Mac · Retina & Beyond · 2015
MacBook (12-inch Retina)
Apple’s vision of the future laptop: under a kilo, fanless, gold, with one USB-C port for everything. Bold and beautiful — but the new butterfly keyboard proved troublesome.
MacBook (12-inch Retina): key facts
When was the MacBook (12-inch Retina) released?
The MacBook (12-inch Retina) was released in April 2015. Apple discontinued it in July 2019.
How much did the MacBook (12-inch Retina) cost?
The MacBook (12-inch Retina) launched at $1,299 in 2015 — about $1,728 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the MacBook (12-inch Retina)’s specs?
The MacBook (12-inch Retina) used a Intel Core M running at 1.10 GHz, with 8 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage. It ran OS X 10.10 Yosemite.
Why does the MacBook (12-inch Retina) matter?
First single-port USB-C Mac, first fanless Mac laptop, debut of the "butterfly" keyboard.
Full specifications
| CPU | Intel Core M · 1.10 GHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 2 |
| Memory (RAM) | 8 GB (up to 16 GB) |
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Display | 12" Retina, 2304×1440 |
| GPU | Intel HD 5300 |
| Ports | Single USB-C, headphone |
| Weight | 0.92 kg |
| Dimensions | Fanless 13 mm wedge |
| Operating system | OS X 10.10 Yosemite |
| Released | April 2015 |
| Discontinued | July 2019 |
| Launch price | $1,299 |
How the MacBook (12-inch Retina) compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 2.0× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 1.10 GHz, the clock is roughly 2.9× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
This held about 65,500 modern phone photos — a respectable library even today.
Launched at $1,299 in 2015 — about $1,728 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
The butterfly keyboard’s reliability woes led to a years-long Apple repair programme.
Related Mac models
Open the MacBook (12-inch Retina) in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25