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MacBook 12” 2017 vs. MacBook Air 13” 2018 - Specs Comparison

Here is a comparison between the specifications of the MacBook 12” 2017 and MacBook Air 13” 2018, including differences in the chip, memory, storage, display, battery, ports, and more.

By Conor Banett

January 24, 2024 10:13 am

MacBook 12” 2017 vs. MacBook Air 13” 2018

The MacBook 12” 2017 features the 4.5W 6th Generation Intel Skylake dual-core Intel Core m3-7Y32 up to dual-core Intel Core i7-7Y75 with the boost speed up to 3.60 GHz. While the MacBook Air 13” 2018 features the 7W 8th Generation Intel Amber Lake Y dual-core Intel Core i5-8210Y with the boost speed up to 3.60 GHz.

If you are in the market looking for a laptop and don't know what's the difference between the 12″ MacBook 12” 2017 and the 13.3″ MacBook Air 13” 2018 , we have a detailed tech specs comparison between both devices for you to check out here.

MacBook 12” 2017 vs. MacBook Air 13” 2018: Specs Comparison

	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it MacBook 12” 2017	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it MacBook Air 13” 2018
Key Features
What's new		New Design It's now even more compact and portable with the all-new distinct smaller wedge-shaped design. It's 10% thinner, 17% less volume, and a quarter pound lighter than the previous generation. It is also available in three different colors. New Retina Display Adopting the latest retina display, MacBook Air now displays over 4 million pixels with more color that make text, images, and animation look sharp and smooth. Touch ID & Apple T2 Chip You can now log in to your MacBook Air much faster, easier, and more securely than ever before with the latest Touch ID sensor with deep integration with Apple T2's Secure Enclave chip. Latest Intel Core Processors It's powered by an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 processor with faster-integrated graphics, faster 2133 MHz LPDDR3 memory, and faster SSD. Thunderbolt 3 ports The most versatile port now arrives in MacBook Air, it allows you to charge your notebook, have lightning-fast data transfer, output 5K displays, and support external GPUs (eGPUs). 3rd-generation butterfly keyboard Larger trackpad. More immersive audio experience.
What's missing		Has fewer ports No MagSafe

Availability	MacBook 12” 2017	MacBook Air 13” 2018
Released	2017	2018
Release Info	Announced on June 5, 2017 Available on June 7, 2017	Available on October 30, 2018
Pricing	$1,299 Intel Core m3-7Y32 \| 8GB RAM \| 256GB SSD $1,599 Intel Core m5-7Y54 \| 8GB RAM \| 512GB SSD	$1,199 Intel Core i5 8210Y \| 8GB RAM \| 128GB SSD $1,399 Intel Core i5 8210Y \| 8GB RAM \| 256GB SSD

Display	MacBook 12” 2017	MacBook Air 13” 2018
Size	12 Inches	13.3 Inches
Info	Retina display 12-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology 2304-by-1440 resolution at 226 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors 16:10 aspect ratio Supported scaled resolutions: 1440 by 900 1280 by 800 1024 by 640	Retina display 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors Supported scaled resolutions: 1680 by 1050 1440 by 900 1024 by 640 16:10 aspect ratio

Exterior	MacBook 12” 2017	MacBook Air 13” 2018
Size Comparison
Dimensions	11.04” x 7.74” x 0.14 - 0.52” (280.5 mm x 196.5 mm x 3.5 - 13.1 mm)	11.97” x 8.36” x 0.16 - 0.61” (304.1 mm x 212.4 mm x 4.1 – 15.6 mm)
Weight	Starting at 2.03 pounds (920 g)	Starting at 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg)
Colors	SilverSpace GrayGoldRose Gold	GoldSpace GraySilver
Keyboard and Trackpad	Full-size backlit keyboard with: 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) individual LED backlit keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys 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	Backlit Magic Keyboard with: 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) individual LED-backlit keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys 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
Ports	One USB Type-C port with support for: Charging USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps) Native DisplayPort 1.2 video output VGA output using USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter (sold separately) HDMI video output using USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (sold separately)	Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB‑C) ports with support for: Charging DisplayPort Thunderbolt (up to 40Gb/s) USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)

Internal Specs	MacBook 12” 2017	MacBook Air 13” 2018
Processor	7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y32 2 cores, 4 threads, 1.10 → 3.00 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7Y54 2 cores, 4 threads, 1.20 → 3.20 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7Y75 2 cores, 4 threads, 1.30 → 3.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W	8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y 2 cores, 4 threads, 1.60 → 3.60 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 7W
Integrated Graphics	7th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-7Y32 Intel® HD Graphics 615 24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7Y54 Intel® HD Graphics 615 24 Execution Units, 300 → 950 MHz 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7Y75 Intel® HD Graphics 615 24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz	8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8210Y Intel® UHD Graphics 617 24 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz
Discrete Graphics		Support for Thunderbolt 3–enabled external graphics processors (eGPUs)
Memory	8GB Configurable to 16GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory	8GB Configurable to 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Storage	256GB512GB PCIe-based onboard SSD.	128GB256GB Configurable to 512GB or 1TB SSD

Connectivity	MacBook 12” 2017	MacBook Air 13” 2018
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
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology	Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology

Battery	MacBook 12” 2017	MacBook Air 13” 2018
Size	41.4 Wh lithium‑polymer battery	50.3 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life	Up to 10 hours of wireless web Up to 12 hours of iTunes movie playback Up to 30 days of standby time	Up to 12 hours wireless web Up to 13 hours Apple TV app video playback Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply	29W USB-C Power Adapter	30W USB‑C Power Adapter

Software	MacBook 12” 2017	MacBook Air 13” 2018
OS	Shipped with macOS High Sierra	Shipped with macOS Mojave
Built-in Apps	PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewiTunesBooksApp StoreTime Machine	PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player

Camera & Audio	MacBook 12” 2017	MacBook Air 13” 2018
Camera	480p FaceTime HD camera	720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio	Stereo speakers Dual microphones 3.5 mm headphone jack	Stereo speakers Three microphones 3.5 mm headphone jack

Misc	MacBook 12” 2017	MacBook Air 13” 2018
Sensors		Touch ID sensor Ambient light sensor
Security		Touch ID sensor Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box	MacBook 29W USB-C Power Adapter USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)	MacBook Air 30W USB‑C Power Adapter USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
Warranty	Limited Warranty and ServiceYour MacBook 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 800-823-2275.	Your MacBook Air comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ 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.
More	Video Support Intel HD Graphics 615 Dual display and video mirroring: simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz on an external display, both at millions of colors	Video Support Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and: One external display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at up to 60Hz Up to two external displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at up to 60Hz Thunderbolt 3 digital video output Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C VGA, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 2 output using adapters (sold separately)