MacBook 12” 2015 vs. Surface Pro 4: Full specs comparison

We have comprehensively analyzed the technical specifications for the MacBook 12” 2015 and Surface Pro 4 models. Our report includes intricate details such as the CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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MacBook 12” 2015 image

MacBook 12” 2015

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Surface Pro 4

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MacBook 12” 2015 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of MacBook 12” 2015 over Surface Pro 4.

Surface Pro 4 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 4 is better than MacBook 12” 2015.

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-6650U inside Surface Pro 4 has a 54% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core M-5Y71 (1.3 GHz) inside MacBook 12” 2015.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Pro 4 - Intel Core i7-6650U
1,757
Surface Pro 4 - Intel Core i5-6300U
1,319
MacBook 12” 2015 - Intel Core M-5Y71 (1.3 GHz)
1,139
MacBook 12” 2015 - Intel Core M-5Y51 (1.2 GHz)
1,109
Surface Pro 4 - Intel Core m3-6Y30
1,058
MacBook 12” 2015 - Intel Core M-5Y31 (1.1 GHz)
1,034
Supports larger memory

Surface Pro 4 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
Surface Pro 4
16 GB
MacBook 12” 2015
8 GB
Supports faster memory

Surface Pro 4 supports a faster memory speed than the MacBook 12” 2015. It supports up to 1866MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the MacBook 12” 2015.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 4 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
MacBook 12” 2015 - LPDDR3
1,600 MHz
Upgradable storage

Surface Pro 4 comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future.

SlotsMacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
M.2
Onboard
Yes x1
About 17% lighter

Surface Pro 4 weighed 1.69 pounds, 17% lighter than the 2.03 pounds MacBook 12” 2015.

WeightMacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
Pound
2.03 lbs.
1.69 lbs.
Kilogram
0.92 kg
0.77 kg

Prices

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

MacBook 12” 2015 Price
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
$366.20
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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
$339.99
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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
$336.00
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Surface Pro 4 Price
Latest Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (2736 x 1824) Tablet 6th Generation (Intel Core i5-6300U, 8GB Ram, 256GB SSD, Bluetooth, Dual Camera) Windows 10 Professional (Renewed)
 Latest Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (2736 x 1824) Tablet 6th Generation (Intel Core i5-6300U, 8GB Ram, 256GB SSD, Bluetooth, Dual Camera) Windows 10 Professional (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$299.00
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Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (Intel Core M, 4GB RAM, 128GB) with Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (Intel Core M, 4GB RAM, 128GB) with Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$206.99
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Microsoft Surface Pro 4 128 GB, 4 GB RAM, Intel Core i5 (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 4 128 GB, 4 GB RAM, Intel Core i5 (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$204.00
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

MacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
Released20152015
Release Date
  • Announced on March 9, 2015
  • Available on March 10, 2015
  • Introduced: October 7, 2015
  • Pre-ordered: October 7, 2015
  • Released: October 26, 2015
Pricing
  • $1,299
    Intel Core M-5Y31 | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,599
    Intel Core M-5Y51 | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
Starting at 899$
Generations-

Exterior

MacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
Dimensions11.04” x 7.74” x 0.14 - 0.52” (280.5 mm x 196.5 mm x 3.5 - 13.1 mm)11.50” x 7.93” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201.42 mm x 8.4 mm)
Width: 11.50” (292 mm)
Height: 7.93” (201.42 mm)
Thickness: 0.33” (8.4 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.03 pounds (920 g)
  • Intel Core m3: 1.69 lbs (766 g)
  • Intel Core i5 and i7: 1.73 lbs (786 g)
Colors
Silver Space Gray Gold
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
  • Surface Type Cover
    • Not included
    • Weight: 0.68 lb (310 g)
    • Dimension: 11.61 x 8.54 x 0.19 inches (295 mm x 216 mm x 5mm)
  • Keyboard:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • 4 directional keys; Windows, Brightness and Media Controls Keys;
    • LED backlighting
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Trackpad size: 4 x 2 inches (101.6 mm x 50.8 mm)
    • Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.

Display

MacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
Size12 Inches12.3 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
  • Resolution: 2736 x 1824 (5M Pixels)
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Contrast ratio: 1300:1
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch with GPU-based processing
  • 100 percent sRGB color, individually calibrated

Ports

MacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
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)
Surface Pro 4 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking Station
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Type Cover port
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x microSD card slot

Internal Specs

MacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
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. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-6Y30
    2 cores, 4 threads, 0.90 → 2.20 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.40 → 3.00 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6650U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.20 → 3.40 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
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. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-6Y30
    Intel® HD Graphics 515
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 850 MHz
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300U
    Intel® HD Graphics 520
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6650U
    Intel® Iris® Graphics 540
    48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1050 MHz
Memory
8GB
1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
4GB 8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
Storage
256GB 512GB
PCIe-based onboard flash storage.
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
PCIe NVMe SSD

Connectivity

MacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
BluetoothBluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology

Battery

MacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
Size39.5 Wh lithium‑polymer battery38.2 Wh
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 9 hours of video playback
Power Supply29W USB-C Power Adapter
  • 36W proprietary power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 31W

Software

MacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
OSShipped with OS X YosemiteWindows 10 Pro
Built-in Apps
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Safari Mail Messages FaceTime Calendar Notes App Store iTunes iBooks Maps Contacts Reminders
Microsoft Office 30-days trial

Camera & Audio

MacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
Camera480p FaceTime HD camera
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
    • Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone
  • Dual microphones
  • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio

Misc

MacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
Inking-Supports Surface Pen
1024 levels of pressure
magnetic storage
Sensors-
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
Security-
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
In the box
  • MacBook
  • 29W USB-C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
  • Surface Pro 4
  • Surface Pen
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
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. 
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
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
  • Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
  • Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 150 degrees
  • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power

Key Features

MacBook 12” 2015Surface Pro 4
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
2015
3:2 2.7K
12.3”
1824p 60Hz
Weight
1.69 lb
0.77 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-6650U
2C/4T, 2.20 → 3.40 GHz
Geekbench 5
764
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,757
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Graphics 540
48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1050 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Pro 4 Ports

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