories there are variations in the size, specs, and features, so things can get pretty complicated. That’s where this guide comes in, helping you make the right decision. If you’re simply looking for a great offer, visit our MacBook Pro deals, MacBook Air deals, iMac deals, Mac Studio deals, and Mac mini deals pages which are regularly updated. For help choosing the best Mac laptop, we also have a MacBook buying guide.

Shopping for a Mac during Black Friday, read: Best Black Friday Mac deals and Best Black Friday MacBook deals.

We have included the newest Macs for 2024: the M4 iMac M4 Mac mini and M4 MacBook Pro. Read our M4 iMac review and M4 Pro Mac mini review. Those Macs were updated in October 2024. At the same time, Apple doubled the RAM in the MacBook Air M3 and M2, so we have updated our advice accordingly.

Should I upgrade from my Intel Mac?

We are now more than four years into Apple’s transition from Intel processors to its own silicon that includes CPU, GPU, and unified memory. The transition began with the introduction of the M1 in November 2020. Since June 2023 every Mac Apple sells uses Apple’s own chips rather than Intel processors.

If you’ve yet to upgrade your Intel Mac to one powered by Apple’s silicon what are you waiting for? If you are concerned that a must-have app doesn’t run on an M-series Mac, consider finding a new app because the performance gains are tremendous.

Another good reason to update your Intel Mac is that it is unlikely to be supported by Apple for much longer in terms of security updates. With the arrival of macOS Sequoia, the number of supported Intel Macs is fewer than ever, and although Apple will be supporting Sonoma for a couple more years, and Ventura for another year, only a few of the most recent Intel Macs still be supported in a year or so. Read: The Intel Macs that can run macOS Sequoia.

For more information see our Mac processor comparison where we compare Apple silicon and Intel. We also offer advice about how much storage, RAM, and cores in How much MacBook RAM, SSD, GPU, and CPU do you really need.

Every Mac Apple sells

Below we’ll take you through each Mac currently available from Apple, to give you an overview of what’s on offer and what you’ve got to choose from.

13-inch MacBook Air, M2 (2022)

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Best Prices Today:


$749 at Amazon

What is it? The MacBook Air is Apple’s most affordable laptop, designed with portability in mind. There are currently three versions of the MacBook Air available from Apple: a 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip, a 13-inch MacBook Air with M3 chip, and a 15-inch MacBook Air with M3 chip. The M2 MacBook Air had a price cut when the M3 model was introduced in March 2024: it now starts at $999/£999.

The M2 MacBook Air was introduced in July 2022 with a brand-new look and a 13.6-inch screen (up from 13.3 inches). It’s a great machine, but the newer MacBook Air is only $100/$100 more than the M2 model and is well worth the upgrade.

Another update came in October 2024 when Apple doubled the RAM (unified memory) from 8GB to 16GB without changing the price. This is an excellent update meaning that the MacBook Air is better value than ever.

Who’s it for? The MacBook Air is ideal for the budget-conscious. It’s also for anyone who is always on the go, doesn’t want to be bogged down by a regular-size laptop, and needs a computer that’s more versatile than an iPad.

How much does the 13-inch MacBook Air (M2) cost? Prices start at $999/£999 M2 MacBook Air with 256GB SSD and 16GB RAM and $1,199/£1,199 for the MacBook Air M2 with 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM. Make sure to check how much RAM is in the model you are buying and that it is priced accordingly. To update the RAM to 16GB would previously have cost $200/£200.

What are the specifications?

The entry-level M2 MacBook Air has 8 GPU cores, just like the entry-level M3 model, but the M3 is a step up from the M2 thanks to the ne

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