Best Mac Book Air For 2018

The MacBook Air I was using before this laptop had two USB ports, a mini display port, a headphone jack, and an SD card reader. It was like the Swiss Army knife of ports. The new MacBook Air has. The company updated the MacBook Pro in July 2018, and the MacBook Air was (finally) updated in October 2018 (the first time since 2015). But the 12in MacBook hasn't been updated since June 2017. On the inside, the new 2018 MacBook Air got a significant update too. It comes with the newer 8th generation 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz.

The best Macs are only getting better and more powerful, with the Mac Pro 2019 and macOS Catalina coming later in 2019, to start. If you’d rather not wait and want to get your hands on one of the best Macs now, there’s already quite a few to choose from. Especially with Apple recently giving its MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro and 15-inch MacBook Pro much-needed refreshes.

Keep in mind, too, that specs, performance and design mean way more in how they interact with the OS itself than any of them separately. That’s why it’s not really productive to compare a Mac to a Windows 10 computer.

The best Macs are incredibly diverse. We don’t know what’s in the cards for future Macs, at least beyond the new Mac Pro, but we’re sure there’s still plenty of life in Apple’s existing computers. That means that if you don’t have to budget to purchase the latest Macs, as the older models will more than suffice, saving you some cash.

Best macbook air for 2018 india

In addition, the best Macs cover everything from thin and light notebooks like the 12-inch MacBook to professional workhorses like the iMac Pro.

Taking all these into consideration, it can be tricky choosing the perfect Mac for you. That’s why we decided to gather all the best Macs we’ve used – iMacs, MacBooks and more – to help you with that important decision.

The only Macs that you won’t find here are the ones that we’ve either not been able to review, or just weren’t good enough. Let’s dive in to all the best Macs you can buy right now.

1. Mac Mini 2018

CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i3 – Core i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630 | RAM: 8GB – 32GB | Storage: 128GB – 2TB PCIe-based SSD | Dimensions (W x D x H): 19.7 x 19.7 x 3.6cm

Hugely improved specs
Expensive

Mac Mini fans, rejoice! The Mac Mini has finally been revamped with modern hardware, ushering Apple’s smallest Mac to the modern age and naturally warranting it the top spot in our best Macs list. This tiny thing is packed with 8th-generation desktop processors, a ton of RAM and some of the fastest SSDs we’ve seen – all while keeping the same adored form factor. It’s a tad pricier this time around, but with the raw speed on offer, you’ll find that it’s worth the price increase.

Read the full review: Mac Mini 2018

2. MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)

Apple’s productivity machine gets the latest Intel tech

CPU: 9th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9 | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 555X – 560X, Intel UHD Graphics 630 | RAM: 16GB – 32GB | Screen: 15.4-inch, 2,880 x 1,800 Retina display | Storage: 512GB – 4TB SSD | Dimensions (H x W x D): 34.93 x 24.07 x 1.55cm

Powerful
Screen remains gorgeous
Lack of ports

If you want the most performance you can get in a MacBook without it costing you an arm and a leg, you’ll want to look into the MacBook Pro 15-inch. Now refreshed with hexa-core 9th-generation processors and up to 32GB of RAM, you won’t be held back by anything you throw at it – especially now that you can get Radeon Pro Vega 20 graphics. With that kind of performance, the MacBook Pro takes a lofty spot on our best Macs list without breaking a sweat.

Read the full review:MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)

3. Apple iMac (27-inch, 2019)

Apple’s most affordable all-in-one

Macbook Or Macbook Air 2018

CPU: up to 3.6GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 570X – Radeon Pro Vega 48 | RAM: 8GB – 64GB | Screen: 27-inch (diagonal) Retina 5K display 5120 x 2880 | Storage: 1TB Fusion Drive – 2TB SSD | Dimensions (H x W x D): 51.6 x 65.0 x 20.3 cm

Stunning 5K display
SSD upgrades are expensive

The iMac has long been one of the cheaper ways to get into the macOS ecosystem, and we’re glad that hasn’t changed. Though what has changed, we also appreciate. The new iMac is packing with 8th- and 9th-generation desktop-class processors, allowing this stylish all-in-one reach that fabled 8-core performance. If you’re looking for an all-in-one Mac, the new 27-inch iMac might just be the best Mac for you, at least if you’re on a budget.

