MacBook Air 13” 2017 vs. MacBook Pro 15” (2018) - Specs Comparison

Here is a comparison between the specifications of the MacBook Air 13” 2017 and MacBook Pro 15” (2018), including differences in the chip, memory, storage, display, battery, ports, and more.

MacBook Air 13” 2017 vs. MacBook Pro 15” (2018)

The MacBook Air 13” 2017 features the 15W 5th Generation Intel Broadwell dual-core Intel Core i5-5350U up to dual-core Intel Core i7-5650U with the boost speed up to 3.10 GHz. While the MacBook Pro 15” (2018) features the 45W 8th Generation Intel Coffee Lake 6-core Intel Core i7-8750H up to 6-core Intel Core i9-8950HK with the boost speed up to 4.80 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” 2017 and the 15.4″ MacBook Pro 15” (2018) , we have a detailed tech specs comparison between both devices for you to check out here.

MacBook Air 13” 2017 vs. MacBook Pro 15” (2018): Specs Comparison

MacBook Air 13” 2017 image

MacBook Air 13” 2017

MacBook Pro 15” (2018) image

MacBook Pro 15” (2018)

Key Features
What's new
  • 6-core Intel Core i7 and Core i9 processors up to 2.9 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 4.8 GHz
  • Up to 32GB of DDR4 memory
  • Powerful Radeon Pro discrete graphics with 4GB of video memory in every configuration
  • Up to 4TB of SSD storage2
  • True Tone display technology
  • Apple T2 Chip
  • Touch Bar and Touch ID
AvailabilityMacBook Air 13” 2017MacBook Pro 15” (2018)
Released20172018
Release Info
  • Available on June 6, 2017
Announced on July 13, 2018
Pricing
  • $999
    Intel Core i5 5350U | 8GB RAM | 128GB SSD
  • $1,199
    Intel Core i5 5350U | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $2,399 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $2,799 - Intel Core i7 | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD
DisplayMacBook Air 13” 2017MacBook Pro 15” (2018)
Size13.3 Inches15.4 Inches
Info
  • Widescreen display
  • 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
  • 500 nits brightness
  • Wide color (P3)
  • True Tone technology
ExteriorMacBook Air 13” 2017MacBook Pro 15” (2018)
Size Comparison
Dimensions12.8” x 8.94” x 0.11 - 0.68” (325 mm x 227 mm x 3 - 17 mm)13.75” x 9.48” x 0.61” (349.3 mm x 240.7 mm x 155 mm)
WeightStarting at 2.96 pounds (1.35 kg)Starting at 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg)
Colors
Silver
Space GraySilver
Keyboard and TrackpadFull-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
Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
  • 64 (U.S.) or 65 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys
  • Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor
  • 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 2 port
    Supports data transfers up to 20 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
Four 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 SpecsMacBook Air 13” 2017MacBook Pro 15” (2018)
Processor
  • 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5350U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.80 → 2.90 GHz, 3MB Cache, 15W
  • 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-5350U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.20 → 3.10 GHz, 4MB Cache, 15W
  • 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.20 → 4.10 GHz, 9MB SmartCache, 45W
  • 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8850H
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 → 4.30 GHz, 9MB SmartCache, 45W
  • 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK
    6 cores, 12 threads, 2.90 → 4.80 GHz, 12MB SmartCache, 45W
Integrated Graphics
  • 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5350U
    Intel® HD Graphics 6000
    48 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
  • 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-5350U
    Intel® HD Graphics 6000
    48 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
  • 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8750H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz
  • 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-8850H
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1150 MHz
  • 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-8950HK
    Intel® UHD Graphics 630
    24 Execution Units, 350 → 1200 MHz
Discrete Graphics
  • AMD Radeon Pro 555X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR6 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 with 4GB of HBM2 memory
  • AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4GB of HBM2 memory
Memory
4GB8GB
 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
16GB
configurable to 32GB of 2400MHz DDR4 onboard memory
Storage
128GB256GB
Configurable to 512GB flash storage.
256GB512GB
configurable to 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB SSD
ConnectivityMacBook Air 13” 2017MacBook Pro 15” (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
BluetoothBluetooth 4.0 wireless technologyBluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
BatteryMacBook Air 13” 2017MacBook Pro 15” (2018)
Size54 Wh lithium‑polymer battery83.6 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life
  • Up to 12 hours wireless web
  • Up to 12 hours of iTunes movie playback
  • Up to 30 days standby time
  • Up to 10 hours wireless web
  • Up to 10 hours Apple TV app movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply45W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter
With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.
87W USB‑C Power Adapter
SoftwareMacBook Air 13” 2017MacBook Pro 15” (2018)
OSShipped with macOS MojaveShipped with macOS Catalina
Built-in Apps
PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewiTunesBooksApp StoreTime Machine
PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player
Camera & AudioMacBook Air 13” 2017MacBook Pro 15” (2018)
Camera720p FaceTime HD camera720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • Headphone port
  • Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone
  • Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
  • Three microphones
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
MiscMacBook Air 13” 2017MacBook Pro 15” (2018)
Sensors
  • Touch ID sensor
Security
  • Touch ID sensor
  • Apple T2 Chip
In the box
  • MacBook Air 13″
  • Power adapter
  • AC wall plug
  • Power cord
  • 15‑inch MacBook Pro
  • 87W USB‑C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
WarrantyLimited Warranty and ServiceYour 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 comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one‑year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac 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.
MoreVideo Support
  • Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz on an external display, both at millions of colors
    • Thunderbolt digital video output
    • Native Mini DisplayPort output
    • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and dual-link DVI output using adapters (sold separately)
Video Support
Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
  • Up to two displays with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
  • Up to four displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors
Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
  • Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
  • VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)

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