Apple’s products have always found favour with creative professionals, and they’re adopted by many kinds of business professionals too.
Any business kitting out its workforce with Apple products knows what to expect. The brand is synonymous with innovative design and simple operation, not to mention creativity and reliability.
Apple is constantly refreshing its Mac and MacBook lineup, and commendably, it's doing so without upping the price, and last year has seen refreshed MacBooks that offer upgraded internals (and better keyboards) for the same price as the previous year's models.
- Also check out the best business accessories.
Best Mac laptop for business
Now is the best time to buy a Touch Bar-equipped 13-inch MacBook Pro following Apple’s recent price drop. In our view it’s the best all-round Mac laptop for business thanks to its high-resolution display which is not only color accurate, covering the DCI P3 color gamut, it also runs at a bright 500 nits which prevents eye strain and makes from working on anything from spreadsheets to hosting video meetings a pleasure. Another big plus goes to its four USB Type-C Thunderbolt ports, which allow multiple monitors to be hooked up along with USB-C accessories to take advantage of lightning-fast data speeds.
Read the full review: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020)
Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air is the best Mac laptop for business if you don’t need all the features of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. It halves the number of USB-C ports which makes using multiple monitors problematic (unless you opt for one such as the LG UltraFine 5K that adds more Thunderbolt ports), and it has the subtly, yet noticeably dimmer and less color-accurate (yet still high-resolution) display out of the pair. On the other hand, the Air is marginally thinner and lighter than the Pro which makes a tangible difference when carrying it around.
Read the full review: MacBook Air (2020)
Apple’s 12-inch MacBook is hard to recommend over the 13-inch Pro or Air due to its lone Thunderbolt USB-C port, which seriously hampers its practicality. The only reason to choose this model is for its portability. As Apple’s most compact and light MacBook for business owners who are constantly on the move, it can’t be beaten for slipping into a suitcase or small backpack – and it has enough power inside for everyday computing tasks. Move quick though - Apple has officially stopped selling the machine, so when stocks run out it’s time to say goodbye for good to this miniature marvel.
Read the full review: Apple MacBook
Best all-in-one Mac for business
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, letting 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)
Best Mac workstation for business
Let’s be clear, here: the iMac specced above costs almost $5,000 on Apple’s website - and that's just for the base model, which can be extensively expanded. That’s clearly an expensive proposition for any business that’s not swimming in cash, but if you need the convenience of an all-in-one that packs incredible power, this is Apple’s best Mac workstation for business. Whether you would be better suited to the company’s newer Mac Pro is another question. If you do drop some serious cash on the iMac Pro, you may as well spec it to the hilt because it’s extremely difficult to repair – scoring a lowly three out of 10 for repairability from iFixit – so you would be stuck with its internals for some time to come.
Read the full review: iMac Pro
Apple’s Mac mini has been a popular choice for business users for years due to its space-saving design and ability to be hooked up with an affordable monitor. Apple’s updated 2018 version is now aimed squarely at creatives and professional users. It features the same small design but ups the power – at least on the CPU side – its integrated graphics still aren’t powerful enough for video or photo editing at high resolutions. Still, you get four USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports for hooking up multiple monitors, making it pretty good value overall.
Read the full review: Apple mac mini
Apple’s newest Mac Pro (unofficially named the ‘cheesegrater’) has just been completely revamped. This is the older model (very unofficially named the trashcan) from six years ago, which Apple is no longer selling, but it still has something to offer business users if you can pick it refurbished or in the sale. Its cylindrical design feels a bit stale these days, but it’s second only to the mac Mini in terms of its compactness. And, while still powerful, its specs across the board are inevitably outdated today. That said, the machine was given a healthy 8 (out of 10) for repairability from iFixit – so you can upgrade the CPU and RAM, at the very least.
Read the full review: Apple Mac Pro
Best mobile workstation for business
While we are sad that Apple has retired the 15-inch MacBook Pro, we’re more than happy to see the MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) hit the shelves. As thin, light and sleek as ever, this doesn’t feel like a 16-inch behemoth. If you’re worried that this was going to be bulky and awkward to use, don’t be. Yet, despite its svelte frame, you’re still getting that extra real estate on that stunning display, as well as the latest and greatest components behind it. Apple then rounds those out with amazing (and loud) speakers and a much, much better keyboard. If you're after the best workstation MacBook for your business, this is it.
Read the full review: MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
The 15-inch MacBook Pro was Apple’s portable powerhouse in previous years, and remains a strong choice for multimedia professionals and anyone who requires maximum screen real-estate for using productivity and other applications on the move. While it's since been replaced by the 16-inch version (included above), it's still a powerful portable machine with a great display and strong technical specifications when it comes to its processor, RAM, and storage, and of course graphics handling. Expect to still pay a lot for it, however, as the model is still available, but it should be found cheaper than the 16-inch replacement while stocks last.
Read the full review: MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
Best Mac laptop replacement for business
Apple’s largest iPad is the closest yet to replicating the feeling of a laptop in a tablet, especially when paired with a full-sized keyboard dock. This model has a gorgeous huge display for manipulating spreadsheets, annotating PDFs, holding web conference call or doing most other things that you would usually do with a clamshell device. One consideration for business users is that it doesn’t have a headphone port, so you’d need to pair it with a pair of AirPods or other Bluetooth-equipped headphones for private calls.
Read the full review: iPad Pro 12.9 (2018)
Apple’s 10.2-inch iPad shares many of the 12.9-inch iPad’s best features, all for a much cheaper price. It will prove the most attractive for businesses who want to kit out their workers with an Apple tablet that boasts a large display and Apple Pencil support, while finding a good balance between great features and cost-effectiveness. This iPad also has a smart connector for hooking up Apple’s Smart Keyboard, which will allow for staff to be productive on the move.
Read the hands-on review: New iPad (2019)
- These are the best Macs of 2020