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Apple Launches Battery Replacement Program for Non-Touch Bar 13-Inch MacBook Pro Models

How about the god darn keyboard on all the 2016-2017 models?

Apple totally doesn't acknowledge this serious problem with the keys failing and they even tried to charge me ~400 USD for replacement of one key! Finally they did some cleaning on the keyboard and temporarily solved the problem without charge. I guess the technicians really didn't want to charge me anything for their own design fault.
 
The keyboard from my 2009 MBP held up better than my 2016 which had two replacements already! Not to mention the failed speakers. Extremely disappointed with the quality/durability of this $3K machine.
 
sundog925 said:
how about quit rushing things to manufacture every.single.year and take the time MAKE QUALITY GREAT AGAIN.
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I totally agree with you except one thing: they already have taken the time. A refresh was long overdue.
No wonder they’ve sunken in ranking this much.

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/laptop-brand-ratings

I’m lost in the direction Apple is going. But one thing is for sure, they’re slowly but surely ruining the brand and vision.
 
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Just checked, looks like mine isn’t in the affected range.

This would have been my second recall otherwise—I had to get my hard drive on my 2010 iMac replaced in 2013 or 2014, I forget.
 
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PickUrPoison said:
Like I said, I’m sure there are real issues. But hearing that all it takes is a “speck of dust” has never made sense to me. I always read that as “big chunk of donut.”

The earliest units are 6 months out of warranty. I assume Apple already does or will have an extended repair program, formal or informal, to address defective units. Or alternatively, dozens of lawsuits. Maybe they’ve already been filed?
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I'll add another data point: I'm on my second keyboard on my 2016 15" TB model, and the replacement top case/keyboard is the revised version that's on the 2017 models, and this keyboard has also now started having issues (in fact it's the same issue as the first time: a B key that sometimes repeats when pressed). I think half the reason you keep hearing "speck of dust" is that those are Apple's own words: the Genius suggested to me that it might be caused by "a speck of dust" stuck under the key.

I don't work in an unusually dusty environment and I don't eat at my desk, and my previous MacBook Pro didn't have this issue. It's a real flaw in the design and/or manufacturing of the keyboard, but you're right that it's very unclear exactly how many people it impacts. Having said that, a friend of mine with a 2017 15" TB model also has probblems (< lol, there, the B key did it again while I was typing this!!!) with the space bar on his getting stuck, and that started happening only a week after he got it.

At least these 13" owners who get their battery replaced as part of the recall will also get a new keyboard in the process, thanks to everything being attached to the top case.
 
It's a poorly designed product. It's far too thin which renders it's unrepairable and non-upgradable. It's overpriced as well. I'm still not over the fact that they took away every useable port in exchange for USB-C. Who the hell actually uses any USB-C peripherals aside from the LG displays? One or two in addition to the original ports would have been a perfect balance. If any ports had to go it should have been HDMI. The keyboard is is extremely uncomfortable and a pain to use. The touch bar is more of a toy than a useful tool. The MacBook Pro did not need a redesign. I own a 2015 model and a 10.5 iPad Pro. Unless Apple begins to make useful innovations with the MacBook Pro, my next upgrade probably be an iMac.
 
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HiRez said:
Yeah, it's hard to believe this is not something that could become a safety issue.

I've got one of these machines, how would I even know if my battery is expanding unless it leaks or explodes?
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Because it expands, it does not leak or explode. This is a safety feature. It is safe. Look up pictures of swollen battery in macbook.
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Fixey said:
Any expanding battery is a major safety issue as it has a high potential to cause a fire, these are lithium ion batteries and are extremely dangerous when not charged correctly and this expanding issue is caused due to a faulty component that causes incorrect charging and will result it exploding into flames if not addressed, anyone got a defective device needs to quickly backup the data and power down and get it to Apple quickly
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This is in fact incorrect
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DevNull0 said:
is this just for the 2016 models or also 2017? I bought a 2017 last July, so it was definitely manufactured in the affected date range, but the Apple site says my machine is not eligible because the serial number is not in the range.
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Therefore it was not manufactured at the specific plant at the specific time this part was being used.
 
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I just did a quick serial check and it says mine is not eligible for this program, because it's not within the affected serial range.

Does it mean that my nMBP battery is totally fine?

I bought this in October 2017 by the way, which I thought would be in the range.
 
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bentlo said:
I just did a quick serial check and it says mine is not eligible for this program, because it's not within the affected serial range.

Does it mean that my nMBP battery is totally fine?

I bought this in October 2017 by the way, which I thought would be in the range.
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Yep!
 
Just checked my 2016 model and it’s not in the range.

It’s a used machine I’ve only had a week so I was in two minds whether I wanted it to be in or not - the battery only has 59 charge cycles.
 
Can I get one for my 2009 MBP?

Just bought it on eBay for a bargain price, but amazingly its only had 300 cycles so I think at some point its already had a new battery.
 
I dislike the current MacBook Pros so much that I finally went for an iMac - so glad I did, I’m finding myself much more productive as a result.

Battery swelling isn’t dangerous, it’s actually a safety feature to help prevent them venting/exploding. Yes, you want to stop using it or charging it in that state but otherwise they’re fine. Nice of Apple to get ahead on this one. I need to check my sister’s Mac serial as she potentially has an affected model.
 
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HiRez said:
Yeah, it's hard to believe this is not something that could become a safety issue.

I've got one of these machines, how would I even know if my battery is expanding unless it leaks or explodes?
Click to expand...

Unfortunatly you do not know and should not attempt to know :) The best way to make this a safety issue is to attempt to look at the battery etc as in it's swollen state it is more prone to puncture, then it becomes a safety issue opposed to a hazard.

Like any recall send it back to be checked. Apple have not used the words "It is not a safety issue" lightly as it is a criminal offence for example to ship a defective unsafe battery by air.
 
PickUrPoison said:
Like I said, I’m sure there are real issues. But hearing that all it takes is a “speck of dust” has never made sense to me. I always read that as “big chunk of donut.”
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It's a quote from an Apple Genius who actually said, with a straight face, that "a speck of dust" could be causing the keyboard problem.
 
I have one broken key on my MBP 15" 2016 and i cant replace only these one key .... such a stupid design in so expensive machine. I ask my authorised service provider for the costs and they said 629,99€ MBP 15" early 2008 was so damn good in comparison. I hope Apple Launches keyboard replacement program for 2016/2017 models.
 
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