MacBook Pro 15” (2016) vs. MacBook Air 13” 2013: Full specs comparison

We thoroughly analyzed technical specifications for MacBook Pro 15” (2016) and MacBook Air 13” 2013 models, including CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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MacBook Pro 15” (2016) image

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)

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MacBook Air 13” 2013 image

MacBook Air 13” 2013

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MacBook Pro 15” (2016) Pros

Reasons that MacBook Pro 15” (2016) is better than MacBook Air 13” 2013.

Significantly newer manufacturing

2016 vs. 2013

Much faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-6920HQ inside MacBook Pro 15” (2016) has a 168% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-4650U inside MacBook Air 13” 2013.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
MacBook Pro 15” (2016) - Intel Core i7-6920HQ
3,321
MacBook Pro 15” (2016) - Intel Core i7-6820HQ
3,142
MacBook Pro 15” (2016) - Intel Core i7-6700HQ
3,073
MacBook Air 13” 2013 - Intel Core i7-4650U
1,236
MacBook Air 13” 2013 - Intel Core i5-4250U
1,147
Supports larger memory

MacBook Pro 15” (2016) supports a larger memory capacity than the MacBook Air 13” 2013. It supports up to 16GB versus 8GB of system memory on the MacBook Air 13” 2013.

Max system memory size
MacBook Pro 15” (2016)
16 GB
MacBook Air 13” 2013
8 GB
Supports faster memory

MacBook Pro 15” (2016) supports a faster memory speed than the MacBook Air 13” 2013. It supports up to 2133MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the MacBook Air 13” 2013.

Memory type and speed
MacBook Pro 15” (2016) - LPDDR3
2,133 MHz
MacBook Air 13” 2013 - LPDDR3
1,600 MHz
Supports discrete graphics

Configurable up to AMD Radeon Pro 460 4GB GDDR5 vs. integrated

15% larger display

MacBook Pro 15” (2016) has a 15.4-inch screen size 15% larger than the 13.3-inch MacBook Air 13” 2013.

Display size
MacBook Pro 15” (2016)
15.4-inch
MacBook Air 13” 2013
13.3-inch

MacBook Air 13” 2013 Pros

Reasons that MacBook Air 13” 2013 is better than MacBook Pro 15” (2016).

About 27% lighter

MacBook Air 13” 2013 weighed 2.96 pounds, 27% lighter than the 4.02 pounds MacBook Pro 15” (2016).

WeightMacBook Pro 15” (2016)MacBook Air 13” 2013
Pound
4.02 lbs.
2.96 lbs.
Kilogram
1.82 kg
1.34 kg

Prices

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

MacBook Pro 15” (2016) Price
2016 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.7GHz quad-core with Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)(QWERTZ English) Space Gray (Renewed)
 2016 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.7GHz quad-core with Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)(QWERTZ English) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$399.00
$419.00 5% OFF
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Apple MacBook Pro 15" Retina Core i7 2.6GHz MLH32LL/A with Touch Bar, 16GB Memory, 256GB Solid State Drive (Renewed)
 Apple MacBook Pro 15" Retina Core i7 2.6GHz MLH32LL/A with Touch Bar, 16GB Memory, 256GB Solid State Drive (Renewed)
By Apple
$465.08
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Apple 2016 MacBook Pro with 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 (15 inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
 Apple 2016 MacBook Pro with 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 (15 inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$424.95
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MacBook Air 13” 2013 Price
Apple MacBook Air 13" (Mid 2013) - Core i5 1.3GHz, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD (Renewed)
 Apple MacBook Air 13" (Mid 2013) - Core i5 1.3GHz, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD (Renewed)
By Apple
$199.99
$220.24 9% OFF
See at Amazon
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
$239.00
$285.00 16% OFF
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Apple 60W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter for MacBook Pro with 13-inch Retina Display
 Apple 60W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter for MacBook Pro with 13-inch Retina Display
By Apple
$72.00
$79.00 9% OFF
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Specs Comparison

