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MacBook Air Q&A
Update Published May 9, 2014
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What are all the differences between the "Mid-2013" MacBook Air models and the "Mid-2012" MacBook Air models that they replaced?
Both the "Mid-2012" and "Mid-2013" MacBook Air models have been discontinued. However, this Q&A is up-to-date and is quite useful for anyone considering either line on the used market.
Externally, the standard "Mid-2013" MacBook Air models -- the MacBook Air "Core i5" 1.3 11" (Mid-2013) and the MacBook Air "Core i5" 1.3 13" (Mid-2013) -- and the "Mid-2012" MacBook Air models -- the MacBook Air "Core i5" 1.7 11-Inch (Mid-2012) and MacBook Air "Core i5" 1.8 13-Inch (Mid-2012) -- look identical to all but the sharpest of eyes.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc.
Although the external appearance effectively may be the same, there are major internal and connectivity differences. As always, EveryMac.com has painstakingly hand documented the identification differences, too.
External Differences
The "Mid-2012" and "Mid-2013" MacBook Air models use razor thin all aluminum cases that are basically the same apart from display size and corresponding housing. All are 0.11 of an inch at the front and taper to 0.68 of an inch at the rear, but the 11-Inch models are 11.8 inches by 7.56 inches when closed whereas the 13-Inch models are 12.8 inches by 8.94 inches when closed to house the larger display.
The displays are the same -- a 11.6" 1366x768 display for the 11-Inch models and a 13.3" 1440x900 display for the 13-Inch models. All have a backlit keyboard and the same glass "no button" trackpads with "inertial scrolling" support. All likewise have integrated stereo speakers and an integrated 720p FaceTime HD webcam.
However, the "Mid-2012" models have a single side mounted internal microphone whereas the "Mid-2013" models have dual side mounted internal microphones. The microphone setup is the only external design difference and it takes sharp eyes to notice.
Connectivity Differences
Connectivity is an important point of differentiation between the "Mid-2012" and "Mid-2013" MacBook Air models.
All of these models have two USB 3.0 ports, one "Thunderbolt" port, an analog audio out port (that also supports the Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone), Bluetooth 4.0, and a "MagSafe 2" power connector.
Although it isn't a visible difference, the "Mid-2012" models have 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi whereas the "Mid-2013" models have faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which is backwards compatible with the earlier 802.11a/b/g/n standards.
The 13-Inch models in both lines additionally have an integrated SDXC-capable SD Card slot, whereas the 11-Inch models do not in either line. None of these models have Firewire, optical audio in/out, or Ethernet (although external Ethernet adapters were offered as a US$29 option). None support a remote via IR, either.
Identification Differences
The "Mid-2012" and "Mid-2013" MacBook Air models share the A1465 and A1466 model numbers, so this identifier is not suitable to uniquely identify either line.
At the time the "Mid-2013" MacBook Air models were introduced, these two lines could be uniquely identified externally by EMC Numbers -- 2558 and 2559, for the 11-Inch and 13-Inch "Mid-2012" models, respectively, and 2631 and 2632, for the 11-Inch and 13-Inch "Mid-2013" models, again, respectively.
These models also could be pinpointed by Model Identifier in software. The "Mid-2013" 11-Inch and 13-Inch models use MacBookAir6,1 and MacBookAir6,2, respectively, whereas the "Mid-2012" 11-Inch and 13-Inch models use MacBookAir5,1 and MacBookAir5,2, again, respectively.
However, the subsequently introduced "Early 2014" models share these identifiers with the "Mid-2013" models, so this information only can be used to differentiate between the "Mid-2012" models and the "Mid-2013/Early 2014" models (collectively).
Although this differentation is sufficient for most purposes, such as SSD upgrades, the only way to uniquely identify specific models are by Order Number (which is not available on the computer itself) or by Serial Number with EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature.
More information about specific identifiers is provided in EveryMac.com's extensive Mac Identification section.
