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drugdoubles

macrumors 6502a
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Jul 3, 2023
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The Redmi tablet that I got for my kid with 4G is only $99. $249 to replace a pro notebook battery, doesn’t even have 3G. Does it make sense?
 
The Redmi tablet that I got for my kid with 4G is only $99. $249 to replace a pro notebook battery, doesn’t even have 3G. Does it make sense?
Are you asking does it make sense to pay that much to get the battery replaced on your MacBook? I guess that would depend on the condition and age of the MacBook. At some point, it may not be worth it.

I’m not sure what you’re asking about the tablet though? Are you asking instead of replacing the battery in the MacBook should you buy the tablet since it’s cheaper? My answer to that would be if it does what you need, why not.
 
The Redmi tablet that I got for my kid with 4G is only $99. $249 to replace a pro notebook battery, doesn’t even have 3G. Does it make sense?

You're trying to compare a cheap Android tablet to a MacBook Pro and its battery. Whether the device has 3G, 4G, or any G is irrelevant in this case. You also have to remember that any Mac will need to be opened up in order to replace the battery, so it's not as simple as popping the old one out and popping the new one in its place.
 
You're trying to compare a cheap Android tablet to a MacBook Pro and its battery. Whether the device has 3G, 4G, or any G is irrelevant in this case. You also have to remember that any Mac will need to be opened up in order to replace the battery, so it's not as simple as popping the old one out and popping the new one in its place.

The battery would cost them at most $20, labor cost may be $30.
 
I suspect your prices are a bit off at least if you’re in the USA. For example, here’s the battery for a 13” MacBook Pro, which should be a smaller size one so fairly cheap. Do you think a shop is going to put that battery in for $30? If you’re in China, absolutely. In the USA no way.


IMG_2055.jpeg
 
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I think something similar every time I have my car worked on. But I also am not versed in car repair, so I have to pay up. 🤷‍♀️

That said...I have done many pre-2020 MBP batteries. Look on the bottom to find the body style A####, buy one on Amazon, and then YouTube is your friend! Many of the batteries come with the apple screwdrivers, so you just need some pry tools, rubbing alcohol, and patience!
 
I think something similar every time I have my car worked on. But I also am not versed in car repair, so I have to pay up. 🤷‍♀️

That said...I have done many pre-2020 MBP batteries. Look on the bottom to find the body style A####, buy one on Amazon, and then YouTube is your friend! Many of the batteries come with the apple screwdrivers, so you just need some pry tools, rubbing alcohol, and patience!
If you have a basic understanding of what you’re doing and it’s something you enjoy doing then of course fix it yourself. I think that’s a key factor because if you don’t enjoy doing something like this, that means you’re working. If you’re going to work then how much of your is your time worth? If you’re retired, then maybe you think your time is worth anything because you have so much of it. If you’re working making $100 an hour and you spend three hours replacing a battery then you just spent $300 of your time.

I had a friend ask me what should he do. He had zero experience with electronic repair. I told him take it to the Apple Store. He decided to DYI it and was out the cost of a battery and it still had a dead MacBook. It’s always good to have experience and I wouldn’t recommend someone without any experience to do this.
 
OP:

What MacBook Pro do you have?
What year was it made?
What is the CURRENT capacity of the battery (use Coconut Battery to check) ?
 
I wouldn't trust that website's assessment of parts costs if they paid me to...
It’s likely an estimation of materials cost. They look at the components rather than how much it would cost to buy. For example, a screen protector might have a 1/10th of a cent worth of glass, but you’re not going to get one for 1/10th of a cent.

Also components vary in quality. People will pull up a listing on AliExpress, but it may not be the same quality as OEM.
 
Hmmm...

Now that Apple acknowledges the user's "right to repair", do they sell Apple-labeled replacement batteries...?

I'm thinking that insofar as buying 3rd party batteries is concerned, well... it's a crapshoot.
You never know what you'll be getting, or how well it will do over the long term.

With an Apple-labeled OEM battery, at least you know what you're getting.
 
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It’s likely an estimation of materials cost. They look at the components rather than how much it would cost to buy. For example, a screen protector might have a 1/10th of a cent worth of glass, but you’re not going to get one for 1/10th of a cent.

Also components vary in quality. People will pull up a listing on AliExpress, but it may not be the same quality as OEM.

I don’t know if there is real Apple’s grade battery other than Apple own repair.
 
