Apple · MacBook Air
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2012)
An 13-inch Intel MacBook Air with Ivy Bridge processors, flash storage and a compact aluminium body.
Model history · 6 models, 2008–2012
- 2008MacBook Air (Original)Compare
- 2008MacBook Air (Late 2008)Compare
- 2009MacBook Air (Mid 2009)Compare
- 2010MacBook Air (13-inch, Late 2010)Compare
- 2011MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2011)Compare
- 2012MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2012)
- Size
- 13.3″
- Display
- TN LCD
- Processor
- Intel Core i5 or i7
- Memory
- 4 GB – 8 GB
- Weight
- 1.35 kg
- Battery
- 7 h
What reviewers say
Reviewers praised the slim aluminium construction, keyboard and trackpad, faster flash storage and strong everyday performance. USB 3 and useful battery endurance made it a capable portable computer. They criticised limited upgrades and the glossy TN screen as higher-resolution IPS rivals emerged; Notebookcheck also reported heat and fan noise under sustained load. MacGeneration found the i7 useful for heavier mobile work, with shorter endurance than its i5 model.
From macworld.com, notebookcheck.net and macg.co
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specDisplay
- Screen size
- 13.3″
- Resolution
- 1440 × 900
- 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 Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple.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 i5-3427U or Intel Core i7-3667U
- CPU cores
- 2
- CPU threads
- 4
- Graphics
- Intel HD Graphics 4000
- Memory
- 4 GB or 8 GB
- Storage
- 128 GB to 512 GB
- CPU
- Dual-core Intel Core i5-3427U at 1.8 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz and 3 MB shared L3 cache; the 256 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 i5 identity confirmed by Notebookcheck; Macworld documents the higher-base-only i7 upgrade, whose exact identity is confirmed by MacGeneration's review of the 13-inch i7 configuration.
- GPU
- Intel HD Graphics 4000 integrated graphics
- Memory type
- 4 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory, configurable to 8 GB
- Storage type
- 128 GB base with Core i5; 256 GB base configurable to 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 7 hours
- Battery capacity
- 50 Wh
- Weight
- 1.35 kg
- Thickness
- 17 mm
- Width × depth
- 325 × 227 mm
- Battery life detail
- Built-in 50 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
- 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, SD card slot
- 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, and SD card slot. 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 i5-3427U | 4 GB | 128 GB |
| Intel Core i5-3427U | 8 GB | 128 GB |
| Intel Core i5-3427U | 4 GB | 256 GB |
| Intel Core i5-3427U | 8 GB | 256 GB |
| Intel Core i7-3667U | 4 GB | 256 GB |
| Intel Core i7-3667U | 8 GB | 256 GB |
| Intel Core i5-3427U | 4 GB | 512 GB |
| Intel Core i5-3427U | 8 GB | 512 GB |
| Intel Core i7-3667U | 4 GB | 512 GB |
| Intel Core i7-3667U | 8 GB | 512 GB |
Pros and cons
Pros
- 1.35 kg aluminium enclosure
- Backlit keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad
- Two USB-A ports and MagSafe 2 charging
Cons
- 1440 × 900 display
- Integrated graphics limit demanding games
- Memory cannot be upgraded after purchase
Closest rivals
Model | Size | Display | Processor | Memory | Weight | Battery | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.3″ | TN LCD | Intel Core i5 or i7 | 8 GB | 1.35 kg | 12 h | Jun 2017 | |
| 13.3″ | TN LCD | Intel Core i5 or i7 | 4 GB – 8 GB | 1.35 kg | 12 h | Apr 2014 | |
| 13.3″ | TN LCD | Intel Core i5 or i7 | 4 GB – 8 GB | 1.35 kg | 12 h | Mar 2015 |
Previous model: MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2011). Newer model: MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013).
Sources
- support.apple.com/en-gb/111966
- apple.com/uk/newsroom/2012/06/11Apple-Updates-MacBook-Air-and-Current-Generatio…
- notebookcheck.net/Review-Apple-MacBook-Air-13-Mid-2012-Subnotebook.80041.0.html
- macworld.com/article/218210/mid_2012_macbook_airs_offer_improved_performance_an…
- macg.co/labo/voir/128072/test-du-macbook-air-13-mi-2012-core-i7-a-2-ghz
- intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/64898/intel-core-i73667u-processor-4m-…
Photo: cdsassets.apple.com