Internal Differences
Internally, there are tremendous architectural differences between the "Mid-2012" and "Mid-2013" lines, but the overall design philosophy is the same. All have onboard RAM that cannot be upgraded after purchase, flash memory storage that is not intended to be upgraded after purchase, and non-removable battery designs.
However, the "Mid-2012" MacBook Air models have "Ivy Bridge" Core i5/i7 processors with a 5 GT/s "Direct Media Interface" that connects the processor and the chipset, Intel HD Graphics 4000 that share 384 MB or 512 MB of memory with the system, 1600 MHz DDR3L memory, 6 Gb/s SATA connected "blade" storage, and 35 and 50 watt-hour batteries for the 11-Inch and 13-Inch models, respectively.
The "Mid-2013" MacBook Air models are much more advanced with power conserving "Haswell ULT" Core i5/i7 processors with slower clockspeeds but a faster "On Package Interface" (OPI) that directly connects the processor and chipset, higher performance Intel HD Graphics 5000 that share 1 GB of memory with the system, 1600 MHz "Low Power" LPDDR3 SDRAM, faster PCIe-based flash storage, and higher capacity 38 and 54 watt-hour batteries.
Comparison Charts
The differences between the "Mid-2012" and "Mid-2013" MacBook Air models -- processors, architecture, memory, graphics, connectivity, batteries, and configuration -- are summarized below.
The 11-Inch model gains major improvements in architecture, graphics, connectivity, and battery life, as well as more default storage:
 Mid-2012 11" |
Mid-2013 11" |
|
|---|---|---|
| Processor Speed: | 1.7 GHz* | 1.3 GHz** |
| Processor Type: | Core i5 (I5-3317U)* | Core i5 (I5-4250U)** |
| Turbo Boost: | 2.6 GHz* | 2.6 GHz** |
| L3 Cache: | 256k x2, 3 MB* | 256k x2, 3 MB** |
| System Bus: | 5 GT/s (DMI) | OPI |
| Standard RAM: | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Maximum RAM: | 8 GB† | 8 GB† |
| Onboard RAM Type: | 1600 MHz DDR3L | 1600 MHz LPDDR3 |
| Internal Storage: | 64 GB, 128 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB |
| Storage Type: | Blade SSD (6 Gb/s SATA) | Blade SSD (PCIe) |
| Video Processor: | HD Graphics 4000 | HD Graphics 5000 |
| Video Memory (Shared): | 384 MB-512 MB | 1 GB |
| Wi-Fi: | 802.11a/b/g/n | 802.11ac |
| Mic: | Single | Dual |
| SD Card Slot: | No | No |
| Display Size: | 11.6" Widescreen | 11.6" Widescreen |
| Display Resolution: | 1366x768 | 1366x768 |
| Battery Life: | 5 Hours | 8-9 Hours |
| Battery Capacity: | 35 Watt-Hours | 38 Watt-Hours |
| Dimensions: | .11-.68 x 11.8 x 7.56 | .11-.68 x 11.8 x 7.56 |
| Weight: | 2.38 Pounds | 2.38 Pounds |
| Order Numbers: | MD223LL/A, MD224LL/A | MD711LL/A, MD712LL/A |
| EMC Number: | 2558 | 2631 |
| Model Identifier: | MacBookAir5,1 | MacBookAir6,1 |
| Intro Price: | US$999, US$1099 | US$999, US$1199 |
* A 2.0 GHz Core i7 (I7-3667U) processor was available via custom order for the 11-Inch MD224LL/A configuration (which has 128 GB of flash storage by default) as a US$150 upgrade. EveryMac.com also has documented this BTO/CTO configuration as its own model.
** A 1.7 GHz Core i7 (I7-4650U) processor was available via custom order as a US$150 upgrade. EveryMac.com also has documented this BTO/CTO configuration as its own model.
