Apple · MacBook Air
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012)
An 11-inch Intel MacBook Air with Ivy Bridge processors, flash storage and a compact aluminium body.
Model history · 3 models, 2010–2012
- 2010MacBook Air (11-inch, Late 2010)Compare
- 2011MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2011)Compare
- 2012MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012)
- Size
- 11.6″
- Display
- TN LCD
- Processor
- Intel Core i5 or i7
- Memory
- 4 GB – 8 GB
- Weight
- 1.08 kg
- Battery
- 5 h
What reviewers say
Reviewers praised the compact aluminium body, responsive input devices, faster everyday performance and added USB 3 connections. Battery endurance improved, but the glossy low-resolution screen, limited upgrades and heat under sustained load remained drawbacks. Macworld considered the 64 GB base particularly restrictive; Notebookcheck found demanding games unsuitable for the integrated GPU.
From macworld.com and notebookcheck.net
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specDisplay
- Screen size
- 11.6″
- Resolution
- 1366 × 768
- Panel
- TN LCD
- Touchscreen
- No
- Display type
- Glossy LED-backlit widescreen LCD, millions of colours; TN panel confirmed by Notebookcheck's exact-model review. Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple.
Performance
- Processor
- Intel Core i5-3317U or Intel Core i7-3667U
- CPU cores
- 2
- CPU threads
- 4
- Graphics
- Intel HD Graphics 4000
- Memory
- 4 GB or 8 GB
- Storage
- 64 GB to 512 GB
- CPU
- Dual-core Intel Core i5-3317U at 1.7 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.6 GHz and 3 MB shared L3 cache; the 128 GB base is configurable to Core i7-3667U at 2.0 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz and 4 MB cache. Exact identities confirmed by Notebookcheck; Macworld documents the higher-base-only processor upgrade.
- GPU
- Intel HD Graphics 4000 integrated graphics
- Memory type
- 4 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory, configurable to 8 GB
- Storage type
- 64 GB base with Core i5; 128 GB base configurable to 256 GB or 512 GB flash storage and either processor. Memory upgrade applies to either base. Configurations preserve the base-specific upgrade restrictions documented by Macworld.
Battery and size
- Battery life (maker's claim)
- Up to 5 hours
- Battery capacity
- 35 Wh
- Weight
- 1.08 kg
- Thickness
- 17 mm
- Width × depth
- 300 × 192 mm
- Battery life detail
- Built-in 35 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 5 hours wireless web or 30 days standby under Apple's test conditions. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
- Charger
- 45 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management
- Materials
- Aluminium enclosure; tapered thickness from 3 to 17 mm
- Colours
- Silver
Connections
- Ports
- 2 × USB-A, Thunderbolt, MagSafe 2, headphone jack
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g
- Bluetooth
- 4.0
- Webcam
- 720p FaceTime HD
- Operating system
- macOS
- Port detail
- Two USB 3 ports up to 5 Gb/s, Thunderbolt up to 10 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort output, MagSafe 2 and headphone jack supporting the Apple iPhone headset remote and microphone; no card reader. DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI and HDMI require separate adapters.
- External displays
- Built-in screen plus one external display up to 2560 × 1600, both with millions of colours; dual display and video mirroring, HDMI audio and video through a compatible adapter
- Keyboard
- Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and ambient light sensor
- Trackpad
- Multi-Touch trackpad with inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag
- Speakers
- Stereo speakers
- Microphones
- Omnidirectional microphone
- In the box
- MacBook Air, power adapter, AC wall plug and power cord; OS X Lion at launch, with a free upgrade to Mountain Lion when available; iLife and documentation
Configurations
| Processor | Memory | Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i5-3317U | 4 GB | 64 GB |
| Intel Core i5-3317U | 8 GB | 64 GB |
| Intel Core i5-3317U | 4 GB | 128 GB |
| Intel Core i5-3317U | 8 GB | 128 GB |
| Intel Core i7-3667U | 4 GB | 128 GB |
| Intel Core i7-3667U | 8 GB | 128 GB |
| Intel Core i5-3317U | 4 GB | 256 GB |
| Intel Core i5-3317U | 8 GB | 256 GB |
| Intel Core i7-3667U | 4 GB | 256 GB |
| Intel Core i7-3667U | 8 GB | 256 GB |
| Intel Core i5-3317U | 4 GB | 512 GB |
| Intel Core i5-3317U | 8 GB | 512 GB |
| Intel Core i7-3667U | 4 GB | 512 GB |
| Intel Core i7-3667U | 8 GB | 512 GB |
Pros and cons
Pros
- 1.08 kg aluminium enclosure
- Backlit keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad
- Two USB-A ports and MagSafe 2 charging
Cons
- 1366 × 768 display
- No built-in card reader
- Memory cannot be upgraded after purchase
Closest rivals
Model | Size | Display | Processor | Memory | Weight | Battery | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.6″ | TN LCD | Intel Core i5 or i7 | 4 GB – 8 GB | 1.08 kg | 9 h | Apr 2014 | |
| 11.6″ | TN LCD | Intel Core i5 or i7 | 4 GB – 8 GB | 1.08 kg | 9 h | Mar 2015 | |
| 11.6″ | TN LCD | Intel Core i5 or i7 | 2 GB – 4 GB | 1.08 kg | 5 h | Jul 2011 |
Previous model: MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2011). Newer model: MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2013).
Sources
- support.apple.com/en-gb/112008
- apple.com/uk/newsroom/2012/06/11Apple-Updates-MacBook-Air-and-Current-Generatio…
- notebookcheck.net/Review-Apple-MacBook-Air-11-Mid-2012-Subnotebook.79125.0.html
- macworld.com/article/218210/mid_2012_macbook_airs_offer_improved_performance_an…
Photo: cdsassets.apple.com
