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MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) vs MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)

MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)1MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)2

Quick look

Quick look: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) against MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)
FigureMacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)1MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)2
Price£1,1993launch price£9494launch price
ChipCore i51.6GHz dual-core IntelCore i51.8GHz dual-core Intel
CPU2-coreCPU2-coreCPU
Memory8GBmemory, base8GBmemory, base
Storage128GBstorage, base128GBstorage, base
Battery lifeUp to13 hrsvideo playback, claimedUp to12 hrsvideo playback, claimed
Released7 November 20183ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 30 October 2018.7 June 20175ReleasedIn Apple Stores; orderable online from 5 June 2017.
Security updates14 September 20266Security updates ended16 September 20246Security updates ended
Price
The MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) is £1,199 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) is £949 at launch, per Apple UK Store (archived 27 June 2017).

True to scale

MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) · 304.1 × 212.4 mm footprintMacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) · 325 × 227 mm footprint

Footprints from above, from Apple’s published dimensions, drawn to one scale and superposed. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.

Specifications

Each figure is from the source marked by its Mac’s name unless it carries its own small number, which links to where that figure was read.

Body

Body: Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)
SpecificationMacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)1MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)2
Dimensions4.1–15.6 x 304.1 x 212.4 mm3–17 x 325 x 227 mm
Weight1.25 kg1.35 kg
ColoursGold, Silver, Space GraySilver
PortsTwo Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, 3.5 mm headphone jackTwo USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps), Thunderbolt 2 port (up to 20 Gbps), MagSafe 2 power port, SDXC card slot, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Thunderbolt ports721
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 2
USB-A portsNo USB-A ports.82
HDMINo HDMI port.9No HDMI port.10
SD card slotNo SD card slot.9Yes
Headphone jackYesYes
MagSafeNo MagSafe port.9Yes
KeyboardFull-size keyboard with LED-backlit keysFull-size backlit keyboard
Touch IDYesNo Touch ID.10

Display

Display: Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)
SpecificationMacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)1MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)2
Display size13.3 in13.3 in
Resolution2560 x 16001440 x 900
Pixel density227 ppiNot available11
Display typeRetina displayLED-backlit glossy widescreen display

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)
SpecificationMacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)1MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)2
Chip1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i51.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Apple siliconIntel processor, not Apple silicon.8Intel processor, not Apple silicon.12
CPU cores22
GraphicsIntel UHD Graphics 617Intel HD Graphics 6000
Chip options1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5131.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 or 2.2GHz dual-core Intel Core i7
Memory (base)8GB8GB
Memory (maximum)16GB8GB
Memory options8GB or 16GB8GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents14No, as Apple documents14
Storage (base)128GB128GB
Storage (maximum)1.5TB512GB
Storage options128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1.5TB128GB, 256GB or 512GB

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)
SpecificationMacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)1MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)2
Battery capacity50.3 Wh54 Wh
Rated charge cycles1,000 cycles151,000 cycles15
Video playback (claimed)13 h12 h
Wireless web (claimed)12 h12 h
Included power adapter30 W45 W
Fast chargingNo fast charging.9No fast charging.10

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)
SpecificationMacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)1MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)2
Wi-Fi802.11ac Wi-Fi802.11ac Wi-Fi
Bluetooth4.24.0
EthernetNo Ethernet port.9No Ethernet port.10
External displays (base)21

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)
SpecificationMacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)1MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)2
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
SpeakersStereo speakersStereo speakers
MicrophonesThree microphonesDual microphones

Platform

Platform: Apple MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) against Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)
SpecificationMacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)1MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)2
Shipped withmacOS Mojave16Not available11
Newest macOSmacOS Sonoma17macOS Monterey17
Model identifierMacBookAir8,117MacBookAir7,217
Model year20182017

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) - Technical Specifications · Default for MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications · Default for MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple Newsroom (UK) — All-new MacBook Air takes flight · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  4. Apple UK Store (archived 27 June 2017) — MacBook Air 13-inch, 1.8GHz dual-core Core i5, 8GB, 128GB, £949.00 · third-party figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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  5. Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac receives major update featuring more powerful graphics, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3 and brighter displays · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  6. endoflife.date — Apple macOS · third-party figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  7. Different Thunderbolt generations. MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018): Thunderbolt 3. MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017): Thunderbolt 2.

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  8. MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018): No USB-A ports. Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) - Technical Specifications. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  9. MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No MagSafe port. No fast charging. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) - Technical Specifications. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  10. MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017): No HDMI port. No Touch ID. No fast charging. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  11. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac receives major update featuring more powerful graphics, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3 and brighter displays. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  12. MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017): Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  13. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) - Technical Specifications · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  14. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro: how to remove or install memory · Apple’s figure · read 18 Oct 2026

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  15. Apple Support (UK) — Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops · Apple’s figure · read 15 Oct 2026

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  16. Apple Newsroom (UK) — All-new MacBook Air takes flight · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  17. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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Not published by Apple

MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018). Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: brightness, refresh rate, wide colour (P3), nano-texture option, GPU cores, storage upgradeable by user. Geekbench 7: the Mac chart has no entry for this Mac, so no figures are shown (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — All-new MacBook Air takes flight, read 9 Oct 2026.

MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017). Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: brightness, refresh rate, wide colour (P3), nano-texture option, GPU cores, storage upgradeable by user. Geekbench 7 Metal: the Mac chart has no Metal score for this Mac (chart read 10 Oct 2026). Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — iMac receives major update featuring more powerful graphics, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3 and brighter displays, read 9 Oct 2026.

If you own one of them

Whether to move is a different question from which is better. Each Mac has a page on it: what its successor changes (the newest Mac in its line where Apple sells one, otherwise the Mac this site treats as its replacement, which can be in another line), what it fetches and whether it still gets updates. Should I upgrade my MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)? · Should I upgrade my MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)?

The pairs a buyer of either Mac would also weigh. Any two Macs in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.