† Note that RAM is soldered in place in all models and cannot be upgraded after purchase.
The 13-Inch model also has major improvements in architecture, memory, graphics, connectivity, and battery life, and is offered at lower prices, too:
 Mid-2012 13" |
Mid-2013 13" |
|
|---|---|---|
| Processor Speed: | 1.8 GHz* | 1.3 GHz** |
| Processor Type: | Core i5 (I5-3427U)* | Core i5 (I5-4250U)** |
| Turbo Boost: | 2.8 GHz* | 2.6 GHz** |
| L2/L3 Cache: | 256k x2, 3 MB* | 256k x2, 3 MB** |
| System Bus: | 5 GT/s (DMI) | OPI |
| Standard RAM: | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Maximum RAM: | 8 GB† | 8 GB† |
| Onboard RAM Type: | 1600 MHz DDR3L | 1600 MHz LPDDR3 |
| Internal Storage: | 128 GB, 256 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB |
| Storage Type: | Blade SSD (6 Gb/s SATA) | Blade SSD (PCIe) |
| Video Processor: | HD Graphics 4000 | HD Graphics 5000 |
| Video Memory (Shared): | 384 MB-512 MB | 1 GB |
| Wi-Fi: | 802.11a/b/g/n | 802.11ac |
| Mic: | Single | Dual |
| SD Card Slot: | Yes | Yes |
| Display Size: | 13.3" Widescreen | 13.3" Widescreen |
| Display Resolution: | 1440x900 | 1440x900 |
| Battery Life: | 7 Hours | 10-12 Hours |
| Battery Capacity: | 50 Watt-Hours | 54 Watt-Hours |
| Dimensions: | .11-.68 x 12.8 x 8.94 | .11-.68 x 12.8 x 8.94 |
| Weight: | 2.96 Pounds | 2.96 Pounds |
| Order Numbers: | MD231LL/A, MD232LL/A | MD760LL/A, MD761LL/A |
| EMC Number: | 2559 | 2632 |
| Model Identifier: | MacBookAir5,2 | MacBookAir6,2 |
| Intro Price: | US$1199, US$1499 | US$1099, US$1299 |
* A 2.0 GHz Core i7 (I7-3667U) processor was available via custom order for the 13-Inch MD232LL/A configuration (which has 256 GB of flash storage by default) as a US$100 upgrade. EveryMac.com also has documented this BTO/CTO configuration as its own model.
** A 1.7 GHz Core i7 (I7-4650U) processor was available via custom order as a US$150 upgrade. EveryMac.com also has documented this BTO/CTO configuration as its own model.
† Note that RAM is soldered in place in all models and cannot be upgraded after purchase.
Comparison Summary
Ultimately, at the time of initial release, most users likely would be quite happy with the significantly improved battery life, faster storage, faster graphics, and faster Wi-Fi that the "Mid-2013" MacBook Air line provides, as well as the additional capacity for the 11-Inch models and the lower pricing for the 13-Inch models. However, the "Mid-2012" line remained worth consideration, particularly given discount prices on the used market.
Of course, both lines now are available on the used market and are discounted accordingly.
MacBook Air Purchase & Sale Options
There are any number of places to purchase a new or used MacBook Air. However, purchasing from a quality seller with extensive experience in the Mac market -- and after sales support -- will provide the best experience and save you money and time, too.
In the US, site sponsor Adorama sells new MacBook Air models with free shipping. Other World Computing sells used and refurb MacBook Air models at bargain prices with free shipping, as well. On the other hand, if you need to sell a MacBook Air, A+ BBB-rated Cash for Your Mac and GoRoostr will buy your older notebook with an instant quote and prompt payment.
In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs sells used MacBook Air models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.
In Australia, site sponsor Mac City likewise has a variety of used MacBook Air models sold at low prices and available with a free warranty and fast shipping across Australia.
Please refer to EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison feature to dynamically compare any MacBook Air model to any other Mac.
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