MacBook 12” 2015 vs. MacBook Air 13” 2019: Full specs comparison

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the MacBook 12” 2015 and MacBook Air 13” 2019 specifications, including details on CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

MacBook 12” 2015 Pros

Reasons that MacBook 12” 2015 is better than MacBook Air 13” 2019.

About 27% lighter

MacBook 12” 2015 weighed 2.03 pounds, 27% lighter than the 2.75 pounds MacBook Air 13” 2019.

WeightMacBook 12” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2019
Pound
2.03 lbs.
2.75 lbs.
Kilogram
0.92 kg
1.25 kg

MacBook Air 13” 2019 Pros

Reasons that MacBook Air 13” 2019 is better than MacBook 12” 2015.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2019 vs. 2015

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i5-8210Y inside MacBook Air 13” 2019 has a 27% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core M-5Y71 (1.3 GHz) inside MacBook 12” 2015.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
MacBook Air 13” 2019 - Intel Core i5-8210Y
1,455
MacBook 12” 2015 - Intel Core M-5Y71 (1.3 GHz)
1,139
MacBook 12” 2015 - Intel Core M-5Y51 (1.2 GHz)
1,109
MacBook 12” 2015 - Intel Core M-5Y31 (1.1 GHz)
1,034
Supports larger memory

MacBook Air 13” 2019 supports a larger memory capacity than the MacBook 12” 2015. It supports up to 16GB versus 8GB of system memory on the MacBook 12” 2015.

Max system memory size
MacBook Air 13” 2019
16 GB
MacBook 12” 2015
8 GB
Supports faster memory

MacBook Air 13” 2019 supports a faster memory speed than the MacBook 12” 2015. It supports up to 2133MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the MacBook 12” 2015.

Memory type and speed
MacBook Air 13” 2019 - LPDDR3
2,133 MHz
MacBook 12” 2015 - LPDDR3
1,600 MHz
10% larger display

MacBook Air 13” 2019 has a 13.3-inch screen size 10% larger than the 12-inch MacBook 12” 2015.

Display size
MacBook Air 13” 2019
13.3-inch
MacBook 12” 2015
12-inch

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

MacBook 12” 2015 Price
Apple Macbook Retina Display 12in Laptop (2015) - 256GB SSD, 8 GB Memory, Silver (Renewed)
Apple Macbook Retina Display 12in Laptop (2015) - 256GB SSD, 8 GB Memory, Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$329.74
Apple MacBook 12in Laptop w/ Retina Display 1.2GHz Core M, (MJY42LL/A), 8GB Memory, 512GB Solid State Drive, Space Gray (Space Gray)(Renewed)
Apple MacBook 12in Laptop w/ Retina Display 1.2GHz Core M, (MJY42LL/A), 8GB Memory, 512GB Solid State Drive, Space Gray (Space Gray)(Renewed)
By Apple
$362.53
$381.51 5% OFF
2015 Apple MacBook Pro with intel I7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)- Silver (Renewed)
2015 Apple MacBook Pro with intel I7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)- Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$342.30
MacBook Air 13” 2019 Price
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch Retina display, 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 128GB) - Space Gray (Renewed)
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch Retina display, 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 128GB) - Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$379.00
2019 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
2019 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$384.00
Mid 2019 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 (13 inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB) Silver (Renewed)
Mid 2019 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 (13 inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$423.69

Availability

MacBook 12” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2019
Released20152019
Release Date
  • Announced on March 9, 2015
  • Available on March 10, 2015
  • Available on June 27, 2019
Pricing
  • $1,299
    Intel Core M-5Y31 | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,599
    Intel Core M-5Y51 | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
  • $1,099
    Intel Core i5 8210Y | 8GB RAM | 128GB SSD
  • $1,299
    Intel Core i5 8210Y | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
Generations-

