M1 MacBook Air vs M1 24' iMac - Best Mac to Buy in 2021?

Should you just buy an M1 MacBook Air instead of the new 24" M1 iMac? We Compare EVERYTHING and help you make the right choice!

Best deals on M1 Macs & iPad Pros on Amazon ⬇️

Apple's M1 iMac comes with Apple's brand new thin and light redesign that has been shocking the tech world! From the new colors and the iconic iMac chin design, it definitely stands out!

In this video, we compare everything including the extra features like usb-c ports, ethernet jack, touch-id, 7-core and 8-core GPU M1, Fans, heat, thermal throttling, and of course performance in real world tasks like photo and video editing and other apps and more between the 24" M1 iMac and the M1 MacBook Air to see which one is a better value and which one to buy.

In terms of performance, we tested the Blackmagic Disk Speed test, Geekbench 5 CPU, Geekbench 5 Metal graphics, Speedometer 2.0 web browsing, GFXBench, Cinebench R23, and more!

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[MaxTechOfficial]

Which one would YOU rather Buy and Why? Let us know below!
Best deals on M1 Macs & Accessories on Amazon ⬇️

[aalvarez]

I don’t think the M1 MacBook Air design is outdated at all it looks pretty new it’s thin and the bezels aren’t big at all

[pickadviser]

Yes, of course!! Who will challenge M1 MacBook Air? That’s the best!

[merrillbausch]

Really appreciate this report. I would add, however, that for an older user (70 years +) the larger screen is a real advantage. Enlarging a page and then reducing it again gets really tiresome. If you own an ipad, then you can use the ipad when you travel. All your information should be synced and that would make the imac 24" much more desirable. The price is still considerably higher, especially with upgrades but for older users this could be a real selling point.

[HEARD]

To me it's simple, you don't have to worry about battery life when getting a desktop. If you have the cash, buy an iMac and get the lower-level IPAD for portability. That will last you for years. My current MacBook pro from 2018 has battery issues which is complete nonsense for a 1, 200 dollar computer.

[GotToyota]

We recently bought an M1 Macbook Air and were trying to decide if an iMac was worth purchasing. Ultimately we decided to get a Brydge standing dock and 24" LG Monitor for when we need a desktop environment in our studio.

[DarkEnv]

Agreed. The fact that you can use the MacBook Air with a desktop setup and still have it as a portable laptop makes the value even better. The iMac is perfect for those who don’t need the portability of a laptop or those who just like having both as separate devices.

[thetechnerd]

I personally use the M1 MBA with a 32 inch 4k monitor at home

[LiLBitsDK]

"take it to a coffee shop to get some work done" I would much rather work at home and not in some noisy cafe with tons of distractions LOL

[cadenchurchill]

Just ordered the M1 Air in Space Grey! Can’t wait for it to arrive, going to be my first Mac and a massive upgrade over the 2017 HP Spectre X360 13”. Love the look of the MacBook Air leaks, but the current design looks just as good to me so not disappointed.

[Acefisch]

Can you make something like an ultimate M1 chart where the benchmark results of all M1 devices are displayed side by side? I hope i am not the only one here who is interested in this.

[lilarto]

My dream combo is a decently powerful desktop with a great display for home and an iPad Air or Pro for working on the go.

[fortnitegamer]

I was really confused between the M1 MacBook Air & M1 iMac but ultimately decided to go with the M1 MacBook Air & I don't regret it one bit.

[lorensims]

That 24" display is certainly tempting. I wanna purple one!
But with the M1 the MacBook Air has really come into its own. The limitations of 8 or 16GB RAM, max 2TB storage, 2 Thunderbolt/USB-4 ports feels restrictive on a MacBook Pro or an iMac. These are exactly the specs we've come to expect on the Air. It's what the 12" Macbook always wished it could be but it was hobbled by than intel Core-M CPU.
This new MacBook Air is the pinnacle of MacBook Air design. For me it's the perfect laptop.
I'm sorry Max has been spoiled by working with larger displays. I've been using 13" MacBooks and MacBooks Pro for almost two decades now and the size is fine.
I'll be getting an M1 Mac mini as the low-cost entry into Apple Silicon. I can upgrade my peripherals as I find the need and money. AND it has more ports than any of the others.
It's MY vote for the Best Value in M1 Macs.

[ams-nmdl]

For me it is the imac for three reasons- the screen, lack of portability and the colors. The screen is bigger than the macbook, I do not need the portability. I also do not want to worry about charging battery. I know macbooks have long battery life with m1 but still they will need to be charged and they will degrade over time. A plugged in imac saves me the headache. And lastly can you really compare when it comes to colors? Imacs are so beautiful, it brings joy into a somewhat boring tiresome worklife from home.

[joe_zupko]

iMacs are way better for video/photo editing because of the bigger screen, otherwise they're very similar.
On the flip side, being able to move around with a laptop is super nice if you wanna chill outside or on a couch!

[aalvarez]

I Love the new M1 MacBook Air I own one and it’s the best computer I have ever owned for me the 13 inch display never bothered me it’s a good size and my MacBook Air has never gotten hot

[JaejunL]

Great video! I am thinking to buy a MacBook Air M1, MacBook Pro M1 13 inch, or this Imac which one should I get?

[ash.mystic]

The large screen of the iMac is tempting, but since I already have a 12.9” iPad Pro, I figure I can make up for the screen size difference by using it in Sidecar with an Air as a second display :)

[adolfoecs]

I don’t really get the point of comparing laptop vs desktop just because of both have the same processor