Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015) vs Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)

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MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015) compared with MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)

	AppleMacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)	AppleMacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
Overview
Released
Released	March 2015	November 2018
Display
Screen size
Screen size	13.3″	13.3″
Resolution
Resolution	1440 × 900	2560 × 1600 (better)
Panel
Panel	TN LCD	IPS LCD
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	No	No
Display type
Display type	LED-backlit widescreen LCD; TN panel confirmed by Macworld and Ars; millions of colours	Retina display; LED-backlit IPS; 16:10 aspect ratio
Pixel density
Pixel density	–	227 ppi
Colour range
Colour range	–	Millions of colours; sRGB rather than P3 (Macworld)
Screen finish
Screen finish	Glossy	–
Display features
Display features	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 i5-5250U or Intel Core i7-5650U	Intel Core i5-8210Y
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	2
CPU threads
CPU threads	4	4
Graphics
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 6000	Intel UHD Graphics 617
Memory
Memory	4 GB or 8 GB	8 GB or 16 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	128 GB to 512 GB	128 GB to 1.536 TB (better)
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. Macworld confirms the i5-5250U and i7-5650U identifiers.	Eighth-generation dual-core Intel Core i5 at 1.6 GHz, Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz, with 4 MB L3 cache; exact i5-8210Y identifier confirmed by Macworld and TechRadar. Apple T2 Security Chip with secure boot and storage encryption.
GPU
GPU	Intel HD Graphics 6000 integrated graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 617; compatible Thunderbolt 3 external graphics processors supported
Memory type
Memory type	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.	8 GB or 16 GB of 2133 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Storage type
Storage type	128 GB or 256 GB PCIe-based flash storage; configurable to 512 GB	PCIe-based SSD; 128 GB or 256 GB standard, configurable to 512 GB or 1.5 TB
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 12 hours	Up to 13 hours
Battery capacity
Battery capacity	54 Wh (better)	50.3 Wh
Weight
Weight	1.35 kg	1.25 kg (better)
Thickness
Thickness	17 mm	15.6 mm (better)
Width × depth
Width × depth	325 × 227 mm	304.1 × 212.4 mm
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	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.	Up to 12 hours wireless web, 13 hours iTunes movie playback or 30 days standby; lithium-polymer. Apple's tests used 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. Chassis height tapers from 4.1 to 15.6 mm; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
Charger
Charger	45 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management	30 W USB-C Power Adapter; USB-C charging
Materials
Materials	Aluminium enclosure; tapered thickness from 3 to 17 mm	100% recycled aluminium enclosure
Colours
Colours	Silver	Gold, Silver, Space Grey
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × USB-A, Thunderbolt 2, MagSafe 2, headphone jack, SD card slot	2 × Thunderbolt 3, headphone jack
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 5	Wi-Fi 5
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	4.0	4.2
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; 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.	Two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports with charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt up to 40 Gb/s and USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gb/s; 3.5 mm headphone jack
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	One display at 5120 × 2880 and up to 60 Hz, or two at 4096 × 2304 and up to 60 Hz alongside the built-in display; VGA, HDMI and Thunderbolt 2 through separate adaptors
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	Third-generation butterfly mechanism (Macworld); 78 US or 79 ISO individually LED-backlit keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys; ambient light sensor
Trackpad
Trackpad	Multi-Touch trackpad with inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, tap, double-tap and drag; no Force Touch	Force Touch trackpad with pressure sensing and Multi-Touch gestures
Speakers
Speakers	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers; wide stereo playback
Microphones
Microphones	Dual microphones	Three microphones
Biometrics
Biometrics	–	Touch ID
In the box
In the box	MacBook Air; power adaptor; AC wall plug; power cord	MacBook Air; 30 W USB-C Power Adapter; USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)