Want to know what model your Mac is from in which year? You can confirm it by: 1. Click the Apple menu > "About this machine" to view basic model and processor information; 2. View the hardware overview in the "System Report", obtain the complete model identifier (such as MacBookPro18, 1), and then search for the corresponding year; 3. Query the model and approximate year by the serial number at the bottom or back of the body, which is suitable for situations where the power cannot be turned on; 4. Make a rough judgment based on appearance characteristics (such as lightning interface, Touch Bar, screen resolution), which is suitable for reference in the second-hand market.

Want to know what model your Mac is from in which year? In fact, the method is quite straightforward, and there is no need to disassemble the machine or install additional software. The focus is to find the detailed information in the system report, or judge it based on appearance characteristics.

1. View basic information through "About this machine"

This is the easiest way to get information quickly for most people:

• Click the Apple menu (?) in the upper left corner > “About this machine”
• Here, the model name of the Mac (such as MacBook Pro 16-inch, 2021) and processor information will be displayed.
• If you just want to know the year, this page is enough

Sometimes, "About this machine" only writes a major category, such as "MacBook Pro", and further operations are needed to confirm the specific year.

2. Use the system to accurately identify models and years

If you need more accurate information, such as checking accessory compatibility or upgrading hardware, you can do this:

Click on the Apple menu > "About this machine" > "System Report"
On the left side of the pop-up window, select Hardware > Hardware Overview
The full model identifier (Model Identifier) ??will be displayed on the right, such as MacBookPro18,1

Then you can paste this model into search engines, such as searching for "MacBookPro18,1 year", and you can find its corresponding year and specific configuration version.

Common examples:

• iMac20,1 → 27-inch iMac released in 2020
• MacBook Air9,1 → 2020 M1 chip version MacBook Air

3. Query according to the serial number (applicable to situations where the power cannot be turned on)

If you have a Mac on hand but cannot boot, you can also check the model and year by serial number:

• The serial number is usually located at the bottom of the body (notebook) or on the back (iMac)
• Go to the Check Coverage page of Apple's official website to enter the serial number
• The page will show the device model, purchase time (if registered) and whether it is within the warranty period

Note: Some newer Macs use randomly generated serial number formats, and at this time, third-party tools may also be needed to assist in identification.

4. Appearance comparison method (suitable for reference in the second-hand market)

If you are looking at a machine in the second-hand market and do not have the power-on permission, you can roughly judge the year based on the appearance details:

• Number, location and version of the lightning interface (Thunderbolt 3/4 interface has been popularized since 2016)
• Is there a Touch Bar (Touch Bar first appeared on the 2016 MacBook Pro)
• Screen resolution and bezel thickness (especially the changes in iMac and MacBook Air are obvious)

for example:

• MacBook Pro with Retina screen Touch Bar is basically from 2016
• Macs with T2 security chips were first released in late 2017.

Basically these are the methods. Different methods can be chosen in different scenarios, some are simple and fast, while others are more detailed and accurate. The key is not to just look at the model on the surface, and look at the internal number and serial number to truly determine its identity.

The above is the detailed content of How to find Mac's model and year. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!