M1 MacBook Pro 14” vs. MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015): Which is better?

Here is a side by side comparison between M1 MacBook Pro 14” and MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

M1 MacBook Pro 14” Pros

Reasons that M1 MacBook Pro 14” is better than MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Much newer manufacturing

2021 vs. 2015

Much faster CPU performance

Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) inside M1 MacBook Pro 14” has a 267% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-4980HQ inside MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
M1 MacBook Pro 14” - Apple M1 Max (10C, 24G)
12,185
M1 MacBook Pro 14” - Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
12,185
M1 MacBook Pro 14” - Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
11,988
M1 MacBook Pro 14” - Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G)
9,512
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Intel Core i7-4980HQ
3,315
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Intel Core i7-4870HQ
3,188
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Intel Core i7-4770HQ
3,057
Supports larger memory

M1 MacBook Pro 14” supports a larger memory capacity than the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015). It supports up to 64GB versus 16GB of system memory on the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Max system memory size
M1 MacBook Pro 14”
64 GB
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
16 GB
About 23% lighter

M1 MacBook Pro 14” weighed 3.5 pounds, 23% lighter than the 4.49 pounds MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

WeightM1 MacBook Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Pound
3.5 lbs.
4.49 lbs.
Kilogram
1.59 kg
2.04 kg

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) Pros

Reasons that MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) is better than M1 MacBook Pro 14”.

Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to AMD Radeon R9 M370X 2GB GDDR5 vs. integrated

Upgradable storage

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future.

SlotsM1 MacBook Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
M.2
Onboard
Yes x1
8% larger display

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) has a 15.4-inch screen size 8% larger than the 14.2-inch M1 MacBook Pro 14”.

Display size
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
15.4-inch
M1 MacBook Pro 14”
14.2-inch

Prices

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

M1 MacBook Pro 14” Price
2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) - Space Gray (Renewed)
2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) - Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$1,199.00
$1,281.08 6% OFF
2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip 8-core CPU (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed Premium)
2021 Apple MacBook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chip 8-core CPU (14-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) (QWERTY English) Space Gray (Renewed Premium)
By Apple
$1,299.00
Apple 2021 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) - Silver
Apple 2021 MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) - Silver
By Apple
$2,204.95
$2,499.00 12% OFF
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) Price
Mid 2015 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4870HQ (15 inches, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
Mid 2015 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4870HQ (15 inches, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$399.00
$419.22 5% OFF
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
$360.49
Apple MacBook Pro 15in Core i7 2.8GHz Retina (MGXG2LL/A), 16GB RAM, 512GB Solid State Drive (Renewed)
Apple MacBook Pro 15in Core i7 2.8GHz Retina (MGXG2LL/A), 16GB RAM, 512GB Solid State Drive (Renewed)
By Apple
$399.00
$549.00 27% OFF

Availability

M1 MacBook Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Released20212015
Release Date
  • Announced on October 18, 2021.
  • Available on October 26, 2021.
  • Announced on March 9th, 2015
  • Available on March 9th, 2015
Pricing
  • $1,999
    M1 Pro, 8C CPU, 14C GPU, 16GB, 512GB
  • $2,299
    M1 Pro, 10C CPU, 16C GPU, 16GB, 512GB
  • $2,499
    M1 Pro, 10C CPU, 16C GPU, 16GB, 1TB
  • $3,099
    M1 Max, 10C CPU, 24C GPU, 32GB, 1TB
  • $3,299
    M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 32GB, 1TB
  • $3,699
    M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 64GB, 1TB
  • $4,099
    M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 64GB, 2TB
  • $4,699
    M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 64GB, 4TB
  • $5,899
    M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 64GB, 8TB
  • $1,999
    Intel Core i7 4770HQ| 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $2,499
    Intel Core i7 4870HQ | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD
Generations

Exterior

M1 MacBook Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Dimensions
  • Height: 0.61 inch (1.55 cm)
  • Width: 12.31 inches (31.26 cm)
  • Depth: 8.71 inches (22.12 cm)
14.13” x 9.73” x 0.71” (358.9 mm x 247.1 mm x 18 mm)
Weight3.5 pounds (1.6 kg)Starting at 4.49 lb (2.04 kg)
Colors
Space Gray Silver
Silver
Keyboard and TrackpadBacklit 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
  • Full-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
  • 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 Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Size14.2 Inches15.4 Inches
Info
  • Liquid Retina XDR display
    • Size: 14.2-inch
    • Technology: Liquid Retina XDR display
    • Resolution: 3024 x 1964
    • Pixel Density: 254 PPI
  • XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range)
    • Up to 1000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness
    • 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
    • Color
      1 billion colors Wide color (P3) True Tone technology
  • Refresh rates
    • ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
    • Fixed refresh rates: 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz
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
  • 300 nits brightness
  • Standard color gamut (sRGB)
  • 900:1 contrast ratio

Ports

M1 MacBook Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
M1 MacBook Pro 14” Ports
Image Source: Apple
Left (4)
  • 1 x power port
    MagSafe 3
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x full-size SD card slot
  • 1 x Thunderbolt 4
    40 Gpbs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps), DisplayPort, Charging
  • 1 x HDMI
    v2.0, 4K@60Hz
  • 2 x Thunderbolt 2 ports
    Supports data transfers up to 20 Gbps.
  • 2 x USB 3.0 ports
    Supports data transfers up to 5 Gbps.
  • 1 x HDMI port
  • 1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • 1 x SDXC card reader
  • 1 x MagSafe 2 power port

