Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) vs Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012)

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MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) compared with MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012)

	AppleMacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015)	AppleMacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012)
Overview
Released
Released	April 2015	June 2012
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	Glossy LED-backlit widescreen LCD, millions of colours; TN panel confirmed by Notebookcheck's exact-model review. Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple.
Pixel density
Pixel density	226 ppi	–
Display features
Display features	Supported scaled resolutions of 1440 × 900, 1280 × 800 or 1024 × 640	–
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core M-5Y31, Intel Core M-5Y51 or Intel Core M-5Y71	Intel Core i5-3317U or Intel Core i7-3667U
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	2
CPU threads
CPU threads	4	4
Graphics
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 5300	Intel HD Graphics 4000
Memory
Memory	8 GB	4 GB or 8 GB
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 512 GB	64 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 i5-3317U at 1.7 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.6 GHz and 3 MB shared L3 cache; the 128 GB base is configurable to Core i7-3667U at 2.0 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz and 4 MB cache. Exact identities confirmed by Notebookcheck; Macworld documents the higher-base-only processor upgrade.
GPU
GPU	Intel HD Graphics 5300	Intel HD Graphics 4000 integrated graphics
Memory type
Memory type	8 GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory	4 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L 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	64 GB base with Core i5; 128 GB base configurable to 256 GB or 512 GB flash storage and either processor. Memory upgrade applies to either base. Configurations preserve the base-specific upgrade restrictions documented by Macworld.
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 5 hours
Battery capacity
Battery capacity	39.7 Wh (better)	35 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.	Built-in 35 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 5 hours wireless web or 30 days standby under Apple's test conditions. Reference 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, MagSafe 2, headphone jack
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 5	802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g
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 up to 10 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort output, MagSafe 2 and headphone jack supporting the Apple iPhone headset remote and microphone; no card reader. DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI and HDMI require separate adapters.
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 2560 × 1600, both with millions of colours; dual display and video mirroring, HDMI audio and video through a compatible adapter
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, four arrow keys and 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, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag
Speakers
Speakers	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers
Microphones
Microphones	Dual microphones	Omnidirectional microphone
In the box
In the box	MacBook; 29 W USB-C Power Adapter; USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)	MacBook Air, power adapter, AC wall plug and power cord; OS X Lion at launch, with a free upgrade to Mountain Lion when available; iLife and documentation