Exterior

MacBook 12” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2019
Dimensions11.04” x 7.74” x 0.14 - 0.52” (280.5 mm x 196.5 mm x 3.5 - 13.1 mm)11.97” x 8.36” x 0.16 - 0.61” (304.1 mm x  212.4 mm x 4.1 – 15.6 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.03 pounds (920 g)Starting at 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg)
Colors
Silver Space Gray Gold
Gold Space Gray Silver
Keyboard and TrackpadFull-size backlit keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) individual LED backlit keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys with ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) individual LED-backlit keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures

Display

MacBook 12” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2019
Size12 Inches13.3 Inches
InfoRetina display
  • 12-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology
  • 2304-by-1440 resolution at 226 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • 16:10 aspect ratio
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1440 by 900
    • 1280 by 800
    • 1024 by 640
Retina display
  • 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1680 by 1050
    • 1440 by 900
    • 1024 by 640
  • 16:10 aspect ratio
  • True Tone technology

Ports

MacBook 12” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2019
One USB Type-C port with support for:
  • Charging
  • USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps)
  • Native DisplayPort 1.2 video output
  • VGA output using USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter (sold separately)
  • HDMI video output using USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (sold separately)
Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports with support for:
  • Charging
  • DisplayPort
  • Thunderbolt (up to 40Gb/s)
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)

Internal Specs

MacBook 12” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2019
Processor
  1. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ M-5Y31
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.10 → 2.40 GHz, 4MB Cache, 6W
  2. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ M-5Y51
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.20 → 2.60 GHz, 4MB Cache, 6W
  3. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ M-5Y71
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.30 → 2.90 GHz, 4MB Cache, 6W
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.60 → 3.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 7W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ M-5Y31
    Intel® HD Graphics 5300
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 850 MHz
  2. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ M-5Y51
    Intel® HD Graphics 5300
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
  3. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ M-5Y71
    Intel® HD Graphics 5300
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y
    Intel® UHD Graphics 617
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
Memory
8GB
1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
8GB
Configurable to 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Discrete Graphics-Support for Thunderbolt 3–enabled external graphics processors (eGPUs)
Storage
256GB 512GB
PCIe-based onboard flash storage.
128GB 256GB
Configurable to 512GB or 1TB SSD

Connectivity

MacBook 12” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2019
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
BluetoothBluetooth 4.0 wireless technologyBluetooth 4.2 wireless technology

Battery

MacBook 12” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2019
Size39.5 Wh lithium‑polymer battery49.9 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 9 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 10 hours of iTunes movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
  • Up to 12 hours wireless web
  • Up to 13 hours Apple TV app video playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply29W USB-C Power Adapter30W USB‑C Power Adapter

Software

MacBook 12” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2019
OSShipped with OS X YosemiteShipped with macOS Mojave
Built-in Apps
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Safari Mail Messages FaceTime Calendar Notes App Store iTunes iBooks Maps Contacts Reminders
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player

Camera & Audio

MacBook 12” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2019
Camera480p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
    • Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone
  • Stereo speakers
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack

Misc

MacBook 12” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2019
Sensors-
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
Security-
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box
  • MacBook
  • 29W USB-C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
  • MacBook Air
  • 30W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
WarrantyLimited Warranty and ServiceYour MacBook comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer’s purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple-authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts. For more information, visit Apple Support or call 800-823-2275. Your MacBook Air comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.
MoreVideo Support
  • Intel HD Graphics 5300
  • Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
Video Support
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
    • One external display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at up to 60Hz
    • Up to two external displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at up to 60Hz
     
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 2 output using adapters (sold separately)

Key Features

MacBook 12” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2019
At Glance
Released in Early
2015
16:10 QHD
12”
1440p 60Hz
Weight
2.03 lb
0.92 kg
Up to
Intel Core M-5Y71 (1.3 GHz)
2C/4T, 1.30 → 2.90 GHz
Geekbench 5
598
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,139
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 5300
24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
8GB
1600 MHz LPDDR3
Released in Mid
2019
16:10 WQXGA
13.3”
1600p 60Hz
Weight
2.75 lb
1.25 kg
Powered By
Intel Core i5-8210Y
2C/4T, 1.60 → 3.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
728
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,455
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 617
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
Up to
16GB
2133 MHz LPDDR3

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