Internal Specs

M1 MacBook Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Processor
  1. Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G)
    8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz,
  2. Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 3.20 GHz,
  3. Apple M1 Max (10C, 24G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 3.20 GHz,
  4. Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
    10 cores, 10 threads, 3.20 GHz,
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.20 → 3.40 GHz, 5 MB Cache, 47W
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.50 → 3.70 GHz, 6 MB Cache, 47W
  3. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.80 → 4.00 GHz, 6 MB Cache, 47W
Integrated Graphics
  1. Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G)
    Apple M1 Pro iGPU
    14 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  2. Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)
    Apple M1 Pro iGPU
    16 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  3. Apple M1 Max (10C, 24G)
    Apple M1 Max iGPU
    24 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  4. Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
    Apple M1 Max iGPU
    32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ
    Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1200 MHz
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ
    Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1200 MHz
  3. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ
    Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1300 MHz
Memory
16GB 32GB 64GB
Unified Memory
16GB
1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory
Discrete Graphics-AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory
Storage
512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB
SSD
256GB 512GB
configurable to 1TB SSD

Connectivity

M1 MacBook Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
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 Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Size70 Wh lithium‑polymer battery99.4 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 11 hours wireless web
  • Up to 17 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
  • Up to 9 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 9 hours of iTunes movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply
  • 67W USB‑C Power Adapter
    M1 Pro with 8-core CPU models
  • 96W USB‑C Power Adapter
    M1 Pro with 10-core CPU or M1 Max models. Supports Fast-Charging.
85W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.

Software

M1 MacBook Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
OSShipped with macOS MontereyShipped with OS X Yosemite
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 Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview iTunes iBooks App Store Time Machine

Camera & Audio

M1 MacBook Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Camera1080p FaceTime HD camera 
Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers
  • 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
  • Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
    • Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone
    • Support for audio line out (digital/analog)

Misc

M1 MacBook Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
SensorsTouch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Security Chip
-
In the box
  • 14‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 67W USB‑C Power Adapter
    M1 Pro with 8-core CPU models.
  • 96W USB‑C Power Adapter
    M1 Pro with 10-core CPU or M1 Max models.
  • USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
  • 15‑inch MacBook Pro
  • MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
  • Power cord
  • AC wall plug
WarrantyYour 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 every 12 months, 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 with Retina display 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.
More
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
    • Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Pro) or
    • Up to three external displays with up to 6K resolution and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Max)
  • Thunderbolt 4 digital video output
    • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
  • HDMI digital video output
    • Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz
    • DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)
Video Support
  • Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels on up to two external displays, both at millions of colors
  • Thunderbolt digital video output
    • Native Mini DisplayPort output
    • DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI output supported using Mini DisplayPort adapters (sold separately)
  • HDMI video output
    • Support for 1080p resolution at up to 60Hz
    • Support for 3840-by-2160 resolution at 30Hz
    • Support for 4096-by-2160 resolution at 24Hz

Key Features

M1 MacBook Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
At Glance
Released in Late
2021
16:10 XDR
14.2”
1964p 120Hz
Weight
3.5 lb
1.59 kg
Up to
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)
10C/10T, 3.20 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,747
Single Core
Geekbench 5
12,185
Multi-Core
With integrated
Apple M1 Max iGPU
32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores
Configurable up to
64GB
Unified Memory
M1 MacBook Pro 14” Ports
Released in Early
2015
16:10 Retina
15.4”
1800p 60Hz
Weight
4.49 lb
2.04 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-4980HQ
4C/8T, 2.80 → 4.00 GHz
Geekbench 5
928
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,315
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200
40 Execution Units, 200 → 1300 MHz
16GB
1600 MHz DDR3L
AMD
Radeon R9 M370X
2GB GDDR5

Comparison Summary

M1 MacBook Pro 14” vs. MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)

Apple has released the M1 MacBook Pro 14”, a 14.2-inch machine, in late-2021. It is powered by up to 10-core Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G). The laptop has an integrated graphics option up to Apple M1 Max iGPU (32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores).

On the other hand, we have the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 15” Retina was introduced by Apple about six years earlier in early-2015. It comes with up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-4980HQ with a boost clock speed up to 4.00 GHz. It has a dedicated GPU option up to AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB GDDR5.

Geekbench 5 Single Core

M1 MacBook Pro 14”1
Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G)1,73299.14%
2
Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)1,73799.43%
3
Apple M1 Max (10C, 24G)1,747100.00%
4
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)1,747100.00%
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)1
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ79145.28%
2
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ86349.40%
3
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ92853.12%
01,747

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

M1 MacBook Pro 14”1
Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G)9,51278.06%
2
Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G)11,98898.38%
3
Apple M1 Max (10C, 24G)12,185100.00%
4
Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G)12,185100.00%
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)1
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ3,05725.09%
2
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ3,18826.16%
3
4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ3,31527.21%
012,185

The M1 MacBook Pro 14” has a 14.2-inch display which is slightly smaller than the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015). In addition, The M1 MacBook Pro 14” weighs 3.5 lbs. about 28% lighter than the 4.49 lbs. MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015). Moreover, measured at 12.31” x 8.71” x 0.61”, the M1 MacBook Pro 14” is much more portable than the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) at 14.13” x 9.73” x 0.71”.

M1 MacBook Pro 14”MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)

Moving over to upgradability, Apple claims that the M1 MacBook Pro 14” supports up to 64GB Unified memory. However, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. It also has soldered storage, and there are no M.2 slots for expansion.

For MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015), it supports 16GB 1600 MHz DDR3L memory. Like M1 MacBook Pro 14”, it has an onboard memory module that is not upgradable by the users. Luckily, it has a single removable M.2 SSD slot that users can replace or upgrade when needed.

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