Read the full review:iMac (27-inch, 2019)

4. MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (13-inch, mid-2018)

CPU: 7th-generation Intel Core i5 – 8th-generation Intel Core i5 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 – 655 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2,560 x 1,600 | Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD | Dimensions (H x W x D): 30.41 x 21.24 x 1.49cm

Much more powerful
Keyboard learning curve

The biggest complaint about the older MacBook Pro was that it was still packing Kaby Lake processors while its rivals had moved ahead. Luckily, the MacBook Pro 2018 changes everything, making it more powerful than ever. It still has the controversial Butterfly keyboard, but that’s also been improved so that its quieter and more reliable. It’s not hard to recommend the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2018 to anyone looking for the best Macs.

Read the full review: MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (13-inch, mid-2018)

5. iMac Pro

CPU: 8 to 18-core Intel Xeon W | Graphics: Radeon Pro Vega 56 - Radeon Pro Vega 64 | RAM: 32GB – 256GB DDR4 ECC | Screen: 27-inch 5K (5,120 x 2,880) Retina display (P3 wide color) | Storage: 1TB – 4TB PCIe 3.0 SSD | Dimensions (H x W x D): 65 x 20.3 x 51.6cm

Most powerful Mac you can buy
Very expensive

Professionals and creatives require something that will be able to tackle any workload they can possibly throw at it. If you’re one such user, the iMac Pro isn’t just one of the best Macs for you; it’s the only Mac to consider. Not only does it have a vibrant 27-inch 5K display with a P3 wide color gamut, but it also boasts the most powerful hardware Apple could get its hands on. It’s extremely expensive though, so it’s really only meant for folks who have deep pockets and need that unbridled power to get through their daily workloads.

Read the full review:iMac Pro

6. Apple MacBook Air (2019)

CPU: 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 617 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,600 LED-backlit display with IPS technology | Storage: 128GB – 1TB SSD | Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches (30.41 x 21.24 x 1.56cm; W x D x H)

Lovely design
Fantastic battery life
Underpowered

Best Macbook Air For 2018 Price In India

Apple takes the MacBook Air (2018) and gives it a bit of refresh, adding True Tone technology to its display and an even more reliable keyboard. Unfortunately, it hasn’t upgraded the specs – which actually leads us to think that there might be a bigger update by early 2020 – but seeing as the 2018 version has already made our list, this improved version is just as deserving. But the best part is yet to come: this refresh is even cheaper, so you’re definitely getting more value for less.

Read the full review: MacBook Air (2019)

7. MacBook (2017)

Small and stylish

CPU: Dual-core Intel Core m3 – Core i5 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 615 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 12-inch Retina (2,304 x 1,440) IPS | Storage: 256GB – 512GB PCIe SSD | Dimensions (W x D x H): 11.04 x 7.74 x 0.14~0.52in

Incredibly portable
Too expensive

While Apple has officially cut the MacBook from its MacBook like, many third parties are still carry it. And because the 12-inch MacBook has found its niche as an ultraportable and lightweight laptop, it’s still deserving of a spot on our best Macs list… that is, until stock runs out. It’s low on ports, but that’s hardly a surprise in a laptop this thin. It can support basically everything under the sun with its Thunderbolt 3 port, anyway. It’s not as powerful as the MacBook Pro, but if you’re looking for a MacBook that’s easy to take with you wherever you go, look no further.

Read the full review: Apple MacBook (2017)

Michelle Rae Uy, Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article

  • Want more choices? Check out our list of the best laptops 2019
  • Stay safe online with our pick of the best Mac VPNs

BestMacBookiMore2019

You'd be hard-pressed to find any website that does as much deep-dive research into everything about Apple's Mac notebook lineup than iMore. We run every model, ever version through their paces (and then some) to determine which is the best MacBook for the average person and which one is perfect for the pros. Our best overall pick is the MacBook Air. With Touch ID, a retina display, and sleek and slim design, this is the one to beat.

Best Overall: MacBook Air

With a major update in 2018, the MacBook Air now has a faster processor, Touch ID, a Retina display, and is still thin enough to fit into a manila envelope.

The Retina display specs are 2560 x 1600 at 227ppi with an sRBG color gamut, and the bezels are slim, providing as much screen landscape as possible on a 13-inch Mac laptop.

Though you don't get the much-loved MagSafe charging port, you do get, in its place, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports along with the 3.5mm headphone jack. That means 40Gbps high-speed data transfer so you can move photos, videos, and huge documents between hard drives or other computers lickety-split.

