Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)

Apple · MacBook Air

MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)

Released June 2017

A wedge-shaped MacBook Air with fifth-generation Intel processors, a 1440 × 900 display, USB-A ports and a MagSafe 2 charging connector.

Model history · 10 models, 2008–2017
  1. 2008MacBook Air (Original)Compare
  2. 2008MacBook Air (Late 2008)Compare
  3. 2009MacBook Air (Mid 2009)Compare
  4. 2010MacBook Air (13-inch, Late 2010)Compare
  5. 2011MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2011)Compare
  6. 2012MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2012)Compare
  7. 2013MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013)Compare
  8. 2014MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2014)Compare
  9. 2015MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)Compare
  10. 2017MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)
Size
13.3″
Display
TN LCD
Processor
Intel Core i5 or i7
Memory
8 GB
Weight
1.35 kg
Battery
12 h

What reviewers say

Reviewers find it capable for everyday work and praise its build and keyboard, but criticise the dated screen and value. Notebookcheck also welcomes the battery endurance and quiet operation, while finding the TN panel's viewing angles poor. Macworld values the USB-A and SDXC connections but questions its long-term performance.

From macworld.com and notebookcheck.net

Display

Screen size
13.3″
Resolution
1440 × 900
Panel
TN LCD
Touchscreen
No
Display type
LED-backlit glossy widescreen display; TN panel confirmed by Notebookcheck; 16:10 aspect ratio
Colour range
Millions of colours
Display features
Scaled 16:10 resolutions of 1280 × 800, 1152 × 720 and 1024 × 640; 4:3 resolutions of 1024 × 768 and 800 × 600

Performance

Processor
Intel Core i5-5350U or Intel Core i7-5650U
CPU cores
2
CPU threads
4
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 6000
Memory
8 GB
Storage
128 GB to 512 GB
CPU
Dual-core Intel Core i5 at 1.8 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz and 3 MB shared L3 cache, or Core i7 at 2.2 GHz with up to 3.2 GHz and 4 MB shared L3 cache. Exact i5-5350U and i7-5650U identifiers confirmed by Notebookcheck. Intel's current i7 specification table says 3.1 GHz, while its heading and Apple's sheet say 3.2 GHz; the chip record omits the conflicting maximum.
GPU
Intel HD Graphics 6000
Memory type
8 GB of 1600 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Storage type
PCIe-based SSD; 128 GB or 256 GB standard, configurable to 256 GB or 512 GB as appropriate

Battery and size

Battery life (maker's claim)
Up to 12 hours
Battery capacity
54 Wh
Weight
1.35 kg
Thickness
17 mm
Width × depth
325 × 227 mm
Battery life detail
Up to 12 hours wireless web or iTunes movie playback and up to 30 days standby; lithium-polymer. Apple's May 2017 test used 1.8 GHz Core i5, 8 GB memory and 256 GB storage. Chassis tapers from 3 to 17 mm; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
Charger
45 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management
Materials
Aluminium enclosure
Colours
Silver

Connections

Ports
2 × USB-A, Thunderbolt 2, MagSafe 2, SD card slot, headphone jack
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 5
Bluetooth
4.0
Webcam
720p FaceTime HD
Operating system
macOS
Port detail
Two USB 3 USB-A ports up to 5 Gb/s; one Thunderbolt 2 port up to 20 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort; MagSafe 2; SDXC card slot; 3.5 mm headphone jack
External displays
One display up to 3840 × 2160 at 60 Hz alongside the built-in display, at millions of colours; VGA, HDMI, DVI and dual-link DVI through separate adaptors
Keyboard
Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, inverted-T arrow keys and an ambient light sensor
Trackpad
Multi-Touch trackpad with scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, tap and drag gestures; no Force Touch (Notebookcheck)
Speakers
Stereo speakers
Microphones
Dual microphones
In the box
MacBook Air; power adapter; AC wall plug; power cord

Configurations

ProcessorMemoryStorage
Intel Core i5-5350U8 GB128 GB
Intel Core i5-5350U8 GB256 GB
Intel Core i5-5350U8 GB512 GB
Intel Core i7-5650U8 GB128 GB
Intel Core i7-5650U8 GB256 GB
Intel Core i7-5650U8 GB512 GB

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Two USB-A ports and an SDXC card slot
  • MagSafe 2 charging connector
  • Supports one external 4K display at 60 Hz

Cons

  • Memory is fixed at 8 GB
  • 1440 × 900 native display resolution
  • No built-in USB-C or HDMI port

Closest rivals

Model
SizeDisplayProcessorMemoryWeightBatteryReleased
13.3″TN LCDIntel Core i5 or i74 GB – 8 GB1.35 kg12 hApr 2014
13.3″TN LCDIntel Core i5 or i74 GB – 8 GB1.35 kg12 hMar 2015
13.3″TN LCDIntel Core i5 or i74 GB1.35 kg7 hJul 2011

Previous model: MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015). Newer model: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018).

Sources

  1. support.apple.com/en-gb/111924
  2. apple.com/uk/newsroom/2017/06/imac-receives-major-update-featuring-more-powerfu…
  3. notebookcheck.net/Apple-MacBook-Air-13-2017-Laptop-1-8-GHz-Review.230010.0.html
  4. intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/84995/intel-core-i75650u-processor-4m-…

Photo: cdsassets.apple.com

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