Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014) vs Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2011)

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MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014) compared with MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2011)

	AppleMacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)	AppleMacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2011)
Overview
Released
Released	April 2014	July 2011
Display
Screen size
Screen size	11.6″	11.6″
Resolution
Resolution	1366 × 768	1366 × 768
Panel
Panel	TN LCD	TN LCD
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	No	No
Display type
Display type	Glossy LED-backlit widescreen LCD, millions of colours; TN panel confirmed by Geeknetic's exact-model review. Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple.	Glossy LED-backlit widescreen LCD, millions of colours; TN panel confirmed by ComputerBase's exact-model review. Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple.
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-4260U or Intel Core i7-4650U	Intel Core i5-2467M or Intel Core i7-2677M
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	2
CPU threads
CPU threads	4	4
Graphics
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 5000	Intel HD Graphics 3000
Memory
Memory	4 GB or 8 GB (better)	2 GB or 4 GB
Storage
Storage	128 GB to 512 GB (better)	64 GB to 256 GB
CPU
CPU	Dual-core Intel Core i5-4260U at 1.4 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz and 3 MB shared L3 cache; configurable to Core i7-4650U at 1.7 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.3 GHz and 4 MB shared L3 cache. Exact processor identities confirmed by Geeknetic and EveryMac.	Dual-core Intel Core i5-2467M at 1.6 GHz, Turbo Boost up to 2.3 GHz with 3 MB shared L3 cache; the higher storage base is configurable to Core i7-2677M at 1.8 GHz, Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz and 4 MB cache. Exact identities confirmed by Notebookcheck; Macworld documents the base-specific upgrades.
GPU
GPU	Intel HD Graphics 5000 integrated graphics	Intel HD Graphics 3000; 256 MB shared with 2 GB memory or 384 MB with 4 GB
Memory type
Memory type	4 GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory, configurable to 8 GB	2 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 onboard memory on the 64 GB base, configurable to 4 GB; 128 GB base has 4 GB
Storage type
Storage type	128 GB or 256 GB PCIe-based flash storage; the 256 GB base is configurable to 512 GB. Processor and memory upgrades apply to either base.	64 GB flash storage with Core i5; 128 GB base supports Core i5 or Core i7 and is configurable to 256 GB. Configurations preserve the base-specific upgrade restrictions; memory cannot be upgraded after purchase.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 9 hours	Up to 5 hours
Battery capacity
Battery capacity	38 Wh (better)	35 Wh
Weight
Weight	1.08 kg	1.08 kg
Thickness
Thickness	17 mm	17 mm
Width × depth
Width × depth	300 × 192 mm	300 × 192 mm
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Built-in 38 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 9 hours wireless web, 9 hours iTunes movie playback or 30 days standby under Apple's test conditions. Reference 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	45 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management	45 W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management
Materials
Materials	Aluminium enclosure; tapered thickness from 3 to 17 mm	Aluminium enclosure; tapered thickness from 3 to 17 mm
Colours
Colours	Silver	Silver
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × USB-A, Thunderbolt, MagSafe 2, headphone jack	2 × USB-A, Thunderbolt, MagSafe, headphone jack
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11ac AirPort Extreme (draft specification); compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n	802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	4.0	4.0
Webcam
Webcam	720p FaceTime HD	FaceTime camera
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Port detail
Port detail	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.	Two USB 2.0 ports up to 480 Mb/s, Thunderbolt up to 10 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort output, MagSafe and headphone jack supporting the Apple iPhone headset remote and microphone; no card reader. DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI require separate adapters.
External displays
External displays	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	Built-in screen plus one external display up to 2560 × 1600, both with millions of colours; dual display and video mirroring
Keyboard
Keyboard	Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and ambient light sensor	Full-size backlit keyboard
Trackpad
Trackpad	Multi-Touch trackpad with inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag	Multi-Touch trackpad
Speakers
Speakers	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers
Microphones
Microphones	Dual microphones	Omnidirectional microphone
In the box
In the box	MacBook Air, power adapter, AC wall plug and power cord; OS X Mavericks and iLife; iWork is free for qualifying new Mac purchases	MacBook Air, power adapter, AC wall plug and power cord; OS X Lion, iLife and documentation; Lion Recovery