MacBook 12” 2017 vs. MacBook Air 13” 2018: Full specs comparison

We have comprehensively analyzed the technical specifications for the MacBook 12” 2017 and MacBook Air 13” 2018 models. Our report includes intricate details such as the CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

MacBook 12” 2017 Pros

Reasons that MacBook 12” 2017 is better than MacBook Air 13” 2018.

About 27% lighter

MacBook 12” 2017 weighed 2.03 pounds, 27% lighter than the 2.75 pounds MacBook Air 13” 2018.

WeightMacBook 12” 2017MacBook Air 13” 2018
Pound
2.03 lbs.
2.75 lbs.
Kilogram
0.92 kg
1.25 kg

MacBook Air 13” 2018 Pros

Reasons that MacBook Air 13” 2018 is better than MacBook 12” 2017.

Newer manufacturing

2018 vs. 2017

Supports faster memory

MacBook Air 13” 2018 supports a faster memory speed than the MacBook 12” 2017. It supports up to 2133MHz versus 1866MHz of system memory on the MacBook 12” 2017.

Memory type and speed
MacBook Air 13” 2018 - LPDDR3
2,133 MHz
MacBook 12” 2017 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
10% larger display

MacBook Air 13” 2018 has a 13.3-inch screen size 10% larger than the 12-inch MacBook 12” 2017.

Display size
MacBook Air 13” 2018
13.3-inch
MacBook 12” 2017
12-inch

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between MacBook 12” 2017 and MacBook Air 13” 2018.

Similar CPU performance

Both laptops has a similar multi-core CPU performance score.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
MacBook 12” 2017 - Intel Core i7-7Y75
1,470
MacBook 12” 2017 - Intel Core i5-7Y54
1,457
MacBook Air 13” 2018 - Intel Core i5-8210Y
1,455
MacBook 12” 2017 - Intel Core m3-7Y32
1,423
Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 16GB

Both laptops supports up to 16GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
MacBook 12” 2017
16 GB
MacBook Air 13” 2018
16 GB

Prices

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

MacBook 12” 2017 Price
2017 Apple Macbook with 1.2GHz Intel Core m3 (12-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
2017 Apple Macbook with 1.2GHz Intel Core m3 (12-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$353.00
2017 Apple MacBook Laptop with Intel Core m3, 1.2GHz (MNYH2LL/A, 12in, Retina Display, Dual Core Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB, Intel HD Graphics, Mac OS) - Silver (Renewed)
2017 Apple MacBook Laptop with Intel Core m3, 1.2GHz (MNYH2LL/A, 12in, Retina Display, Dual Core Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB, Intel HD Graphics, Mac OS) - Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$450.00
Apple MacBook 12in Retina 2017 (Newest Version) 256GB SSD / 8GB RAM - Space Gray (Renewed)
Apple MacBook 12in Retina 2017 (Newest Version) 256GB SSD / 8GB RAM - Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$699.00
MacBook Air 13” 2018 Price
Late 2018 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5 Dual-Core (13 inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
Late 2018 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5 Dual-Core (13 inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$389.95
2018 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD Storage) - Silver (Renewed)
2018 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD Storage) - Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$369.89
Mid 2019 Apple Macbook Air with 1.6 GHz Core i5 (13.3 inches, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
Mid 2019 Apple Macbook Air with 1.6 GHz Core i5 (13.3 inches, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$424.95

Availability

MacBook 12” 2017MacBook Air 13” 2018
Released20172018
Release Date
  • Announced on June 5, 2017
  • Available on June 7, 2017
  • Available on October 30, 2018
Pricing
  • $1,299
    Intel Core m3-7Y32 | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,599
    Intel Core m5-7Y54 | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
  • $1,199
    Intel Core i5 8210Y | 8GB RAM | 128GB SSD
  • $1,399
    Intel Core i5 8210Y | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
Generations-

Exterior

MacBook 12” 2017MacBook Air 13” 2018
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 Rose 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
  • 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” 2017MacBook Air 13” 2018
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

Ports

MacBook 12” 2017MacBook Air 13” 2018
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” 2017MacBook Air 13” 2018
Processor
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y32
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.10 → 3.00 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  2. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7Y54
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.20 → 3.20 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7Y75
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.30 → 3.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.60 → 3.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 7W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y32
    Intel® HD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
  2. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7Y54
    Intel® HD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 950 MHz
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7Y75
    Intel® HD Graphics 615
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y
    Intel® UHD Graphics 617
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
Memory
8GB
Configurable to 16GB 1866 MHz 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 SSD.
128GB 256GB
Configurable to 512GB or 1TB SSD

Connectivity

MacBook 12” 2017MacBook Air 13” 2018
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” 2017MacBook Air 13” 2018
Size41.4 Wh lithium‑polymer battery50.3 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 10 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 12 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” 2017MacBook Air 13” 2018
OSShipped with macOS High SierraShipped with macOS Mojave
Built-in Apps
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview iTunes Books App Store Time Machine
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” 2017MacBook Air 13” 2018
Camera480p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • Stereo speakers
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack

Misc

MacBook 12” 2017MacBook Air 13” 2018
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 615
  • Dual display and video mirroring: simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz 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” 2017MacBook Air 13” 2018
At Glance
Released in Mid
2017
16:10 QHD
12”
1440p 60Hz
Weight
2.03 lb
0.92 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-7Y75
2C/4T, 1.30 → 3.60 GHz
Geekbench 5
714
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,470
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 615
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Released in Late
2018
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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