Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012) | AppleMacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | October 2012 | June 2012 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 13.3″ | 15.4″ |
| Resolution | 2560 × 1600 | 2880 × 1800 (better) |
| Panel | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | Retina LED-backlit IPS display with millions of colours; native 2560 × 1600 and scaled modes of 1680 × 1050, 1440 × 900 and 1024 × 640. Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple. | Retina LED-backlit IPS display with millions of colours; native 2880 × 1800 and scaled modes of 1920 × 1200, 1680 × 1050, 1280 × 800 and 1024 × 640. Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple. |
| Pixel density | 227 ppi | 220 ppi |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core i5-3210M or Intel Core i7-3520M | Intel Core i7-3615QM, Intel Core i7-3720QM or Intel Core i7-3820QM |
| CPU cores | 2 | 4 |
| CPU threads | 4 | 8 |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 4000 | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Memory | 8 GB | 8 GB or 16 GB (better) |
| Storage | 128 GB to 768 GB | 256 GB to 768 GB |
| CPU | Dual-core Intel Core i5-3210M at 2.5 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz and 3 MB shared L3 cache, or Core i7-3520M at 2.9 GHz with up to 3.6 GHz and 4 MB cache. Exact processor identities documented by Ars Technica. | Quad-core Intel Core i7-3615QM at 2.3 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.3 GHz and 6 MB shared L3 cache, or Core i7-3720QM at 2.6 GHz with up to 3.6 GHz and 6 MB cache. The upper base can upgrade to Core i7-3820QM at 2.7 GHz with up to 3.7 GHz and 8 MB cache; exact identities documented by Notebookcheck. |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 4000 integrated graphics | Intel HD Graphics 4000 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1 GB GDDR5 memory; automatic graphics switching |
| Memory type | 8 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory; no higher memory option | 8 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory, configurable to 16 GB at purchase |
| Storage type | Flash storage; 128 GB base configurable to 256 GB, 512 GB or 768 GB, and 256 GB base configurable to 512 GB or 768 GB. Both bases offer the Core i7 upgrade. | Flash storage; the 2.3 GHz base has 256 GB without a storage upgrade at launch. The 2.6 GHz base has 512 GB, configurable to 768 GB, and offers the 2.7 GHz processor upgrade. These restrictions are documented by both contemporary reviews alongside Apple's base specifications. |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 7 hours | Up to 7 hours |
| Battery capacity | 74 Wh | 95 Wh (better) |
| Weight | 1.62 kg (better) | 2.02 kg |
| Thickness | 19 mm | 18 mm (better) |
| Width × depth | 314 × 219 mm | 358.9 × 247.1 mm |
| Battery life detail | Built-in 74 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 7 hours wireless web or 30 days standby under Apple's test conditions. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. | Built-in 95 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 7 hours wireless web or 30 days standby under Apple's test conditions. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. |
| Charger | 60 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management | 85 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management |
| Materials | Aluminium enclosure | Aluminium enclosure |
| Colours | Silver | Silver |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, 2 × Thunderbolt, MagSafe 2, headphone jack, SD card slot, HDMI | 2 × USB-A, 2 × Thunderbolt, MagSafe 2, headphone jack, SD card slot, HDMI |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g | 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Webcam | 720p FaceTime HD | 720p FaceTime HD |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | Two USB 3 ports up to 5 Gb/s, two Thunderbolt ports up to 10 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort output, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 2 and headphone/optical digital audio output. Supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone. Ethernet and FireWire require separate Thunderbolt adapters. | Two USB 3 ports up to 5 Gb/s, two Thunderbolt ports up to 10 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort output, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 2 and headphone jack with audio line output and support for Apple iPhone headset remote and microphone. Ethernet and FireWire require separate Thunderbolt adapters. |
| External displays | Built-in screen plus up to two external displays at 2560 × 1600, with millions of colours; DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI adapters sold separately | Built-in screen plus up to two external displays at 2560 × 1600, with millions of colours; DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI adapters sold separately |
| Keyboard | Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and 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 | Glass Multi-Touch trackpad with inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag | Glass Multi-Touch trackpad with inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers | Stereo speakers |
| Microphones | Dual microphones | Dual microphones |
| In the box | MacBook Pro with Retina display, MagSafe 2 Power Adapter, AC wall plug and power cord; OS X Mountain Lion and iLife apps | MacBook Pro with Retina display, MagSafe 2 Power Adapter, AC wall plug and power cord; OS X Lion and iLife apps; eligible for a free upgrade to the then-upcoming OS X Mountain Lion |
More comparisons
- Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (M5 Pro or M5 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5 Pro or M5 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (M5 Pro or M5 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5 Pro or M5 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M5) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro or M4 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (M4 Pro or M4 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4 Pro or M4 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M4) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 16″ (M4 Pro or M4 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M3 Pro / M3 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M3) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M3 Pro / M3 Max) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14″ (M3) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)

