Apple MacBook Pro 13″ (M1) vs Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

MacBook Pro 13″ (M1) compared with MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012)
AppleMacBook Pro 13″ (M1)AppleMacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012)
Overview
ReleasedNovember 2020June 2012
Display
Screen size13.3″13.3″
Resolution2560 × 1600 (better)1280 × 800
PanelIPS LCDTN LCD
Refresh rate60 Hz–
Brightness500 nits–
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeRetina display; LED-backlit with IPS technology13.3-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 TN panel identified by Notebookcheck’s exact-model review; brightness and refresh rate unpublished by Apple.
Pixel density227 ppi–
Colour rangeWide colour (P3); millions of colours–
Screen finishGlossy (Notebookcheck)–
Display featuresTrue Tone; 60 Hz refresh rate (Notebookcheck)–
Performance
ProcessorApple M1Intel Core i5-3210M or Intel Core i7-3520M
CPU cores82
CPU threads–4
Graphics8-core GPUIntel HD Graphics 4000
Memory8 GB or 16 GB (better)4 GB or 8 GB
Storage256 GB to 2 TB (better)128 GB to 1 TB
CPU8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores2.5 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.
GPU8-core GPUIntel HD Graphics 4000
AI engine16-core Neural Engine–
Memory typeUnified memory; 8 GB, configurable to 16 GB1600 MHz DDR3 in two SO-DIMM slots. Core i5 has 4 GB, configurable to 8 GB; Core i7 has 8 GB.
Storage typeSSD, configurable to 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TBCore 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.
CoolingActive cooling–
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 20 hoursUp to 7 hours
Battery capacity58.2 Wh63.5 Wh (better)
Weight1.4 kg (better)2.06 kg
Thickness15.6 mm (better)24.1 mm
Width × depth304.1 × 212.4 mm325 × 227 mm
Battery life detailUp to 17 hours wireless web; lithium-polymer batteryBuilt-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.
Charger61 W USB-C Power Adapter60 W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management
MaterialsRecyclable, low-carbon aluminium enclosureAluminium unibody enclosure and glass trackpad
ColoursSilver, Space GreySilver
Connections
Ports2 × Thunderbolt 3, headphone jack2 × USB-A, MagSafe, headphone jack, SD card slot, Ethernet, Thunderbolt
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g
Bluetooth5.04.0
Webcam720p FaceTime HD720p FaceTime HD camera
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detailTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports supporting charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 up to 40 Gb/s, and USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gb/s; 3.5 mm headphone jackOne 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 displaysOne external display up to 6K 60 Hz alongside the built-in displayBuilt-in display plus one external display up to 2560 × 1600, both at millions of colours; dual display and video mirroring.
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard; 65 (US) or 66 (ISO) keys; Touch Bar; ambient light sensorFull-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor, 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys.
TrackpadForce Touch trackpadMulti-Touch trackpad supports inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three- and four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag.
SpeakersStereo speakers with high dynamic range; wide stereo sound; Dolby Atmos playbackStereo speakers with subwoofer
MicrophonesStudio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamformingOmnidirectional microphone
BiometricsTouch ID–
In the box13-inch MacBook Pro, 61 W USB-C Power Adapter, USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)MacBook Pro, display cleaning cloth, 60 W MagSafe power adapter, AC wall plug, power cord and documentation; OS X Lion and iLife.

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