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

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

	AppleMacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2015)	AppleMacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012)
Overview
Released
Released	March 2015	June 2012
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	LED-backlit widescreen LCD; TN panel confirmed by Macworld; 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 Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple.
Screen finish
Screen finish	Glossy	–
Display features
Display features	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 i5-5250U or Intel Core i7-5650U	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 6000	Intel HD Graphics 4000
Memory
Memory	4 GB or 8 GB	4 GB or 8 GB
Storage
Storage	128 GB to 512 GB	64 GB to 512 GB
CPU
CPU	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.	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 6000 integrated graphics	Intel HD Graphics 4000 integrated graphics
Memory type
Memory type	4 GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory, configurable to 8 GB	4 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory, configurable to 8 GB
Storage type
Storage type	128 GB or 256 GB PCIe-based flash storage; configurable to 512 GB	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.
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	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.	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 2 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 2, MagSafe 2, 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	720p FaceTime HD	720p FaceTime HD
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Port detail
Port detail	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.	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	Built-in screen plus one external display up to 3840 × 2160, both with millions of colours; dual display and video mirroring	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	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	Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and ambient light sensor
Trackpad
Trackpad	Multi-Touch trackpad with inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, tap, double-tap and drag; no Force Touch	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 Air; power adaptor; AC wall plug; power cord	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