They make the claim "up to" as mentioned above, but I believe the Apple Service Diagnostic is able to distinguish a worn battery (<80% capacity, > 1000 cycles) and a defective battery (< 80% capacity, < 1000 cycles). An individual should be able to make a case if it's not within the stated parameters.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Battery Capacity 87% after 51 cycles, Is this worth an Apple Store Visit?
- Thread starter kny3twalker
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
They make the claim "up to" as mentioned above, but I believe the Apple Service Diagnostic is able to distinguish a worn battery (<80% capacity, > 1000 cycles) and a defective battery (< 80% capacity, < 1000 cycles). An individual should be able to make a case if it's not within the stated parameters.
The point is, Apple will replace a defective battery whether you have AppleCare or not. Batteries are specifically excluded from the Warranty and from AppleCare, except in the case of manufacturing defect. Therefore, while AppleCare is a good thing to have for other reasons, it's useless for battery issues.
Applecare will cover defective batteries, which is what the OP is concerned about. The OP doesn't want to miss the chance to have a potentially defective battery replaced before his warranty period ends next week. If he were to hypothetically buy Applecare now, and his battery were to become defective in 12-24 months, the battery would be replaced at no cost (again, assuming a defect and mere use).
While I don't want to hijack this thread and turn it into one about the virtues of extended warranties, the objective evidence is that they're typically not worth it. Especially when you factor in credit card services and other legal liabilities, the hefty price of the warranty isn't really much of a value proposition. So long as you can reasonably afford to replace or repair your computer without becoming destitute, the warranty isn't worth it.
Again, in this case the OP is worried about the battery being defective, so Applecare is relevant. Not that I think it makes any sense to buy $350 of Applecare for a $130 battery, but that's a different issue...
I'm going to correct my earlier statement with this from:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/replacements.html
http://www.apple.com/batteries/replacements.html
So AppleCare will extend the time that Apple will replace a defective battery.
I just home from my trip to the Apple Store. I was denied a new battery, but a "genius" did run a diagnostics on the battery. I was told my battery is at 91.6% capacity at 52 cycles. The diagnostics showed a graph where my battery fell about half way between "New" and "Needing Replacement" on the Y-axis (Capacity) and just to the right of "New" on the X-axis (Cycles). I was told that I had not used my battery enough during the last year (52 cycles) although I explained I had used it 3-4 times or more per week for a few to several hours during each use. AppleCare was brought up, but I choose to pass. I know many people have had great experiences with Apple Technical Support, but I felt like it was not worth the $183 following today.
The trip was not a complete waste of time though, as I had an ipod cable replaced.
The trip was not a complete waste of time though, as I had an ipod cable replaced.
Since apple no longer has the 8600m to encourage people to buy AppleCare, now they have non user replaceable batteries priced just slightly below the AppleCare price. I realize it's too early to estimate but I doubt many laptops will reach 1000 cycles and still be at 80% capacity.