The MacBook Air also now supports Touch ID for biometric security. Not only do you use it to unlock your MacBook Air, but also to pay for things online that use Apple Pay (it's such a time saver).

Pros:

  • Retina display
  • High-speed data transfer
  • Touch ID
  • Affordable
  • 12-hour battery life

Cons:

  • Only two Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • previous-generation processor (8th-gen)

Best Overall

MacBook Air

The perfect Mac laptop for most people.

The MacBook Air has the perfect balance of features and affordability. As the lowest-price Retina display Mac in the laptop lineup, you're getting a hard-working computer without paying the premium price of the rest of the MacBook lineup.

Best value: 13-inch MacBook Pro (two Thunderbolt 3 ports)

The lower-priced 13-inch MacBook Pro is feature-rich without being too much computer for the average person's needs. It's got the highest-quality Retina display with 3DPI wide-color gamut, two high-speed Thunderbolt 3 ports for 40Gbps data transfer, and an ultra-fast processor chip. If you don't need more than two Thunderbolt 3 ports, support for heavy graphics, or daily lengthy video rendering, the smaller MacBook Pro has the best feature-to-price ratio, making it the best value of the MacBook lineup.

Pros:

  • Portable
  • Ultra-fast storage
  • High-speed data transfer
  • Retina Display

Best value

13-inch MacBook Pro (two Thunderbolt 3 ports)

The biggest bang for your buck.

When it comes to portability, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is just right. It's got the power of a top-of-the-line computer in a lightweight body you can take anywhere.

Best for pros: 15-inch MacBook Pro

For the pro on the go, there's the 15-inch MacBook Pro. This workhorse of a laptop can support up to 8 cores of Intel's latest Coffee Lake refresh processor chip with turbo boosts of up to 5.0GHz and SSD read speeds of up to 3.2Gbps. It's got four Thunderbolt 3 ports, the most in the entire Mac laptop line, and can be spec'd out to as much as 32GB of memory and a 4TB SSD hard drive with Radeon Pro Vega 20 graphics with 4GB of HBM2 memory. It's fast. It's powerful. It'll sing for you while it renders your videos (not literally).

Pros:

  • Latest Intel processor (9th-gen)
  • Improved keyboard
  • Advanced GPU
  • Up to 8 cores
  • Touch ID
  • Retina display
  • True Tone

Best for pros

Best Mac Book Air For 2018 Bowl

15-inch MacBook Pro

A pro laptop for the pro user.

If you need the most power and the best performance with the option of mobility and are willing to pay the premium price, the 2019 15-inch MacBook Pro is your pick.

Best for Versatility: 13-inch MacBook Pro (4 Thunderbolt 3 ports)

The four Thunderbolt 3 port 13-inch MacBook Pro starts about $500 higher than the two Thunderbolt 3 port model, but those extra ports may be the most important thing you'll need. It's got the highest-quality Retina display with 3DPI wide-color gamut, four high-speed Thunderbolt 3 ports for 40Gbps data transfer, and an ultra-fast processor chip. If you're going to be plugging in more than two peripherals that need Thunderbolt 3's fast data transfer capabilities, you're going to want to spend the extra money on those extra ports.

Pros:

  • Portable
  • Ultra-fast storage
  • High-speed data transfer
  • Retina Display

Best for Versatility

13-inch MacBook Pro (four Thunderbolt 3 ports)

Versatility at a lower price.

When it comes to versatility, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with four Thunderbolt 3 ports offers more flexibility for your dollar. You get high-speed data transfer from all four ports.

Bottom line

Because the MacBook Air has everything most people need for daily computer use tied up nicely in a small package, and because it supports Touch ID for biometric security and Apple Pay, it's our pick for the best MacBook in 2019. The fact that it's also the least-expensive Retina Display MacBook is just icing on the cake.

Of course, if you're looking for something with more power, but don't need the fastest, most powerful processor and graphics, the 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar has the most specs for its price, making it our pick for the best value.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Lory Gil is iMore's managing editor and has extensive knowledge of the MacBook lineup. Though she doesn't own every single MacBook ever, she's got a pretty decent-sized pile building up.

Rene Ritchie is iMore's resident Apple analyst and has studied every aspect of every MacBook. He puts his MacBooks through their paces and knows exactly what each one's limits are.

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Macbook Pro 2018 Vs Macbook Air 2018

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