MacBook 12” 2015 vs. M1 MacBook Air: Which is better?
Here is a side by side comparison between MacBook 12” 2015 and M1 MacBook Air specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.
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MacBook 12” 2015 Pros
Reasons that MacBook 12” 2015 is better than M1 MacBook Air.
MacBook 12” 2015 weighed 2.03 pounds, 28% lighter than the 2.8 pounds M1 MacBook Air.
Weight | MacBook 12” 2015 | M1 MacBook Air |
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Pound | 2.03 lbs. | 2.8 lbs. |
Kilogram | 0.92 kg | 1.27 kg |
M1 MacBook Air Pros
Reasons that M1 MacBook Air is better than MacBook 12” 2015.
2020 vs. 2015
Apple M1 (8C, 8G) inside M1 MacBook Air has a 550% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core M-5Y71 (1.3 GHz) inside MacBook 12” 2015.
M1 MacBook Air 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.
M1 MacBook Air has a 13.3-inch screen size 10% larger than the 12-inch MacBook 12” 2015.
Prices
Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.
Availability | MacBook 12” 2015 | M1 MacBook Air |
Released | 2015 | 2020 |
Release Date |
| Announced on November 10th, 2020 |
Pricing |
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Generations | - |
Exterior | MacBook 12” 2015 | M1 MacBook Air |
Dimensions | 11.04” x 7.74” x 0.14 - 0.52” (280.5 mm x 196.5 mm x 3.5 - 13.1 mm) |
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Weight | Starting at 2.03 pounds (920 g) | Starting at 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg) |
Colors | Silver Space Gray Gold | Gold Space Gray Silver |
Keyboard and Trackpad | Full-size backlit keyboard with:
| Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
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Display | MacBook 12” 2015 | M1 MacBook Air |
Size | 12 Inches | 13.3 Inches |
Info | Retina display
| Retina display
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Ports | MacBook 12” 2015 | M1 MacBook Air |
One USB Type-C port with support for:
| Left (2)
Right (1)
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Internal Specs | MacBook 12” 2015 | M1 MacBook Air |
Processor |
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Integrated Graphics |
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Memory | 8GB 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory |
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Storage | 256GB 512GB PCIe-based onboard flash storage. |
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Connectivity | MacBook 12” 2015 | M1 MacBook Air |
Wi-Fi |
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Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology | Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology |
Battery | MacBook 12” 2015 | M1 MacBook Air |
Size | 39.5 Wh lithium‑polymer battery | 49.9 Wh lithium‑polymer battery |
Battery Life |
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Power Supply | 29W USB-C Power Adapter | 30W USB‑C Power Adapter |
Software | MacBook 12” 2015 | M1 MacBook Air |
OS | Shipped with OS X Yosemite | Shipped with macOS Big Sur |
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” 2015 | M1 MacBook Air |
Camera | 480p FaceTime HD camera | 720p FaceTime HD camera |
Audio |
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Misc | MacBook 12” 2015 | M1 MacBook Air |
Sensors | - |
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Security | - |
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In the box |
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Warranty | Limited 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. |
More | Video Support
| Video Support
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Key Features | MacBook 12” 2015 | M1 MacBook Air |
At Glance |
Comparison Summary
Apple has released the MacBook 12” 2015, a 12-inch machine, in early-2015. It is powered by up to a dual-core Intel Core M-5Y71 (1.3 GHz) with a boost clock speed up to 2.90 GHz. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® HD Graphics 5300 (24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz).
On the other hand, we have the 13.3-inch M1 MacBook Air was introduced by Apple about five years later in late-2020. It comes with up to an octa-core Apple M1 (8C, 8G). It has an integrated graphics option up to Apple M1 iGPU (8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz).Geekbench 5 Single Core
Geekbench 5 Multi Core
The MacBook 12” 2015 has a 12-inch display which is slightly smaller than the 13.3-inch M1 MacBook Air. In addition, The MacBook 12” 2015 weighs 2.03 lbs. about 37% lighter than the 2.8 lbs. M1 MacBook Air. Moreover, measured at 11.04” x 7.74” x 0.52”, the MacBook 12” 2015 is considerably more portable than the M1 MacBook Air at 11.97” x 8.36” x 0.63”.
Moving over to upgradability, you can't make any upgrades on both devices. All major components including memory and storage are soldered on to the motherboard. So make sure you get the specs that work best for your current and future workload.
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