M1 MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro 15” (2017): Full specs comparison

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 15” (2017) specifications, including details on CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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M1 MacBook Air image

M1 MacBook Air

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MacBook Pro 15” (2017) image

MacBook Pro 15” (2017)

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M1 MacBook Air Pros

Reasons that M1 MacBook Air is better than MacBook Pro 15” (2017).

Significantly newer manufacturing

2020 vs. 2017

Much faster CPU performance

Apple M1 (8C, 8G) inside M1 MacBook Air has a 117% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-7920HQ inside MacBook Pro 15” (2017).

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
M1 MacBook Air - Apple M1 (8C, 7G)
7,414
M1 MacBook Air - Apple M1 (8C, 8G)
7,414
MacBook Pro 15” (2017) - Intel Core i7-7820HQ
3,573
MacBook Pro 15” (2017) - Intel Core i7-7920HQ
3,410
MacBook Pro 15” (2017) - Intel Core i7-7700HQ
3,208
About 31% lighter

M1 MacBook Air weighed 2.8 pounds, 31% lighter than the 4.02 pounds MacBook Pro 15” (2017).

WeightM1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
Pound
2.8 lbs.
4.02 lbs.
Kilogram
1.27 kg
1.82 kg

MacBook Pro 15” (2017) Pros

Reasons that MacBook Pro 15” (2017) is better than M1 MacBook Air.

Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to AMD Radeon Pro 560 4GB GDDR5 vs. integrated

15% larger display

MacBook Pro 15” (2017) has a 15.4-inch screen size 15% larger than the 13.3-inch M1 MacBook Air.

Display size
MacBook Pro 15” (2017)
15.4-inch
M1 MacBook Air
13.3-inch
Has two more ports and slots

MacBook Pro 15” (2017) has more ports and slots count than the M1 MacBook Air. It has five versus three amount of ports and slots on the M1 MacBook Air.

PortsM1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
headphone jackYesYes
Thunderbolt 3Yes x2Yes x4
Total35

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 15” (2017).

Supports the same maximum memory size of up to 16GB

Both laptops supports up to 16GB of system memory.

Max system memory size
M1 MacBook Air
16 GB
MacBook Pro 15” (2017)
16 GB

Prices

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

M1 MacBook Air Price
Late 2020 Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13.3 inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
 Late 2020 Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13.3 inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$610.64
$647.86 6% OFF
See at Amazon
Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop M1 Chip, 13” Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, FaceTime HD Camera, Touch ID. Works with iPhone/iPad; Space Gray
 Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop M1 Chip, 13” Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, FaceTime HD Camera, Touch ID. Works with iPhone/iPad; Space Gray
By Apple
$708.39
$999.00 29% OFF
See at Amazon
Late 2020 Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13.3 inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
 Late 2020 Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13.3 inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$704.68
See at Amazon
MacBook Pro 15” (2017) Price
Mid 2017 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 (15.4 inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB) Space Gray (Renewed)
 Mid 2017 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 (15.4 inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$375.00
$444.95 16% OFF
See at Amazon
2017 Apple MacBook Pro with 3.1GHz Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
 2017 Apple MacBook Pro with 3.1GHz Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$469.95
See at Amazon
2017 Apple MacBook Pro with 3.1GHz Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
 2017 Apple MacBook Pro with 3.1GHz Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$559.00
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

M1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
Released20202017
Release DateAnnounced on November 10th, 2020Announced on June 5th, 2018
Pricing
  • $999
    Apple M1 Chip (7 cores GPU) | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,249
    Apple M1 Chip (8 cores GPU) | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
  • $2,399
    Intel Core i7 7700HQ | 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD | Radeon Pro 555
  • $2,799
    Intel Core i7 7820HQ | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD | Radeon Pro 560
Generations