Availability

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)MacBook Air 13” 2013
Released20162013
Release Date
  • Announced on October 27, 2016
  • Available on November 15, 2016
  • Available on June 10, 2013
Pricing
  • $2,399
    Intel Core i7 6700HQ | 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD | Radeon Pro 450
  • $2,799
    Intel Core i7 6820HQ | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD | Radeon Pro 455
  • $1,099
    Intel Core i5 4250U | 4GB RAM | 128GB SSD
  • $1,299
    Intel Core i5 4250U | 4GB RAM | 256GB SSD
Generations

Exterior

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)MacBook Air 13” 2013
Dimensions13.75” x 9.48” x 0.61” (349.3 mm x 240.7 mm x 155 mm)12.8” x 8.94” x 0.11 - 0.68” (325 mm x 227 mm x 3 - 17 mm)
WeightStarting at 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg)Starting at 2.96 pounds (1.35 kg)
Colors
Space Gray Silver
Silver
Keyboard and TrackpadBacklit 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
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
  • 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

Display

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)MacBook Air 13” 2013
Size15.4 Inches13.3 Inches
InfoRetina 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 gamut (P3)
  • 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

Ports

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)MacBook Air 13” 2013
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
  • 1 x Thunderbolt ports
    Supports data transfers up to 10 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

Internal Specs

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)MacBook Air 13” 2013
Processor
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.60 → 3.50 GHz, 6MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6820HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.70 → 3.60 GHz, 8 MB Smart Cache, 45W
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6920HQ
    4 cores, 8 threads, 2.90 → 3.80 GHz, 8 MB Smart Cache, 45W
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4250U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.30 → 2.60 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4650U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.70 → 3.30 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ
    Intel® HD Graphics 530
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6820HQ
    Intel® HD Graphics 530
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6920HQ
    Intel® HD Graphics 530
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
  1. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4250U
    Intel® HD Graphics 5000
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1000 MHz
  2. 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4650U
    Intel® HD Graphics 5000
    40 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz
Memory
16GB
of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
4GB
Configurable to 8GB 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Discrete Graphics
  • AMD Radeon Pro 450 with 2GB of GDDR5 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro 455 with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro 460 with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
-
Storage
256GB 512GB
configurable to 1TB or 2TB SSD
128GB 256GB
Configurable to 512GB flash storage.

Connectivity

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)MacBook Air 13” 2013
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 4.2 wireless technologyBluetooth 4.0 wireless technology

Battery

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)MacBook Air 13” 2013
Size76 Wh lithium‑polymer battery54 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 10 hours wireless web
  • Up to 10 hours Apple TV app movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
  • Up to 12 hours wireless web
  • Up to 10 hours of iTunes movie playback
  • Up to 30 days standby time
Power Supply87W USB‑C Power Adapter45W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.

Software

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)MacBook Air 13” 2013
OSShipped with macOS SierraShipped with OSX Mountain Lion
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
Mail Messages Contacts Calendar Safari Reminders Notification Center Notes Dictation iCloud Time Machine FaceTime Photo Booth AirPlay Game Center the Mac App Store iTunes Gatekeeper Twitter and Facebook integration

Camera & Audio

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)MacBook Air 13” 2013
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • Headphone port
  • Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone

Misc

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)MacBook Air 13” 2013
Sensors
  • Touch ID sensor
-
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T1 Chip
-
In the box
  • 15‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 87W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
  • MacBook Air 13″
  • 45W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter, AC wall plug, and power cord
  • Printed and electronic documentation
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, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.Limited 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.
More
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 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)
Video 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)

Key Features

MacBook Pro 15” (2016)MacBook Air 13” 2013
At Glance
Released in Late
2016
16:10 Retina
15.4”
1800p 60Hz
Weight
4.02 lb
1.82 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-6920HQ
4C/8T, 2.90 → 3.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
836
Single Core
Geekbench 5
3,321
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 530
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1050 MHz
16GB
2133 MHz LPDDR3
AMD
Radeon Pro 460
4GB GDDR5
Released in Mid
2013
16:10 WXGA+
13.3”
900p 60Hz
Weight
2.96 lb
1.34 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-4650U
2C/4T, 1.70 → 3.30 GHz
Geekbench 5
632
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,236
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 5000
40 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz
Up to
8GB
1600 MHz LPDDR3

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