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I suspect your prices are a bit off at least if you’re in the USA. For example, here’s the battery for a 13” MacBook Pro, which should be a smaller size one so fairly cheap. Do you think a shop is going to put that battery in for $30? If you’re in China, absolutely. In the USA no way.


View attachment 2490624

You can get $30 kind from AliExpress. This $99 one should be better, but may not be 300% better.
 
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I don’t know if there is real Apple’s grade battery other than Apple own repair.
You can buy the battery from Apple on some MacBooks if you go through their user service program. If I was going to do it myself, I would probably go to iFixit. It may not be up to Apple standards, but I’m sure it will be safe. They’re an American company that has a reputation so they’re not going to sell products that will get them into legal trouble. When you buy something from AliExpress, you have no legal recourse unless you live in China. You can’t sue some company that’s based in China. I’m not sure what legal recourse Chinese citizens have but it’s probably not that great either.

You can get $30 kind from AliExpress. This $99 one should be better, but may not be 300% better.
Well, knowing what lithium batteries can do if they are made improperly, I would not be willing to take that chance. They instantly catch fire without any source of ignition. It’s a hot enough fire that it will spread immediately. Imagine if your MacBook is nicely tucked under your bed while you’re asleep. Is saving $70 on a battery or even the $250 you would’ve paid Apple worth burning to death? I think there are times to be cheap, but this isn’t one of them. Of course everyone has to make their own decisions and assess what risks they’re willing to take.
 
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You can buy the battery from Apple on some MacBooks if you go through their user service program. If I was going to do it myself, I would probably go to iFixit. It may not be up to Apple standards, but I’m sure it will be safe. They’re an American company that has a reputation so they’re not going to sell products that will get them into legal trouble. When you buy something from AliExpress, you have no legal recourse unless you live in China. You can’t sue some company that’s based in China. I’m not sure what legal recourse Chinese citizens have but it’s probably not that great either.


Well, knowing what lithium batteries can do if they are made improperly, I would not be willing to take that chance. They instantly catch fire without any source of ignition. It’s a hot enough fire that it will spread immediately. Imagine if your MacBook is nicely tucked under your bed while you’re asleep. Is saving $70 on a battery or even the $250 you would’ve paid Apple worth burning to death? I think there are times to be cheap, but this isn’t one of them. Of course everyone has to make their own decisions and assess what risks they’re willing to take.

I’m Tao Bao there are some more reliable Chinese brands, while iFixIt has very good reputation and charges that price.
 
I’m Tao Bao there are some more reliable Chinese brands, while iFixIt has very good reputation and charges that price.
If you know what you’re looking for then absolutely you’re probably fine. Speaking as someone from the USA I wouldn’t know what Chinese brand are good or bad. I don’t think most people in the USA would know. We base our trust in a brand from Google reviews and how long the company has been open for. I have friends in China that probably could guide me as to what brand to buy, but if we’re talking about a MacBook battery replacement no way am I doing it myself. I don’t get any enjoyment from this because I would stress about damaging my MacBook. I upgraded the RAM on my 2018 Mac mini and that was unpleasant. Sure, I saved quite a bit, but I don’t think it was worth the stress and risk of damage to the Mac.
 
If you know what you’re looking for then absolutely you’re probably fine. Speaking as someone from the USA I wouldn’t know what Chinese brand are good or bad. I don’t think most people in the USA would know. We base our trust in a brand from Google reviews and how long the company has been open for. I have friends in China that probably could guide me as to what brand to buy, but if we’re talking about a MacBook battery replacement no way am I doing it myself. I don’t get any enjoyment from this because I would stress about damaging my MacBook. I upgraded the RAM on my 2018 Mac mini and that was unpleasant. Sure, I saved quite a bit, but I don’t think it was worth the stress and risk of damage to the Mac.

Yeah I understand. For that battery price of Apple, better just buy a new MacBook with new generation of hardware.
 
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If you live in where iFixit can ships, I would recommend buy from them. Their products might be the most reliable repair parts.
 
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For years, I held onto my mid-2012 MacBook Pro because I could change the drive, the RAM, and the battery. Batteries like those were over US$100 back then. Newer Technologies made a lot of Apple replacement batteries and sold them through OtherWorld Computing.

It's been about two years since I bought an M1 MacBook Air and I can't do anything with it on the inside. When anything dies, will I just trade for a new one?
 
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