MacBook Air 13” 2017 vs. M2 MacBook Air: Full specs comparison

We have comprehensively compared the specifications for the MacBook Air 13” 2017 and M2 MacBook Air models. The report includes detailed information regarding both models' CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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MacBook Air 13” 2017 image

MacBook Air 13” 2017

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M2 MacBook Air image

M2 MacBook Air

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MacBook Air 13” 2017 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of MacBook Air 13” 2017 over M2 MacBook Air.

M2 MacBook Air Pros

Reasons that M2 MacBook Air is better than MacBook Air 13” 2017.

Much newer manufacturing

2022 vs. 2017

Much faster CPU performance

Apple M2 (8C, 10G) inside M2 MacBook Air has a 473% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-5650U inside MacBook Air 13” 2017.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
M2 MacBook Air - Apple M2 (8C, 10G)
8,819
M2 MacBook Air - Apple M2 (8C, 8G)
8,819
MacBook Air 13” 2017 - Intel Core i7-5650U
1,538
MacBook Air 13” 2017 - Intel Core i5-5350U
1,350
Supports larger memory

M2 MacBook Air supports a larger memory capacity than the MacBook Air 13” 2017. It supports up to 24GB versus 8GB of system memory on the MacBook Air 13” 2017.

Max system memory size
M2 MacBook Air
24 GB
MacBook Air 13” 2017
8 GB
About 9% lighter

M2 MacBook Air weighed 2.7 pounds, 9% lighter than the 2.96 pounds MacBook Air 13” 2017.

WeightMacBook Air 13” 2017M2 MacBook Air
Pound
2.96 lbs.
2.7 lbs.
Kilogram
1.34 kg
1.22 kg

Prices

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

MacBook Air 13” 2017 Price
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
$238.38
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2017 Apple Macbook Air with 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Silver (Renewed)
 2017 Apple Macbook Air with 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$231.95
$249.00 7% OFF
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Mid 2017 Apple MacBook Air with 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
 Mid 2017 Apple MacBook Air with 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$252.45
$279.00 10% OFF
See at Amazon
M2 MacBook Air Price
Apple 2022 MacBook Air Laptop with M2 chip: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, 1080p FaceTime HD Camera. Works with iPhone and iPad; Silver
 Apple 2022 MacBook Air Laptop with M2 chip: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, 1080p FaceTime HD Camera. Works with iPhone and iPad; Silver
By Apple
$849.00
$999.00 15% OFF
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Apple 2022 MacBook Air M2 Chip (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Midnight (Renewed Premium)
 Apple 2022 MacBook Air M2 Chip (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) (QWERTY English) Midnight (Renewed Premium)
By Apple
$825.00
$869.00 5% OFF
See at Amazon
2022 Apple MacBook Air Laptop with Apple M2 chip (13.6-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Midnight (Renewed)
 2022 Apple MacBook Air Laptop with Apple M2 chip (13.6-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Midnight (Renewed)
By Apple
$806.00
$849.00 5% OFF
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

MacBook Air 13” 2017M2 MacBook Air
Released20172022
Release Date
  • Available on June 6, 2017
Announced on June 6, 2022 (WWDC 2022)
Pricing
  • $999
    Intel Core i5 5350U | 8GB RAM | 128GB SSD
  • $1,199
    Intel Core i5 5350U | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,199
    M2 (8C, 8G) | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,499
    M2 (8C, 10G) | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
Applicable Models-
  • MacBook Air (2022)
  • 2022 MacBook Air
  • MacBook Air with M2 chip
Generations

