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MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015) vs. MacBook Pro 14” (2021) - Detailed Specs Comparison

Here is a side by side comparison between MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015) and MacBook Pro 14” (2021) specs including CPU, RAM, storage, battery, display, and more.

By Conor Banett

September 20, 2020 10:43 am

MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015) vs. MacBook Pro 14” (2021)

The MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015) features the 28W 5th Generation Intel Broadwell dual-core Intel Core i5-5257U up to dual-core Intel Core i7-5557U with the boost speed up to 3.40 GHz. While the MacBook Pro 14” (2021) features the Apple M-Series ARM 64-bit 8-core Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G) up to 10-core Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) with a clock speed of 0.00 GHz.

If you are in the market looking for a laptop and don't know what's the difference between the 13.3″ MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015) and the 14.2″ MacBook Pro 14” (2021) , we have a detailed tech specs comparison between both devices for you to check out here.

MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015) vs. MacBook Pro 14” (2021): Specs Comparison

	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it MacBook Pro 14” (2021)
Key Features
What's new		All-New MacBook Pro Design - the new design focus on functionality and performance. It has a larger chassis that provides more room for an advanced thermal system that can move 50 percent more air than the previous generation. New M1 Pro and M1 Max Chip - The new 14” MacBook Pro features the new M1 Pro, and M1 Max applies a system-on-a-chip (SoC) architecture. Both processors feature fast unified memory and increased memory bandwidth up to 400GB/s, 8-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, and with best-in-class performance per watt and industry-leading power efficiency. New Liquid Retina XDR with ProMotion Display - featuring mini-LED technology used in iPad Pro, the Liquid Retina XDR display delivers up to 1,000 nits of sustained, full-screen brightness, an incredible 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Better Battery Life - It delivers up to 17 hours of video playback, which is seven additional hours compared to the previous-generation MacBook Pro.
What's missing		No Touchbar One less Thunderbolt ports

Availability	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)	MacBook Pro 14” (2021)
Released	2015	2021
Release Info	Announced on March 9th, 2015 Available on March 9th, 2015	Announced on October 18, 2021. Available on October 26, 2021.
Pricing	$1,299 Intel Core i5 5257U \| 8GB RAM \| 128GB SSD $1,499 Intel Core i5 5257U \| 8GB RAM \| 256GB SSD $1,799 Intel Core i5 5287U \| 8GB RAM \| 512GB SSD	$1,999 M1 Pro, 8C CPU, 14C GPU, 16GB, 512GB $2,499 M1 Pro, 10C CPU, 16C GPU, 16GB, 1TB $3,099 M1 Max, 10C CPU, 24C GPU, 32GB, 1TB $3,299 M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 32GB, 1TB $3,699 M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 64GB, 1TB $4,099 M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 64GB, 2TB $4,699 M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 64GB, 4TB $5,899 M1 Max, 10C CPU, 32C GPU, 64GB, 8TB

Display	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)	MacBook Pro 14” (2021)
Size	13.3 Inches	14.2 Inches
Info	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 640 300 nits brightness Standard color gamut (sRGB) 900:1 contrast ratio	Liquid Retina XDR display Size: 14.2-inch Technology: Liquid Retina XDR display Resolution: 3024 x 1964 Pixel Density: 254 PPI XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range) Up to 1000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio Color 1 billion colors Wide color (P3) True Tone technology Refresh rates ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz Fixed refresh rates: 47.95Hz, 48.00Hz, 50.00Hz, 59.94Hz, 60.00Hz

Exterior	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)	MacBook Pro 14” (2021)
Size Comparison
Dimensions	12.35” x 8.62” x 0.71” (314 mm x 219 mm x 18 mm)	Height: 0.61 inch (1.55 cm) Width: 12.31 inches (31.26 cm) Depth: 8.71 inches (22.12 cm)
Weight	Starting at 3.48 lb (1.58 kg)	3.5 pounds (1.6 kg)
Colors	Silver	Space GraySilver
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 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) 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
Ports	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	Left 2 x Thunderbolt™️ 4 Supports USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s), DisplayPort, and charging. 1 x MagSafe 3 1 x Headphone jack Right 1 x Thunderbolt™️ 4 Supports USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s), DisplayPort, and charging. 1 x SDXC card slot 1 x HDMI port

Internal Specs	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)	MacBook Pro 14” (2021)
Processor	5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5257U 2 cores, 4 threads, 2.70 → 3.10 GHz, 3MB Cache, 28W 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5287U 2 cores, 4 threads, 2.90 → 3.30 GHz, 3MB Cache, 28W 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-5557U 2 cores, 4 threads, 3.10 → 3.40 GHz, 4MB Cache, 28W	Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G) 8 cores, 8 threads, 0.00 GHz, Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G) 10 cores, 10 threads, 0.00 GHz, Apple M1 Max (10C, 24G) 10 cores, 10 threads, 0.00 GHz, Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) 10 cores, 10 threads, 0.00 GHz,
Integrated Graphics	5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5257U Intel® Iris® Graphics 6100 48 Execution Units, 300 → 1050 MHz 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-5287U Intel® Iris® Graphics 6100 48 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-5557U Intel® Iris® Graphics 6100 48 Execution Units, 300 → 1100 MHz	Apple M1 Pro (8C, 14G) Apple M1 Pro iGPU 14 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores, Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G) Apple M1 Pro iGPU 16 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores, Apple M1 Max (10C, 24G) Apple M1 Max iGPU 24 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores, Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) Apple M1 Max iGPU 32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,
Memory	8GB configurable to 16GB of 1866MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory	16GB 32GB 64GB Unified Memory
Storage	256GB512GB configurable to 1TB SSD	512GB1TB2TB4TB8TB SSD

Connectivity	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)	MacBook Pro 14” (2021)
Wi-Fi	802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible	802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology	Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology

Battery	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)	MacBook Pro 14” (2021)
Size	74.9 Wh lithium‑polymer battery	70 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life	Up to 10 hours wireless web Up to 12 hours of iTunes movie playback Up to 30 days of standby time	Up to 11 hours wireless web Up to 17 hours of Apple TV app movie playback
Power Supply	60W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.	67W USB‑C Power Adapter M1 Pro with 8-core CPU models 96W USB‑C Power Adapter M1 Pro with 10-core CPU or M1 Max models. Supports Fast-Charging.

Software	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)	MacBook Pro 14” (2021)
OS	Shipped with OS X Yosemite	Shipped with macOS Monterey
Built-in Apps	PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewiTunesiBooksApp StoreTime Machine	PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player

Camera & Audio	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)	MacBook Pro 14” (2021)
Camera	720p FaceTime HD camera	1080p FaceTime HD camera Advanced image signal processor with computational video.
Audio	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)	High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers 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 Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming 3.5 mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones

Misc	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)	MacBook Pro 14” (2021)
Sensors	Ambient light sensor	Touch ID sensor
Security		Touch ID sensor Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box	13‑inch MacBook Pro MagSafe 2 Power Adapter Power cord AC wall plug	14‑inch MacBook Pro 67W USB‑C Power Adapter M1 Pro with 8-core CPU models. 96W USB‑C Power Adapter M1 Pro with 10-core CPU or M1 Max models. USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (2 m)
Warranty	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.	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 every 12 months, 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 Iris Graphics 6100 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	Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and: Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Pro) or Up to three external displays with up to 6K resolution and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Max) Thunderbolt 4 digital video output Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C VGA, HDMI, DVI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately) HDMI digital video output Support for one display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)