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MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020) vs. MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015) - Specs Comparison

Here is a comparison between the specifications of the MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020) and MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015), including differences in the chip, memory, storage, display, battery, ports, and more.

By Conor Banett

September 18, 2023 05:04 am

MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020) vs. MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)

The MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020) features the 10W Apple M-Series ARM 64-bit 8-core Apple M1 with a clock speed of 3.20 GHz. While 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.

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” (M1, 2020) and the 13.3″ MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015) , we have a detailed tech specs comparison between both devices for you to check out here.

MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020) vs. MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015): Specs Comparison

	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020)	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)
Key Features
What's new	Better Performance With the new Apple M1 Chip paired with the MacBook Pro's active cooling system, it's 2.8 times faster than the previous generation. The 8-core GPU is up to 5 times faster allowing smooth graphics performance. Better Battery Life It's a MacBook Pro with the longest battery life ever made, with up to 20-hours of watching movies and 17 hours of web browsing. Better FaceTime HD camera With the latest Apple Image Single Processor (ISP) in the M1 chip, image quality is better in noise reduction, greater dynamic range, and improved auto white balance. More Supports latest USB 4 Supports latest Wi-Fi 6 Better security with new Secure Enclave in M1 chip Studio-quality mics for super clear recordings and calls
What's missing	Supports only one extended 6K@60Hz display, while the older Intel version supports up to two 4K@60Hz. Not supports for external Thunderbolt-3 enabled graphics processors (eGPUs).

Availability	MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)
Released	2020	2015
Release Info	Announced on November 10th, 2020	Announced on March 9th, 2015 Available on March 9th, 2015
Pricing	$1,299 Apple M1 Chip \| 8GB RAM \| 256GB SSD $1,499 Apple M1 Chip \| 8GB RAM \| 512GB SSD	$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

Display	MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)
Size	13.3 Inches	13.3 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 16:10 aspect ratio 500 nits brightness Supports wide color (P3) True Tone technology	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

Exterior	MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)
Size Comparison
Dimensions	11.97” x 8.36” x 0.61” (304.1 mm x 212.4 mm x 15.6 mm)	12.35” x 8.62” x 0.71” (314 mm x 219 mm x 18 mm)
Weight	Starting at 3.1 pounds (1.4 kg)	Starting at 3.48 lb (1.58 kg)
Colors	Space GraySilver	Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad	Backlit Magic Keyboard with: 65 (U.S.) or 66 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys in an inverted‑T arrangement Touch Bar 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	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	Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 (USB‑C) ports with support for: Charging DisplayPort Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s) USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s) Headphone	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 Pro 13” (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)
Processor	Apple M1 8 cores, 8 threads, 3.20 GHz, 10W	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
Integrated Graphics	Apple M1 Apple M1 iGPU 8 Graphics Cores, 1280 MHz	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
Memory	8GB 4266 MHz LPDDR4X onboard memory Configurable to 16GB	8GB configurable to 16GB of 1866MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Storage	256GB512GB SSD Configurable to 1TB or 2TB	256GB512GB configurable to 1TB SSD

Connectivity	MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)
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 4.2 wireless technology

Battery	MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)
Size	58.2 Wh lithium‑polymer battery	74.9 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life	Up to 17 hours wireless web Up to 20 hours Apple TV app movie playback	Up to 10 hours wireless web Up to 12 hours of iTunes movie playback Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply	61W USB‑C Power Adapter	60W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.

Software	MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)
OS	Shipped with macOS Big Sur	Shipped with OS X Yosemite
Built-in Apps	PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player	PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewiTunesiBooksApp StoreTime Machine

Camera & Audio	MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)
Camera	720p FaceTime HD camera	720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio	Stereo speakers with high dynamic range Wide stereo sound Support for Dolby Atmos playback Studio-quality three-mic array with directional beamforming 3.5 mm headphone jack	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 Pro 13” (M1, 2020)	MacBook Pro 13” Retina (2015)
Sensors	Touch ID sensor Ambient light sensor	Ambient light sensor
Security	Touch ID sensor Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box	MacBook Pro 13” 61W USB‑C Power Adapter USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)	13‑inch MacBook Pro MagSafe 2 Power Adapter Power cord AC wall plug
Warranty	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.	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 Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of 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 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

MacBook Pro 13” (M1, 2020): Key Features

Better real-world application performance

When compared to the previous generation, the new M1-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro can:

Build code in Xcode up to 2.8x faster.
Render a complex 3D title in Final Cut Pro up to 5.9x faster.
Fluidly design intricate game scenes in Unity Editor up to 3.5x faster.
Perform ML tasks in Create ML up to 11x faster.
Separate out beats, instrumentals, and vocal tracks from a recording in real-time in djay Pro AI, thanks to the amazing performance of the Neural Engine.
Playback full-quality, 8K ProRes video in DaVinci Resolve without dropping a single frame.
Compile four times as much code on a single charge, thanks to the game-changing performance per watt of the M1 chip.