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MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) vs MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)1MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)2

Quick look

Quick look: MacBook Pro M1 against MacBook Pro
FigureMacBook Pro M11MacBook Pro2
Price£1,2993launch price£9994launch price
ChipM1chipCore i52.7GHz dual-core Intel
CPU8-coreCPU2-coreCPU
GPU8-coreGPUNot available5GPU
Memory8GBunified memory, base8GBmemory, base
Storage256GBstorage, base128GBstorage, base
Battery lifeUp to20 hrsvideo playback, claimedUp to12 hrsvideo playback, claimed
Released10 November 20206Available online; Apple gave no in-store day9 March 20157Released
Security updatesNot available8Security updates16 September 20249Security updates ended
Price
The MacBook Pro M1 is £1,299 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the MacBook Pro is £999 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).

True to scale

MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) · 304.1 × 212.4 mm footprintMacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) · 314 × 219 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 Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M11MacBook Pro2
Dimensions15.6 x 304.1 x 212.4 mm18 x 314 x 219 mm
Weight1.4 kg1.58 kg
ColoursSilver, Space GrayNot available5
PortsTwo Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, 3.5 mm headphone jackMagSafe 2 power port, two Thunderbolt 2 ports (up to 20 Gbps), two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps), HDMI port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, SDXC card slot
Thunderbolt ports1022
Thunderbolt versionThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 2
USB-A portsNo USB-A ports.112
HDMINo HDMI port.12HDMI port
SD card slotNo SD card slot.12Yes
Headphone jackYesYes
MagSafeNo MagSafe port.11Yes
KeyboardBacklit Magic Keyboard with Touch Bar and Touch IDFull-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted T arrangement)
Touch IDYesNo Touch ID.13
Touch BarYesNot available14

Display

Display: Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M11MacBook Pro2
Display size13.3 in13.3 in
Resolution2560 x 16002560 x 1600
Pixel density227 ppi227 ppi
Display typeRetina displayRetina display
Brightness500 nits300 nits
Wide colour (P3)YesNo wide colour (P3) display.15
Nano-texture optionNo nano-texture display option.12Not available5

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M11MacBook Pro2
ChipApple M1 chip2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Apple siliconYesIntel processor, not Apple silicon.15
CPU cores82
Performance cores4Not available16
Efficiency cores4Not available16
GPU cores8Not available5
Graphics8-core GPU17Intel Iris Graphics 6100
Neural Engine cores16Not available18
Chip optionsM1 with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU172.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz; 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz; configurable to 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz
Memory (base)8GB8GB
Memory (maximum)16GB16GB
Memory options8GB or 16GB8GB or 16GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents19No, as Apple documents19
Storage (base)256GB128GB
Storage (maximum)2TB1TB
Storage options256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M11MacBook Pro2
Battery capacity58.2 Wh74.9 Wh
Rated charge cycles1,000 cycles201,000 cycles20
Video playback (claimed)2120 h12 h
Wireless web (claimed)17 h10 h
Included power adapter61 W60 W
Fast chargingNo fast charging.22No fast charging.13

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M11MacBook Pro2
Wi-Fi802.11ax Wi-Fi 6802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
Bluetooth5.04.0
EthernetNo Ethernet port.12No Ethernet port.13
External displays (base)12

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M11MacBook Pro2
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
SpeakersStereo speakers with high dynamic rangeStereo speakers
MicrophonesStudio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamformingDual microphones

Platform

Platform: Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M11MacBook Pro2
Shipped withmacOS Big Sur23OS X Yosemite24
Newest macOSmacOS 27 Golden Gate25macOS Monterey26
Model identifierMacBookPro17,126MacBookPro12,126
Model year20202015

Benchmarks

Benchmarks: Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) against Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
SpecificationMacBook Pro M11MacBook Pro2
Geekbench 7 (CPU, single-core)2,1662791827
Geekbench 7 (CPU, multi-core)8,309271,78127

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs · Default for MacBook Pro M1 · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) - Technical Specifications · Default for MacBook Pro · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  4. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display & MacBook Air · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  5. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) - Technical Specifications; Identify your MacBook Pro model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display & MacBook Air. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  6. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  7. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display & MacBook Air · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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  8. Security updates: no end date published. Checked: endoflife.date. Read 22 Sep 2026

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

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  10. Different Thunderbolt generations. MacBook Pro M1: Thunderbolt 3. MacBook Pro: Thunderbolt 2.

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  11. MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020): No USB-A ports. No MagSafe port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  12. MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No nano-texture display option. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  13. MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015): No Touch ID. No fast charging. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) - Technical Specifications. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  14. Doesn’t apply: this Mac predates the Touch Bar

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  15. MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015): No wide colour (P3) display. Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) - Technical Specifications. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  16. Doesn’t apply: this is an Intel processor, and Apple lists a total core count only

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  17. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  18. Doesn’t apply: Apple silicon feature; this Mac has an Intel processor

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

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

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  21. Two different Apple tests. MacBook Pro M1: Apple TV app movie playback. MacBook Pro: iTunes movie playback.

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  22. MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020): No fast charging. Checked: Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple unveils game-changing MacBook Pro. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  23. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  24. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display & MacBook Air · Apple’s figure · read 2 Oct 2026

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  25. Apple Support (UK) — macOS 27 Golden Gate is compatible with these computers · Apple’s figure · read 22 Sep 2026

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

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  27. Geekbench Browser (Primate Labs) · third-party figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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Not published by Apple

MacBook Pro M1. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, memory bandwidth, storage upgradeable by user, media engine. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) - Tech Specs; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Introducing the next generation of Mac; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Pro model, read 9 Oct 2026.

MacBook Pro. Apple doesn’t publish for this Mac: refresh rate, 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 Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) - Technical Specifications; Identify your MacBook Pro model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display & MacBook Air, 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 Pro M1 (13-inch, 2020)? · Should I upgrade my MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)?

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