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MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) vs MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015)1MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)2

Quick look

Quick look: MacBook against MacBook Air
FigureMacBook1MacBook Air2
Price£1,0493launch price£7494launch price
ChipCore M1.1GHz dual-core IntelCore i51.4GHz dual-core Intel
CPU2-coreCPU2-coreCPU
Memory8GBmemory, base4GBmemory, base
Storage256GBstorage, base128GBstorage, base
Battery lifeUp to10 hrsvideo playback, claimedUp to9 hrsvideo playback, claimed
Released10 April 20155Available online; Apple gave no in-store day29 April 20144Released
Security updates2 February 20266Security updates ended2 February 20266Security updates ended
Price
The MacBook is £1,049 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK); the MacBook Air is £749 at launch, per Apple Newsroom (UK).

True to scale

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) · 280.5 × 196.5 mm footprintMacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014) · 300 × 192 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 (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) against Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)
SpecificationMacBook1MacBook Air2
Dimensions3.5–13.1 x 280.5 x 196.5 mm3–17 x 300 x 192 mm
Weight0.92 kg1.08 kg
ColoursSilver, Gold, Space GrayNot available7
PortsUSB-C port, 3.5 mm headphone jackTwo USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps), Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps), MagSafe 2 power port, headphone port
Thunderbolt portsNo Thunderbolt ports.81
Thunderbolt versionNot available9Thunderbolt
USB-A portsNo USB-A ports.82
HDMINo HDMI port.10No HDMI port.11
SD card slotNo SD card slot.10No SD card slot.11
Headphone jackYesYes
MagSafeNo MagSafe port.10Yes
KeyboardFull-size keyboard with LED-backlit keysFull-size backlit keyboard
Touch IDNo Touch ID.10No Touch ID.11

Display

Display: Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) against Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)
SpecificationMacBook1MacBook Air2
Display size12 in11.6 in
Resolution2304 x 14401366 x 768
Pixel density226 ppiNot available7
Display typeRetina displayLED-backlit glossy widescreen display

Chip and memory

Chip and memory: Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) against Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)
SpecificationMacBook1MacBook Air2
Chip1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core M1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Apple siliconIntel processor, not Apple silicon.8Intel processor, not Apple silicon.12
CPU cores22
GraphicsIntel HD Graphics 5300Intel HD Graphics 5000
Chip options1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core M; 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core M; 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core M1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 or 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i7
Memory (base)8GB4GB
Memory (maximum)8GB8GB
Memory options8GB4GB or 8GB
Memory upgradeable by userNo, as Apple documents13No, as Apple documents13
Storage (base)256GB128GB
Storage (maximum)512GB512GB
Storage options256GB or 512GB128GB, 256GB or 512GB

Battery and power

Battery and power: Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) against Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)
SpecificationMacBook1MacBook Air2
Battery capacity39.7 Wh38 Wh
Rated charge cycles1,000 cycles141,000 cycles14
Video playback (claimed)10 h9 h
Wireless web (claimed)9 h9 h
Included power adapter29 W45 W
Fast chargingNo fast charging.10No fast charging.11

Connectivity

Connectivity: Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) against Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)
SpecificationMacBook1MacBook Air2
Wi-Fi802.11ac Wi-Fi802.11ac Wi-Fi
Bluetooth4.04.0
EthernetNo Ethernet port.10No Ethernet port.11
External displays (base)11

Camera and audio

Camera and audio: Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) against Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)
SpecificationMacBook1MacBook Air2
Camera480p FaceTime camera720p FaceTime HD camera
SpeakersStereo speakersStereo speakers
MicrophonesDual microphonesDual microphones

Platform

Platform: Apple MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) against Apple MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)
SpecificationMacBook1MacBook Air2
Shipped withOS X Yosemite15Not available7
Newest macOSmacOS Big Sur16macOS Big Sur17
Model identifierMacBook8,116MacBookAir6,117
Model year20152014

Sources

  1. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) - Tech Specs · Default for MacBook · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  2. Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014) - Technical Specifications · Default for MacBook Air · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  3. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Unveils All-New MacBook · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  4. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates MacBook Air · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 2026

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  5. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Unveils All-New MacBook · Apple’s figure · read 11 Oct 2026

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

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  7. Not published by Apple. Pages checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates MacBook Air. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  8. MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015): No Thunderbolt ports. No USB-A ports. Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) - Tech Specs. Read 15 Sep 2026

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  9. Doesn’t apply: no Thunderbolt port

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  10. MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No MagSafe port. No Touch ID. No fast charging. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) - Tech Specs. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  11. MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014): No HDMI port. No SD card slot. No Touch ID. No fast charging. No Ethernet port. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014) - Technical Specifications. Read 9 Oct 2026

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  12. MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014): Intel processor, not Apple silicon. Checked: Apple Support (UK) — MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014) - Technical Specifications. Read 15 Sep 2026

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

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

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  15. Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Unveils All-New MacBook · Apple’s figure · read 9 Oct 2026

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  16. Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook model · Apple’s figure · read 15 Sep 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. 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 (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) - Tech Specs; Identify your MacBook Pro model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Unveils All-New MacBook, read 9 Oct 2026.

MacBook Air. 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 (11-inch, Early 2014) - Technical Specifications; Apple Support (UK) — Identify your MacBook Air model; Apple Newsroom (UK) — Apple Updates 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 (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015)? · Should I upgrade my MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)?

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