Exterior

M1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
Dimensions
  • Width: 11.97 inches (30.41 cm)
  • Depth: 8.36 inches (21.24 cm)
  • Height: 0.16–0.63 inch (0.41–1.61 cm)
13.75” x 9.48” x 0.61” (349.3 mm x 240.7 mm x 155 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.8 pounds (1.29 kg)Starting at 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg)
Colors
Gold Space Gray Silver
Space Gray Silver
Keyboard and TrackpadBacklit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
  • 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:
  • 64 (U.S.) or 65 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys
  • Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor
  • 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

M1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
Size13.3 Inches15.4 Inches
InfoRetina 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
  • 400 nits brightness
  • Supports wide color (P3)
  • True Tone technology
Retina display
  • 15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2880-by-1800 native resolution at 220 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1920 by 1200
    • 1680 by 1050
    • 1280 by 800
    • 1024 by 640
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Wide color (P3)

Ports

M1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
M1 MacBook Air Ports
Image Source: Apple
Left (2)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), Charging, DisplayPort
Right (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Left (2)
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Charging, Displayport
Right (3)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 3
    40 Gpbs, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Charging, Displayport

Internal Specs

M1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
Processor
  1. Apple M1 (7 GPU Cores)
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz, 10W
  2. Apple M1
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz, 10W
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7700HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.80 → 3.80 GHz, 6MB Cache, 45W
  2. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7820HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.90 → 3.90 GHz, 8 MB Cache, 45W
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7920HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 3.10 → 4.10 GHz, 8 MB Cache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  1. Apple M1 (7 GPU Cores)
    Apple M1 iGPU
    7 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
  2. Apple M1
    Apple M1 iGPU
    8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
  1. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7700HQ
    Intel® HD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
  2. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7820HQ
    Intel® HD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
  3. 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7920HQ
    Intel® HD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
Memory
  • 8GB
    unified memory
  • Configurable to 16GB
16GB
of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Discrete Graphics-
  • AMD Radeon Pro 555 with 2GB of GDDR5 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
Storage
  • 256GB 512GB
    SSD
  • Configurable to 1TB or 2TB
256GB 512GB
configurable to 1TB or 2TB SSD

Connectivity

M1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
BluetoothBluetooth 5.0 wireless technologyBluetooth 4.2 wireless technology

Battery

M1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
Size49.9 Wh lithium‑polymer battery76 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 15 hours wireless web
  • Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback
  • Up to 10 hours wireless web
  • Up to 10 hours Apple TV app movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply30W USB‑C Power Adapter87W USB‑C Power Adapter

Software

M1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
OSShipped with macOS Big SurShipped with macOS Sierra
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 Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player
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

M1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Wide stereo sound
  • Support for Dolby Atmos playback
  • Three-mic array with directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5mm headphone jack

Misc

M1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
Sensors
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Touch ID sensor
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T1 Chip
In the box
  • MacBook Air
  • 30W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
  • 15‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 87W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
WarrantyYour 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.Your MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one‑year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac 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
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of 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)
Video Support
Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
  • Up to two displays with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
  • Up to four displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at millions of colors
  • Up to four displays with 3840-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
  • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
  • VGA, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)

Key Features

M1 MacBook AirMacBook Pro 15” (2017)
At Glance
Released in Late
2020
16:10 QHD
13.3”
1600p 60Hz
Weight
2.8 lb
1.27 kg
Up to
Apple M1 (8C, 8G)
8C/8T, 3.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,705
Single Core
Geekbench 5
7,414
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M1 iGPU
8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
Unified Memory
M1 MacBook Air Ports
Starting at
$999
M1 (7 GPU Cores), 8GB, 256GB SSD
Up to
18 Hours
Battery Life
Built-in
Touch ID
With T2 Chip
Dual
USB-C
USB4 & Thunderbolt 3
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
Released in Mid
2017
16:10 Retina
15.4”
1800p 60Hz
Weight
4.02 lb
1.82 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-7920HQ
4C/8T, 3.10 → 4.10 GHz
Geekbench 5
894
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,410
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
16GB
2133 MHz LPDDR3
AMD
Radeon Pro 560
4GB GDDR5

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