MacBook Air 13” 2015 vs. MacBook Air 13” 2018: Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between MacBook Air 13” 2015 and MacBook Air 13” 2018 specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

MacBook Air 13” 2015 Pros

Reasons that MacBook Air 13” 2015 is better than MacBook Air 13” 2018.

Slightly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-5650U inside MacBook Air 13” 2015 has a 5% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i5-8210Y inside MacBook Air 13” 2018.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
MacBook Air 13” 2015 - Intel Core i7-5650U
1,538
MacBook Air 13” 2018 - Intel Core i5-8210Y
1,455
MacBook Air 13” 2015 - Intel Core i5-5250U
1,266

MacBook Air 13” 2018 Pros

Reasons that MacBook Air 13” 2018 is better than MacBook Air 13” 2015.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2018 vs. 2015

Supports larger memory

MacBook Air 13” 2018 supports a larger memory capacity than the MacBook Air 13” 2015. It supports up to 16GB versus 8GB of system memory on the MacBook Air 13” 2015.

Max system memory size
MacBook Air 13” 2018
16 GB
MacBook Air 13” 2015
8 GB
Supports faster memory

MacBook Air 13” 2018 supports a faster memory speed than the MacBook Air 13” 2015. It supports up to 2133MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the MacBook Air 13” 2015.

Memory type and speed
MacBook Air 13” 2018 - LPDDR3
2,133 MHz
MacBook Air 13” 2015 - LPDDR3
1,600 MHz
About 8% lighter

MacBook Air 13” 2018 weighed 2.75 pounds, 8% lighter than the 2.96 pounds MacBook Air 13” 2015.

WeightMacBook Air 13” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2018
Pound
2.96 lbs.
2.75 lbs.
Kilogram
1.34 kg
1.25 kg

Prices

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

MacBook Air 13” 2015 Price
Early 2015 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 (13.3 inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB) Silver (Renewed)
Early 2015 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 (13.3 inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$229.82
$285.00 19% OFF
Early 2015 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
Early 2015 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$219.99
$254.00 13% OFF
Early 2015 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Core i5 (13 Inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Silver (Renewed)
Early 2015 Apple MacBook Air with 1.6GHz Core i5 (13 Inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$259.99
MacBook Air 13” 2018 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
$370.28
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
$379.95
Apple 13in MacBook Air (2017 Newest Version) 1.8GHz Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD (Renewed)
Apple 13in MacBook Air (2017 Newest Version) 1.8GHz Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD (Renewed)
By Apple
$239.00
$255.00 6% OFF

Availability

MacBook Air 13” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2018
Released20152018
Release Date
  • Available on April 19, 2015
  • Available on October 30, 2018
Pricing
  • $999
    Intel Core i5 5250U | 4GB RAM | 128GB SSD
  • $1,199
    Intel Core i5 5250U | 4GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,199
    Intel Core i5 8210Y | 8GB RAM | 128GB SSD
  • $1,399
    Intel Core i5 8210Y | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
Generations

Exterior

MacBook Air 13” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2018
Dimensions12.8” x 8.94” x 0.11 - 0.68” (325 mm x 227 mm x 3 - 17 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 2.96 pounds (1.35 kg)Starting at 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg)
Colors
Silver
Gold Space Gray Silver
Keyboard and TrackpadFull-size backlit keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement) with ambient light sensor
  • Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control; supports inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
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 Air 13” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2018
Size13.3 Inches13.3 Inches
Info
  • 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with support for millions of colors
  • Supported resolutions: 1440 by 900 (native), 1280 by 800, 1152 by 720, and 1024 by 640 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio and 1024 by 768 and 800 by 600 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio
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 Air 13” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2018
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 2 port
    Supports data transfers up to 20 Gbps.
  • 2 x USB 3.0 ports
    Supports data transfers up to 5 Gbps.
  • 1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • 1 x SDXC card reader
  • 1 x MagSafe 2 power port
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 Air 13” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2018
Processor
  1. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5250U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.60 → 2.70 GHz, 3MB Cache, 15W
  2. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-5350U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.20 → 3.10 GHz, 4MB Cache, 15W
  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™ i5-5250U
    Intel® HD Graphics 6000
    48 Execution Units, 300 → 950 MHz
  2. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-5350U
    Intel® HD Graphics 6000
    48 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y
    Intel® UHD Graphics 617
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
Memory
4GB 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
128GB 256GB
Configurable to 512GB flash storage.
128GB 256GB
Configurable to 512GB or 1TB SSD

Connectivity

MacBook Air 13” 2015MacBook 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 Air 13” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2018
Size54 Wh lithium‑polymer battery50.3 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 12 hours wireless web
  • Up to 12 hours of iTunes movie playback
  • Up to 30 days 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 Supply45W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.
30W USB‑C Power Adapter

Software

MacBook Air 13” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2018
OSShipped with macOS SierraShipped with macOS Mojave
Built-in Apps
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders iTunes iBooks App Store
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 Air 13” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2018
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • Headphone port
  • Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone
  • Stereo speakers
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack

Misc

MacBook Air 13” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2018
Sensors-
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
Security-
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box
  • MacBook Air 13″
  • Power adapter
  • AC wall plug
  • Power cord
  • MacBook Air
  • 30W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
WarrantyLimited Warranty and ServiceYour MacBook Air 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 800-823-2775.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
  • Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
  • Thunderbolt digital video output
    • Native Mini DisplayPort output
    • DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter (sold separately)
    • VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (sold separately)
    • Dual-link DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (sold separately)
    • HDMI audio and video output using third-party Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter (sold separately)
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 Air 13” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2018
At Glance
Released in Mid
2015
16:10 WXGA+
13.3”
900p 60Hz
Weight
2.96 lb
1.34 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-5650U
2C/4T, 2.20 → 3.10 GHz
Geekbench 5
737
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,538
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 6000
48 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
Up to
8GB
1600 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

Comparison Summary

MacBook Air 13” 2015 vs. MacBook Air 13” 2018

Apple has released the MacBook Air 13” 2015, a 13.3-inch machine, in mid-2015. It is powered by up to a dual-core Intel Core i7-5650U with a boost clock speed up to 3.10 GHz. The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® HD Graphics 6000 (48 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz).

On the other hand, we have the 13.3-inch MacBook Air 13” 2018 was introduced by Apple about three years later in late-2018. It comes with a dual-core Intel Core i5-8210Y with a boost clock speed up to 3.60 GHz. It has an integrated graphics option up to Intel® UHD Graphics 617 (24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz).

Geekbench 5 Single Core

MacBook Air 13” 20151
5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5250U61082.77%
2
5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-5350U737100.00%
MacBook Air 13” 20181
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y72898.78%
0737

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

MacBook Air 13” 20151
5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5250U1,26682.31%
2
5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-5350U1,538100.00%
MacBook Air 13” 20181
8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y1,45594.60%
01,538

Both MacBook Air 13” 2015 and MacBook Air 13” 2018 have the same 13.3-inch display size. In addition, the MacBook Air 13” 2015 weighs 2.96 lbs. about 7% heavier than the 2.75 lbs. MacBook Air 13” 2018. Moreover, measured at 12.8” x 8.94” x 0.68”, the MacBook Air 13” 2015 is considerably bulkier than the MacBook Air 13” 2018 at 11.97” x 8.36” x 0.61”.

MacBook Air 13” 2015MacBook Air 13” 2018

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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