Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) vs Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2015)

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MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) compared with MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2015)

	AppleMacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015)	AppleMacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2015)
Overview
Released
Released	April 2015	March 2015
Display
Screen size
Screen size	12″	11.6″
Resolution
Resolution	2304 × 1440 (better)	1366 × 768
Panel
Panel	IPS LCD	TN LCD
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	No	No
Display type
Display type	Retina display; LED-backlit IPS; 16:10 aspect ratio; millions of colours	LED-backlit widescreen LCD; TN panel confirmed by Macworld; millions of colours
Screen finish
Screen finish	–	Glossy
Pixel density
Pixel density	226 ppi	–
Display features
Display features	Supported scaled resolutions of 1440 × 900, 1280 × 800 or 1024 × 640	Native 1366 × 768; other supported modes include 1344 × 756 and 1280 × 720 at 16:9, 1152 × 720 and 1024 × 640 at 16:10, and 1024 × 768 or 800 × 600 at 4:3
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core M-5Y31, Intel Core M-5Y51 or Intel Core M-5Y71	Intel Core i5-5250U or Intel Core i7-5650U
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	2
CPU threads
CPU threads	4	4
Graphics
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 5300	Intel HD Graphics 6000
Memory
Memory	8 GB	4 GB or 8 GB
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 512 GB	128 GB to 512 GB
CPU
CPU	Dual-core Intel Core M at Apple's specified 1.1 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.4 GHz, 1.2 GHz with up to 2.6 GHz, or 1.3 GHz with up to 2.9 GHz; all with 4 MB shared L3 cache. Exact M-5Y31, M-5Y51 and M-5Y71 identifiers confirmed by Macworld. Apple's configured clocks differ from Intel's nominal base frequencies; the M-5Y31 supports a configurable TDP-up frequency of 1.1 GHz.	Dual-core Intel Core i5 at 1.6 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz and 3 MB shared L3 cache, configurable to Core i7 at 2.2 GHz with 4 MB cache. Apple UK specifies up to 3.2 GHz for the i7; Intel's current ARK title also says 3.2 GHz but its turbo table says 3.1 GHz. Notebookcheck identifies i5-5250U and i7-5650U; Laptop Mag confirms the base i5.
GPU
GPU	Intel HD Graphics 5300	Intel HD Graphics 6000 integrated graphics
Memory type
Memory type	8 GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory	4 GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory, configurable to 8 GB
Storage type
Storage type	PCIe-based onboard flash storage; 256 GB with the 1.1 GHz base or 512 GB with the 1.2 GHz base; either can be ordered with the 1.3 GHz processor	128 GB or 256 GB PCIe-based flash storage; configurable to 512 GB
Cooling
Cooling	Fanless design with no moving parts or vents	–
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 10 hours	Up to 9 hours
Battery capacity
Battery capacity	39.7 Wh (better)	38 Wh
Weight
Weight	0.92 kg (better)	1.08 kg
Thickness
Thickness	13.1 mm (better)	17 mm
Width × depth
Width × depth	280.5 × 196.5 mm	300 × 192 mm
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Terraced lithium-polymer battery; up to 9 hours wireless web, 10 hours iTunes movie playback or 30 days standby. Apple's web and video tests used the 1.2 GHz Core M, 8 GB memory and 512 GB storage. Chassis tapers from 3.5 to 13.1 mm; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.	Lithium-polymer battery; up to 9 hours wireless web, 10 hours iTunes movie playback or 30 days standby. Apple's February 2015 tests used preproduction 1.6 GHz Core i5 systems. Weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
Charger
Charger	29 W USB-C Power Adapter	45 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management
Materials
Materials	Precision-milled aluminium unibody; polished stainless steel Apple logo	Aluminium enclosure; tapered thickness from 3 to 17 mm
Colours
Colours	Silver, Gold, Space Grey	Silver
Connections
Ports
Ports	USB-C, headphone jack	2 × USB-A, Thunderbolt 2, MagSafe 2, headphone jack
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 5	Wi-Fi 5
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	4.0	4.0
Webcam
Webcam	480p FaceTime	720p FaceTime HD
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Port detail
Port detail	One USB-C port supporting charging, USB 3.1 Gen 1 up to 5 Gb/s and native DisplayPort 1.2; VGA and HDMI through separate USB-C multiport adaptors. 3.5 mm headphone jack supports iPhone headsets with remote and microphone. USB-C does not support Thunderbolt (Macworld).	Two USB 3 ports up to 5 Gb/s; Thunderbolt 2 up to 20 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort output; MagSafe 2 power port; 3.5 mm headphone jack supporting Apple iPhone headset remote and microphone. DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI and HDMI need separate adaptors.
External displays
External displays	One external display up to 3840 × 2160 alongside the built-in screen, at millions of colours	Built-in screen plus one external display up to 3840 × 2160, both with millions of colours; dual display and video mirroring
Keyboard
Keyboard	First-generation butterfly mechanism; full-size keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, individual LED backlighting, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and ambient light sensor	Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys in an inverted T layout; ambient light sensor
Trackpad
Trackpad	Force Touch trackpad with pressure sensing, Force clicks and Multi-Touch gestures	Multi-Touch trackpad with inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, tap, double-tap and drag; no Force Touch
Speakers
Speakers	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers
Microphones
Microphones	Dual microphones	Dual microphones
In the box
In the box	MacBook; 29 W USB-C Power Adapter; USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)	MacBook Air; power adaptor; AC wall plug; power cord