Exterior

MacBook Air 13” 2017M2 MacBook Air
Dimensions12.8” x 8.94” x 0.11 - 0.68” (325 mm x 227 mm x 3 - 17 mm)11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 in (304.1 x 215 x 11.3 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.96 pounds (1.35 kg)Starting at 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg)
Colors
Silver
Midnight Starlight 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) keys including 12 full-height function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
  • Touch ID
  • 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” 2017M2 MacBook Air
Size13.3 Inches13.6 Inches
Info
  • Widescreen display
  • 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
Liquid Retina display
  • 13.6-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology.
  • 2560-by-1664 native resolution at 224 pixels per inch with support for 1 billion colors
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Wide color (P3)
  • True Tone technology

Ports

MacBook Air 13” 2017M2 MacBook Air
  • 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
M2 MacBook Air Ports
Image Source: Apple
Left (3)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), Charging, DisplayPort
  • 1 x MagSafe 3
    Magnetic charging port
Right (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone

Internal Specs

MacBook Air 13” 2017M2 MacBook Air
Processor
  1. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5350U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.80 → 2.90 GHz, 3MB Cache, 15W
  2. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-5350U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.20 → 3.10 GHz, 4MB Cache, 15W
  1. Apple M2 (8C, 8G)
    8 cores, 8 threads, 2.42 → 3.48 GHz,
  2. Apple M2 (8C, 10G)
    8 cores, 8 threads, 2.42 → 3.48 GHz,
Integrated Graphics
  1. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5350U
    Intel® HD Graphics 6000
    48 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
  2. 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-5350U
    Intel® HD Graphics 6000
    48 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
  1. Apple M2 (8C, 8G)
    Apple M2 iGPU
    8 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  2. Apple M2 (8C, 10G)
    Apple M2 iGPU
    10 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
Memory
4GB 8GB
 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
8GB 16GB 24GB
unified memory.
Storage
128GB 256GB
Configurable to 512GB flash storage.
  • 256GB 512GB
    SSD
  • Configurable to 1TB or 2TB
Fans Number--
Cooling Info-Passive

Connectivity

MacBook Air 13” 2017M2 MacBook Air
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
BluetoothBluetooth 4.0 wireless technologyBluetooth 5.0 wireless technology

Battery

MacBook Air 13” 2017M2 MacBook Air
Size54 Wh lithium‑polymer battery52.6 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 15 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 18 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
Power Supply45W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.
  • 30W USB‑C Power Adapter
    (included with M2 with 8-core GPU.
  • 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter
    included with M2 with 10-core GPU and 512GB storage, configurable with M2 with 8-core GPU.

Software

MacBook Air 13” 2017M2 MacBook Air
OSShipped with macOS MojaveShipped with macOS Monterey
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 Air 13” 2017M2 MacBook Air
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera1080p FaceTime HD camera.
Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • Headphone port
  • Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone
  • Four-speaker sound system
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for Spatial Audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers
  • Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking when using AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
  • Three-mic array with directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones

Misc

MacBook Air 13” 2017M2 MacBook Air
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 or 35W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C to MagSafe 3 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.One-year limited warranty.
MoreVideo Support
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz on an external display, both at millions of colors
    • Thunderbolt digital video output
    • Native Mini DisplayPort output
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and dual-link DVI output using adapters (sold separately)
Video Support
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
    • One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)

Key Features

MacBook Air 13” 2017M2 MacBook Air
At Glance
Released in Mid
2017
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 Mid
2022
16:10 QHD
13.6”
1664p 60Hz
Weight
2.7 lb
1.22 kg
Up to
Apple M2 (8C, 10G)
8C/8T, 2.42 → 3.48 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,933
Single Core
Geekbench 5
8,819
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M2 iGPU
10 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores
Configurable up to
24GB
Unified Memory
M2 MacBook Air Ports
Starting at
$1,199
M2 (8 GPU), 8GB, 256GB SSD
New
MagSafe 3
Charging port
Supports
Fast Charging
50% in 30 mins with 65W charger
New
1080p Webcam
New
Four Speakers
Sound System
Up to
18 Hours
Battery Life
Built-in
Touch ID
Dual
USB-C
USB4 & Thunderbolt 3
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0

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