M2 MacBook Air vs. MacBook 12” 2017 - Specs Comparison
Here is a comparison between the specifications of the M2 MacBook Air and MacBook 12” 2017, including differences in the chip, memory, storage, display, battery, ports, and more.
January 24, 2024 10:13 am
The 2022 M2 MacBook Air features the Apple M-Series ARM 64-bit 8-core Apple M2 (8C, 8G) up to 8-core Apple M2 (8C, 10G) with the boost speed up to 3.48 GHz. While 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.
If you are in the market looking for a laptop and don't know what's the difference between the 13.6″ M2 MacBook Air (2022) and the 12″ MacBook 12” 2017 , we have a detailed tech specs comparison between both devices for you to check out here.
M2 MacBook Air vs. MacBook 12” 2017: Specs Comparison
| | |
| Availability |
| Released | 2022 | 2017 |
| Release Info | Announced on June 6, 2022 (WWDC 2022) |
- Announced on June 5, 2017
- Available on June 7, 2017
|
| Pricing |
- $1,199
M2 (8C, 8G) | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
- $1,499
M2 (8C, 10G) | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
| |
| Display | M2 MacBook Air | MacBook 12” 2017 |
| Size | 13.6 Inches | 12 Inches |
| Info | Liquid Retina display
- 13.6-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology.
- 2560-by-1664 native resolution at 224 pixels per inch with support for 1 billion colors
- 500 nits brightness
- Wide color (P3)
- True Tone technology
| 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
|
| Exterior | M2 MacBook Air | MacBook 12” 2017 |
| Size Comparison | |
| Dimensions | 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 in (304.1 x 215 x 11.3 mm) | 11.04” x 7.74” x 0.14 - 0.52” (280.5 mm x 196.5 mm x 3.5 - 13.1 mm) |
| Weight | Starting at 2.7 pounds (1.24 kg) | Starting at 2.03 pounds (920 g) |
| Colors | Midnight Starlight Space Gray Silver | SilverSpace GrayGoldRose Gold |
| Keyboard and Trackpad | Backlit Magic Keyboard with:
- 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys including 12 full-height function keys and 4 arrow keys in an inverted-T arrangement
- Touch ID
- 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
| 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
|
| 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)
|
| Internal Specs | M2 MacBook Air | MacBook 12” 2017 |
| Processor | - Apple M2 (8C, 8G)
8 cores, 8 threads, 2.42 → 3.48 GHz, - Apple M2 (8C, 10G)
8 cores, 8 threads, 2.42 → 3.48 GHz,
| - 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
|
| Integrated Graphics | - Apple M2 (8C, 8G)
Apple M2 iGPU 8 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores, - Apple M2 (8C, 10G)
Apple M2 iGPU 10 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
| - 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
|
| Memory | 8GB 16GB 24GB unified memory. | 8GB Configurable to 16GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory |
| Storage |
256GB512GB SSD- Configurable to 1TB or 2TB
| 256GB512GB PCIe-based onboard SSD. |
| Connectivity | M2 MacBook Air | MacBook 12” 2017 |
| Wi-Fi |
- 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 wireless networking
- IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
|
- 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
- IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
|
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology | Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology |
| Battery | M2 MacBook Air | MacBook 12” 2017 |
| Size | 52.6 Wh lithium‑polymer battery | 41.4 Wh lithium‑polymer battery |
| Battery Life |
- Up to 15 hours of wireless web
- Up to 18 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
|
- Up to 10 hours of wireless web
- Up to 12 hours of iTunes movie playback
- Up to 30 days of standby time
|
| Power Supply |
- 30W USB‑C Power Adapter
(included with M2 with 8-core GPU.
- 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter
included with M2 with 10-core GPU and 512GB storage, configurable with M2 with 8-core GPU.
| 29W USB-C Power Adapter |
| Software | M2 MacBook Air | MacBook 12” 2017 |
| OS | Shipped with macOS Monterey | Shipped with macOS High Sierra |
| Built-in Apps | PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player | PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewiTunesBooksApp StoreTime Machine |
| Camera & Audio | M2 MacBook Air | MacBook 12” 2017 |
| Camera | 1080p FaceTime HD camera. Advanced image signal processor with computational video. | 480p FaceTime HD camera |
| Audio |
- Four-speaker sound system
- Wide stereo sound
- Support for Spatial Audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos on built-in speakers
- Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking when using AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
- Three-mic array with directional beamforming
- 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones
|
- Stereo speakers
- Dual microphones
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
|
| Misc | M2 MacBook Air | MacBook 12” 2017 |
| Sensors |
- Touch ID sensor
- Ambient light sensor
| |
| Security |
- Touch ID sensor
- Apple T2 Security Chip
| |
| In the box |
- MacBook Air
- 30W or 35W USB‑C Power Adapter
- USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
|
- MacBook
- 29W USB-C Power Adapter
- USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
|
| Warranty | One-year limited warranty. | Limited Warranty and Service
Your 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.
|
| More | Video Support
- Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:
- One external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz
- Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
- Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C
- VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)
| 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
|
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