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MacBook Air 13” 2013 vs. MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Specs Comparison

Here is a comparison between the specifications of the MacBook Air 13” 2013 and MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015), including differences in the chip, memory, storage, display, battery, ports, and more.

By Conor Banett

January 24, 2024 10:13 am

MacBook Air 13” 2013 vs. MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)

The MacBook Air 13” 2013 features the 15W 4th Generation Intel Haswell dual-core Intel Core i5-4250U up to dual-core Intel Core i7-4650U with the boost speed up to 3.30 GHz. While the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) features the 47W 4th Generation Intel Crystal Well quad-core Intel Core i7-4770HQ up to quad-core Intel Core i7-4980HQ with the boost speed up to 4.00 GHz.

If you are in the market looking for a laptop and don't know what's the difference between the 13.3″ MacBook Air 13” 2013 and the 15.4″ MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) , we have a detailed tech specs comparison between both devices for you to check out here.

MacBook Air 13” 2013 vs. MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015): Specs Comparison

	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it MacBook Air 13” 2013	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Availability
Released	2013	2015
Release Info	Available on June 10, 2013	Announced on March 9th, 2015 Available on March 9th, 2015
Pricing	$1,099 Intel Core i5 4250U \| 4GB RAM \| 128GB SSD $1,299 Intel Core i5 4250U \| 4GB RAM \| 256GB SSD	$1,999 Intel Core i7 4770HQ\| 16GB RAM \| 256GB SSD $2,499 Intel Core i7 4870HQ \| 16GB RAM \| 512GB SSD

Display	MacBook Air 13” 2013	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Size	13.3 Inches	15.4 Inches
Info	13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with support for millions of colors Supported resolutions: 1440 by 900 (native), 1280 by 800, 1152 by 720, and 1024 by 640 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio and 1024 by 768 and 800 by 600 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio	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

Exterior	MacBook Air 13” 2013	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Size Comparison
Dimensions	12.8” x 8.94” x 0.11 - 0.68” (325 mm x 227 mm x 3 - 17 mm)	14.13” x 9.73” x 0.71” (358.9 mm x 247.1 mm x 18 mm)
Weight	Starting at 2.96 pounds (1.35 kg)	Starting at 4.49 lb (2.04 kg)
Colors	Silver	Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad	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 Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control; supports inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities	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
Ports	1 x Thunderbolt ports Supports data transfers up to 10 Gbps. 2 x USB 3.0 ports Supports data transfers up to 5 Gbps. 1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack 1 x SDXC card reader 1 x MagSafe 2 power port	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 Air 13” 2013	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Processor	4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4250U 2 cores, 4 threads, 1.30 → 2.60 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4650U 2 cores, 4 threads, 1.70 → 3.30 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W	4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ 4 cores, 8 threads, 2.20 → 3.40 GHz, 5 MB Cache, 47W 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ 4 cores, 8 threads, 2.50 → 3.70 GHz, 6 MB Cache, 47W 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ 4 cores, 8 threads, 2.80 → 4.00 GHz, 6 MB Cache, 47W
Integrated Graphics	4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-4250U Intel® HD Graphics 5000 40 Execution Units, 200 → 1000 MHz 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4650U Intel® HD Graphics 5000 40 Execution Units, 200 → 1100 MHz	4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200 40 Execution Units, 200 → 1200 MHz 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200 40 Execution Units, 200 → 1200 MHz 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200 40 Execution Units, 200 → 1300 MHz
Discrete Graphics		AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory
Memory	4GB Configurable to 8GB 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory	16GB 1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory
Storage	128GB256GB Configurable to 512GB flash storage.	256GB512GB configurable to 1TB SSD

Connectivity	MacBook Air 13” 2013	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
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology	Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology

Battery	MacBook Air 13” 2013	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Size	54 Wh lithium‑polymer battery	99.4 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life	Up to 12 hours wireless web Up to 10 hours of iTunes movie playback Up to 30 days 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 Supply	45W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.	85W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.

Software	MacBook Air 13” 2013	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
OS	Shipped with OSX Mountain Lion	Shipped with OS X Yosemite
Built-in Apps	Mail Messages Contacts Calendar Safari Reminders Notification Center Notes Dictation iCloud Time Machine FaceTime Photo Booth AirPlay Game Center the Mac App Store iTunes Gatekeeper Twitter and Facebook integration	PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewiTunesiBooksApp StoreTime Machine

Camera & Audio	MacBook Air 13” 2013	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Camera	720p FaceTime HD camera	720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio	Stereo speakers Dual microphones Headphone port Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone	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 Air 13” 2013	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Sensors		Ambient light sensor
In the box	MacBook Air 13″ 45W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter, AC wall plug, and power cord Printed and electronic documentation	15‑inch MacBook Pro MagSafe 2 Power Adapter Power cord AC wall plug
Warranty	Limited Warranty and Service Your MacBook Air 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.	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 Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors Thunderbolt digital video output Native Mini DisplayPort output DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter (sold separately) VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (sold separately) Dual-link DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (sold separately) HDMI audio and video output using third-party Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter (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