MacBook Pro 15” (2018) vs. MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015): Full specs comparison

Here is a comparison of the specs between MacBook Pro 15” (2018) and MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015), including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

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MacBook Pro 15” (2018) image

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)

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MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) image

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)

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MacBook Pro 15” (2018) Pros

Reasons that MacBook Pro 15” (2018) is better than MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Significantly newer manufacturing

2018 vs. 2015

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i9-8950HK inside MacBook Pro 15” (2018) has a 44% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core i7-4980HQ inside MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
MacBook Pro 15” (2018) - Intel Core i9-8950HK
4,806
MacBook Pro 15” (2018) - Intel Core i7-8850H
4,497
MacBook Pro 15” (2018) - Intel Core i7-8750H
4,470
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

MacBook Pro 15” (2018) supports a larger memory capacity than the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015). It supports up to 32GB versus 16GB of system memory on the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Max system memory size
MacBook Pro 15” (2018)
32 GB
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
16 GB
Supports faster memory

MacBook Pro 15” (2018) supports a faster memory speed than the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015). It supports up to 2400MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Memory type and speed
MacBook Pro 15” (2018) - DDR4
2,400 MHz
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - DDR3L
1,600 MHz
About 11% lighter

MacBook Pro 15” (2018) weighed 4.02 pounds, 11% lighter than the 4.49 pounds MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

WeightMacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Pound
4.02 lbs.
4.49 lbs.
Kilogram
1.82 kg
2.04 kg

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) Pros

Reasons that MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) is better than MacBook Pro 15” (2018).

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.

SlotsMacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
M.2
Onboard
Yes x1

Prices

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

MacBook Pro 15” (2018) Price
Apple 15in MacBook Pro, Retina, Touch Bar, 2.9GHz Intel Core i7 Quad Core, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Space Gray, MPTT2LL/A (Renewed)
 Apple 15in MacBook Pro, Retina, Touch Bar, 2.9GHz Intel Core i7 Quad Core, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Space Gray, MPTT2LL/A (Renewed)
By Apple
$449.95
$547.39 18% OFF
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2018 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.2GHz Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Silver (Renewed)
 2018 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.2GHz Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) Silver (Renewed)
By Apple
$509.00
See at Amazon
Mid 2018 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.9GHz Intel Core i9 (15 Inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
 Mid 2018 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.9GHz Intel Core i9 (15 Inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed)
By Apple
$580.00
$609.95 5% OFF
See at Amazon
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
$395.00
$420.24 6% OFF
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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
$342.30
See at Amazon
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
See at Amazon

Specs Comparison

Availability

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Released20182015
Release DateAnnounced on July 13, 2018
  • Announced on March 9th, 2015
  • Available on March 9th, 2015
Pricing
  • $2,399 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $2,799 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD
  • $1,999
    Intel Core i7 4770HQ| 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $2,499
    Intel Core i7 4870HQ | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD
Generations

Exterior

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Dimensions13.75” x 9.48” x 0.61” (349.3 mm x 240.7 mm x 155 mm)14.13” x 9.73” x 0.71” (358.9 mm x 247.1 mm x 18 mm)
WeightStarting at 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg)Starting at 4.49 lb (2.04 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
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures

Display

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Size15.4 Inches15.4 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 (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
  • 300 nits brightness
  • Standard color gamut (sRGB)
  • 900:1 contrast ratio

Ports

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
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
  • 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

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Processor
  1. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.20 → 4.10 GHz, 9MB SmartCache, 45W
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8850H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.30 GHz, 9MB SmartCache, 45W
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.90 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
  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. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
  2. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8850H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  3. 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
  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
configurable to 32GB of 2400MHz DDR4 onboard memory
16GB
1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory
Discrete Graphics
  • AMD Radeon Pro 555X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR6 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 with 4GB of HBM2 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB of HBM2 memory
AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory
Storage
256GB 512GB
configurable to 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB SSD
256GB 512GB
configurable to 1TB SSD

Connectivity

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
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 5.0 wireless technologyBluetooth 4.2 wireless technology

Battery

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Size83.6 Wh lithium‑polymer battery99.4 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 9 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 9 hours of iTunes movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply87W USB‑C Power Adapter85W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.

Software

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
OSShipped with macOS CatalinaShipped 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

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • 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

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Sensors
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Chip
-
In the box
  • 15‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 87W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge 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, 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
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, DVI, 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 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

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
At Glance
Released in Mid
2018
16:10 Retina
15.4”
1800p 60Hz
Weight
4.02 lb
1.82 kg
Up to
Intel Core i9-8950HK
6C/12T, 2.90 → 4.80 GHz
Geekbench 5
1,066
Single Core
Geekbench 5
4,806
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® UHD Graphics 630
24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
Configurable up to
32GB
2400 MHz DDR4
AMD
Radeon Pro Vega 20
4GB HBM2
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

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