Home Laptops Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) Apple · MacBook
MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) Released April 2015
A fanless 12-inch MacBook with a Retina display, Intel Core M processors and a single USB-C connection for charging, data and video.
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Size 12″
Display IPS LCD
Processor Intel Core M-5Y31, M-5Y51 or M-5Y71
Memory 8 GB
Weight 0.92 kg
Battery 10 h What reviewers say Reviewers praise the portability, display and Force Touch trackpad, finding it responsive for everyday work but less suited to demanding tasks. Both question the price and restricted connections. Macworld finds the shallow keyboard takes practice; MobileTechReview adapts quickly, but finds mixed-use battery endurance below Apple's claim.
From macworld.com and mobiletechreview.com
Display
Screen size 12″
Resolution 2304 × 1440
Panel IPS LCD
Touchscreen No
Display type Retina display; LED-backlit IPS; 16:10 aspect ratio; millions of colours
Pixel density 226 ppi
Display features Supported scaled resolutions of 1440 × 900, 1280 × 800 or 1024 × 640
Processor Intel Core M-5Y31, Intel Core M-5Y51 or Intel Core M-5Y71
CPU cores 2
CPU threads 4
Graphics Intel HD Graphics 5300
Memory 8 GB
Storage 256 GB to 512 GB
CPU Dual-core Intel Core M at Apple's specified 1.1 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.4 GHz, 1.2 GHz with up to 2.6 GHz, or 1.3 GHz with up to 2.9 GHz; all with 4 MB shared L3 cache. Exact M-5Y31, M-5Y51 and M-5Y71 identifiers confirmed by Macworld. Apple's configured clocks differ from Intel's nominal base frequencies; the M-5Y31 supports a configurable TDP-up frequency of 1.1 GHz.
GPU Intel HD Graphics 5300
Memory type 8 GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Storage type PCIe-based onboard flash storage; 256 GB with the 1.1 GHz base or 512 GB with the 1.2 GHz base; either can be ordered with the 1.3 GHz processor
Cooling Fanless design with no moving parts or vents Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim) Up to 10 hours
Battery capacity 39.7 Wh
Weight 0.92 kg
Thickness 13.1 mm
Width × depth 280.5 × 196.5 mm
Battery life detail Terraced lithium-polymer battery; up to 9 hours wireless web, 10 hours iTunes movie playback or 30 days standby. Apple's web and video tests used the 1.2 GHz Core M, 8 GB memory and 512 GB storage. Chassis tapers from 3.5 to 13.1 mm; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
Charger 29 W USB-C Power Adapter
Materials Precision-milled aluminium unibody; polished stainless steel Apple logo
Colours Silver, Gold, Space Grey Connections
Ports USB-C, headphone jack
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 5
Bluetooth 4.0
Webcam 480p FaceTime
Operating system macOS
Port detail One USB-C port supporting charging, USB 3.1 Gen 1 up to 5 Gb/s and native DisplayPort 1.2; VGA and HDMI through separate USB-C multiport adaptors. 3.5 mm headphone jack supports iPhone headsets with remote and microphone. USB-C does not support Thunderbolt (Macworld).
External displays One external display up to 3840 × 2160 alongside the built-in screen, at millions of colours
Keyboard First-generation butterfly mechanism; full-size keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, individual LED backlighting, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and ambient light sensor
Trackpad Force Touch trackpad with pressure sensing, Force clicks and Multi-Touch gestures
Speakers Stereo speakers
Microphones Dual microphones
In the box MacBook; 29 W USB-C Power Adapter; USB-C Charge Cable (2 m) Configurations Processor Memory Storage Intel Core M-5Y31 8 GB 256 GB Intel Core M-5Y51 8 GB 512 GB Intel Core M-5Y71 8 GB 256 GB Intel Core M-5Y71 8 GB 512 GB
Pros and cons Pros + Weighs 0.92 kg+ Fanless operation and a Force Touch trackpad+ Retina IPS displayCons − One USB-C port shared by charging and peripherals− Memory and storage cannot be upgraded internally− 480p webcamClosest rivals Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) vs Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017) Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) vs Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016) Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) vs Apple iBook (1999) Newer model: MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016) .
