OK. Are you able to share a link to data from field/lab tests to back your “all third party batteries” statement? I challenge your take.
Newertech batteries — the line sold by OWC —
are well-warrantied and have a long rep of meeting and even exceeding Apple’s own OEM specs. Moreover, they’ve been selling their Mac laptop lithium batteries for at least twenty years — going all the way back to selling batteries for Wallstreet PowerBook G3s.
As for other third-party batteries, yah, I tend to concur most are
dechets, as I’ve been through more than I care to admit for my “obsoleted” ’Books (all models for which Apple won’t sell consumables, like batteries). Newertech batteries, meanwhile, do hold up really well and don’t seem prone to swelling any more than Apple’s OEM branded batteries do.
The original poster followed the OWC route for their MBA after Apple gave significantly inconsistent pricing for their battery replacement (heck, right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing happens even to the best of large corporations!) — meaning, it led them to purchasing a warrantied Newertech battery, not some Aliexpress or eBay special. I can’t blame them!
What’s interesting is how it isn’t a straightforward shopping experience of simply visiting Apple’s store online to look up the battery price, as Apple don’t
want the consumer to do that without leaping through several gatekeeping hoops, to the newish “self-repair store” to find pricing.
Maybe the only thing as a consumer I tend to do differently is to have a product page, with SKU, open on a tab on my phone, should I need to go to a local brick-and-mortar location and find an in-store price is higher. With Apple, this may not always be possible because they don’t want to make this possible — or, at least, don’t want to make it
easy and
straightforward.
So being aware of risk for pricing inconsistency (and letting other consumers know about it) indicates a well-informed consumer trying to do right by those who find themselves in a similar situation. That’s not unreasonable.
To defend Apple the way you are, by summary dismissal of the OP, followed by providing no supporting data of your blanket remark about third-party batteries? That won’t win you some cheerleader coupon code or defence-loyalty discount on your next iPhone.
