Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) vs Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)

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MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) compared with MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)

	AppleMacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)	AppleMacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)
Overview
Released
Released	June 2017	March 2015
Display
Screen size
Screen size	13.3″	13.3″
Resolution
Resolution	1440 × 900	1440 × 900
Panel
Panel	TN LCD	TN LCD
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	No	No
Display type
Display type	LED-backlit glossy widescreen display; TN panel confirmed by Notebookcheck; 16:10 aspect ratio	LED-backlit widescreen LCD; TN panel confirmed by Macworld and Ars; millions of colours
Screen finish
Screen finish	–	Glossy
Colour range
Colour range	Millions of colours	–
Display features
Display features	Scaled 16:10 resolutions of 1280 × 800, 1152 × 720 and 1024 × 640; 4:3 resolutions of 1024 × 768 and 800 × 600	Native 1440 × 900; other supported modes include 1280 × 800, 1152 × 720 and 1024 × 640 at 16:10, or 1024 × 768 and 800 × 600 at 4:3
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-5350U or Intel Core i7-5650U	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 6000	Intel HD Graphics 6000
Memory
Memory	8 GB	4 GB or 8 GB
Storage
Storage	128 GB to 512 GB	128 GB to 512 GB
CPU
CPU	Dual-core Intel Core i5 at 1.8 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz and 3 MB shared L3 cache, or Core i7 at 2.2 GHz with up to 3.2 GHz and 4 MB shared L3 cache. Exact i5-5350U and i7-5650U identifiers confirmed by Notebookcheck. Intel's current i7 specification table says 3.1 GHz, while its heading and Apple's sheet say 3.2 GHz; the chip record omits the conflicting maximum.	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. Macworld confirms the i5-5250U and i7-5650U identifiers.
GPU
GPU	Intel HD Graphics 6000	Intel HD Graphics 6000 integrated graphics
Memory type
Memory type	8 GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory	4 GB or 8 GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory; 8 GB maximum. The launch configuration had 4 GB with an 8 GB option; Macworld records the move to 8 GB as standard in spring 2016.
Storage type
Storage type	PCIe-based SSD; 128 GB or 256 GB standard, configurable to 256 GB or 512 GB as appropriate	128 GB or 256 GB PCIe-based flash storage; configurable to 512 GB
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 12 hours	Up to 12 hours
Battery capacity
Battery capacity	54 Wh	54 Wh
Weight
Weight	1.35 kg	1.35 kg
Thickness
Thickness	17 mm	17 mm
Width × depth
Width × depth	325 × 227 mm	325 × 227 mm
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 12 hours wireless web or iTunes movie playback and up to 30 days standby; lithium-polymer. Apple's May 2017 test used 1.8 GHz Core i5, 8 GB memory and 256 GB storage. Chassis tapers from 3 to 17 mm; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.	Lithium-polymer battery; up to 12 hours wireless web or 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	45 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management	45 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management
Materials
Materials	Aluminium enclosure	Aluminium enclosure; tapered thickness from 3 to 17 mm
Colours
Colours	Silver	Silver
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × USB-A, Thunderbolt 2, MagSafe 2, SD card slot, headphone jack	2 × USB-A, Thunderbolt 2, MagSafe 2, headphone jack, SD card slot
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 5	Wi-Fi 5
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 USB-A ports up to 5 Gb/s; one Thunderbolt 2 port up to 20 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort; MagSafe 2; SDXC card slot; 3.5 mm headphone jack	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; SDXC card slot; 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 display up to 3840 × 2160 at 60 Hz alongside the built-in display, at millions of colours; VGA, HDMI, DVI and dual-link DVI through separate adaptors	Built-in screen plus one external display up to 3840 × 2160, 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, inverted-T arrow keys and an 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	Multi-Touch trackpad with scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, tap and drag gestures; no Force Touch (Notebookcheck)	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 Air; power adapter; AC wall plug; power cord	MacBook Air; power adaptor; AC wall plug; power cord