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M1 MacBook Pro 16” vs. 2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina - Specs Comparison

Here is a comparison between the specifications of the M1 MacBook Pro 16” and 2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina, including differences in the chip, memory, storage, display, battery, ports, and more.

By Conor Banett

January 24, 2024 10:13 am

M1 MacBook Pro 16” vs. 2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina

The 2021 M1 MacBook Pro 16” features the Apple M-Series ARM 64-bit 10-core Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G) up to 10-core Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) with a clock speed of 3.20 GHz. While the 2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina 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 16.2″ M1 MacBook Pro 16” (2021) and the 13.3″ 2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina , we have a detailed tech specs comparison between both devices for you to check out here.

M1 MacBook Pro 16” vs. 2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina: Specs Comparison

	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it M1 MacBook Pro 16”	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it 2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina
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 16” 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 the 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 of up to 21 hours It delivers up to 21 hours of video playback, seven more hours than its previous-generation 16-inch Intel MacBook Pro.
What's missing	Removed features Here is the list of features removed from the 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro laptop: Removed Touchbar One less Thunderbolt ports No Bootcamp You can no longer install and run Windows 10/11 via Bootcamp on the newer Arm-based M1 chip. The only solution you have for now is to use virtualization.

Availability	M1 MacBook Pro 16”	2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina
Released	2021	2015
Release Info	Announced on October 18, 2021. Available on October 26, 2021.	Announced on March 9th, 2015 Available on March 9th, 2015
Pricing	$2,499 M1 Pro 10-Core CPU 16-Core GPU 16GB 512GB $2,699 M1 Pro 10-Core CPU 16-Core GPU 16GB 1TB $3,499 M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 32GB 1TB $3,899 M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 1TB $4,299 M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 2TB $4,899 M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 4TB $6,099 M1 Max 10-Core CPU 32-Core GPU 64GB 8TB	$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	M1 MacBook Pro 16”	2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina
Size	16.2 Inches	13.3 Inches
Info	Liquid Retina XDR display 16.2-inch (diagonal) Liquid Retina XDR display;10 3456-by-2234 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch 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	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	M1 MacBook Pro 16”	2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina
Size Comparison
Dimensions	Height: 0.66 inch (1.68 cm) Width: 14.01 inches (35.57 cm) Depth: 9.77 inches (24.81 cm)	12.35” x 8.62” x 0.71” (314 mm x 219 mm x 18 mm)
Weight	4.7 pounds (2.1 kg) M1 Pro models. 4.8 pounds (2.2 kg) M1 Max models.	Starting at 3.48 lb (1.58 kg)
Colors	Space GraySilver	Silver
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) 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	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	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	M1 MacBook Pro 16”	2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina
Processor	Apple M1 Pro (10C, 16G) 10 cores, 10 threads, 3.20 GHz, Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) 10 cores, 10 threads, 3.20 GHz,	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 Pro (10C, 16G) Apple M1 Pro iGPU 16 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores, Apple M1 Max (10C, 32G) Apple M1 Max iGPU 32 GPU Cores, 16 Neural Engine Cores,	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	16GB 32GB 64GB Unified Memory	8GB configurable to 16GB of 1866MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Storage	512GB1TB2TB4TB8TB SSD	256GB512GB configurable to 1TB SSD

Connectivity	M1 MacBook Pro 16”	2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina
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	M1 MacBook Pro 16”	2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina
Size	100 Wh lithium‑polymer battery	74.9 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life	Up to 14 hours wireless web Up to 21 hours of 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	140W USB‑C Power Adapter Charging up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes with included USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable.	60W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.

Software	M1 MacBook Pro 16”	2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina
OS	Shipped with macOS Monterey	Shipped with OS X Yosemite
Built-in Apps	PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNewsStocksHomeVoice MemosNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewMusicPodcastsTVBooksApp StoreTime MachineFind MyQuickTime Player	PhotosiMovieGarageBandPagesNumbersKeynoteSiriSafariMailFaceTimeMessagesMapsNotesCalendarContactsRemindersPhoto BoothPreviewiTunesiBooksApp StoreTime Machine

Camera & Audio	M1 MacBook Pro 16”	2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina
Camera	1080p FaceTime HD camera Advanced image signal processor with computational video.	720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio	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	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	M1 MacBook Pro 16”	2015 MacBook Pro 13 Retina
Sensors	Touch ID sensor	Ambient light sensor
Security	Touch ID sensor Apple T2 Security Chip
In the box	16‑inch MacBook Pro 140W USB‑C Power Adapter USB-C to MagSafe 3 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 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.	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	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)	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