Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) vs Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) | AppleMacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | October 2011 | June 2012 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 13.3″ | 13.3″ |
| Resolution | 1280 × 800 | 1280 × 800 |
| Panel | – | TN LCD |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1280 × 800 native resolution and millions of colours. Panel technology, refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple. | 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy display, 1280 × 800 native resolution and millions of colours. TN panel identified by Notebookcheck’s exact-model review; brightness and refresh rate unpublished by Apple. |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core i5-2435M or Intel Core i7-2640M | Intel Core i5-3210M or Intel Core i7-3520M |
| CPU cores | 2 | 2 |
| CPU threads | 4 | 4 |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 3000 | Intel HD Graphics 4000 |
| Memory | 4 GB or 8 GB | 4 GB or 8 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB to 750 GB | 128 GB to 1 TB (better) |
| CPU | Dual-core Intel Core i5 at 2.4 GHz with 3 MB L3 cache or Core i7 at 2.8 GHz with 4 MB L3 cache. Exact i5-2435M and i7-2640M identities are confirmed by EveryMac. | 2.5 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz and 3 MB L3 cache, or 2.9 GHz dual-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz and 4 MB L3 cache. i5-3210M identified by Notebookcheck; i7-3520M by EveryMac. |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384 MB DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory | Intel HD Graphics 4000 |
| Memory type | 4 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 memory in two SO-DIMM slots; configurable to 8 GB. | 1600 MHz DDR3 in two SO-DIMM slots. Core i5 has 4 GB, configurable to 8 GB; Core i7 has 8 GB. |
| Storage type | Core i5 starts with a 500 GB 5400-rpm hard drive and offers 750 GB. Core i7 starts with 750 GB. Both offer 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB SSDs. 8× slot-loading SuperDrive supports DVD±R DL, DVD±RW and CD-RW. | Core i5 has a 500 GB 5400-rpm hard drive, configurable to 750 GB or 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB SSD. Core i7 has a 750 GB 5400-rpm hard drive, configurable to 1 TB or the same SSD capacities. Rows follow the CPU-specific maker storage sections. 8× slot-loading SuperDrive supports DVD±R DL, DVD±RW and CD-RW. |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 7 hours | Up to 7 hours |
| Battery capacity | 63.5 Wh | 63.5 Wh |
| Weight | 2.04 kg (better) | 2.06 kg |
| Thickness | 24.1 mm | 24.1 mm |
| Width × depth | 325 × 227 mm | 325 × 227 mm |
| Battery life detail | Built-in 63.5 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 7 hours wireless web in Apple’s test. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. | Built-in 63.5 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 7 hours wireless web in Apple’s test. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. |
| Charger | 60 W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management | 60 W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management |
| Materials | Aluminium unibody enclosure and glass trackpad | Aluminium unibody enclosure and glass trackpad |
| Colours | Silver | Silver |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, MagSafe, headphone jack, SD card slot, Ethernet, Thunderbolt | 2 × USB-A, MagSafe, headphone jack, SD card slot, Ethernet, Thunderbolt |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g | 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g |
| Bluetooth | 2.1 + EDR | 4.0 |
| Webcam | FaceTime HD camera | 720p FaceTime HD camera |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | One Thunderbolt port up to 10 Gb/s, two USB 2.0 ports up to 480 Mb/s, FireWire 800 up to 800 Mb/s, 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet, SDXC card slot, MagSafe, combined headphone/line input with digital output and Kensington lock slot. Thunderbolt supports native Mini DisplayPort output; DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI and HDMI require separate adapters. | One Thunderbolt port up to 10 Gb/s, two USB 3 ports up to 5 Gb/s, one FireWire 800 port up to 800 Mb/s, Gigabit Ethernet, SDXC card slot, MagSafe, headphone port with digital/analogue audio line output and iPhone headset support and Kensington lock slot. Thunderbolt provides native Mini DisplayPort output; DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI and HDMI require separate adapters. |
| External displays | Built-in display plus one external display up to 2560 × 1600, both at millions of colours; dual display and video mirroring. | Built-in display plus one external display up to 2560 × 1600, both at millions of colours; dual display and video mirroring. |
| Keyboard | Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys. | Full-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor, 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys. |
| Trackpad | Multi-Touch trackpad supports inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three- and four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag. | Multi-Touch trackpad supports inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three- and four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag. |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers with subwoofer | Stereo speakers with subwoofer |
| Microphones | Omnidirectional microphone | Omnidirectional microphone |
| In the box | MacBook Pro, display cleaning cloth, 60 W MagSafe power adapter, AC wall plug, power cord and documentation; OS X Lion and iLife. | MacBook Pro, display cleaning cloth, 60 W MagSafe power adapter, AC wall plug, power cord and documentation; OS X Lion and iLife. |
More comparisons
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5 Pro or M5 Max)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) vs Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (M5 Pro or M5 Max)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5 Pro or M5 Max)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) vs Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (M5 Pro or M5 Max)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro or M4 Max)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) vs Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (M4 Pro or M4 Max)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro or M4 Max)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) vs Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (M4 Pro or M4 Max)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M3 Pro / M3 Max)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M3)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M3 Pro / M3 Max)
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) vs Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M3)

