I think Apple was replacing some machines if the batteries were not available or a major shortage. I think the supply has been resolved because my friend had his battery replaced in one day.
Nope. Not free (anymore) but get it done before they turn your machine “Vintage” which prevents you from even using an Apple Store to replace with THEIR DEPO techs to pay the $199 for one!
My mid-2012 Retina 15” 2.6Ghz 8GB 1666mhz and 512 SSD (Sata III) w/NVidia 650m 1GB DDR5 actually got deemed “Vintage” once 2018 MBPs dropped this past fall and then Apple inespicaply REVERSED the change to Vintage and I immediate raced to get my laptop into have what is actually a $500 TopCase with new keyboard, trackpad, and GLUED IN battery replaced, and the process (the way Apple does it) involves removing the logic board and is REALLY involved.
So $199 for a $500 part that gives you all that, and involves the labor it does, is a DEAL. The thing comes back feeling like a new computer. Plus that “program” was just because of supply shortage and people needing batteries that had your same “service battery” at the time when no batteries existed. They also included people with sub-80% health which was sort of BS b/c they could of easily waited for supply in Sept 2017 at the time to come back. People with sub-80% started to feel entitled to new replacement machines, not just the “nice” offer to even PAY for a free battery replacement that isn’t immediately needed? Especially when I’ve BEEN there with my $3199 mid-2009 17” MacBook Pro that was my first Mac (since a $1200 1990 MacPlus which itself was a crap ton of money in 1990) and it was showing a “scary” battery needs serviced warning ⚠️ you aren’t sure is even safe to operate your machine until it’s done. All those people with just “slightly” 1 yr old batteries (batteries loose 20% capacity per year on avg) feeling equally entitled to need laptops was disgusting behavior to me.
Trust me, $199 is a deal for the battery replacement and especially if this is the first battery since original 2013 that is asking for something really unfair to be free unless there was another shortage. Just be happy if you can get it in, in time to get it serviced before yours if also now “Vintage”. Hell you might get lucky because early 2013 qualified for NEW logic boards 4 years from purchase. It was a program that technically ended in Dec 2016, but if your happened to bought your early 2013 as a REALLY late refurb like my mid-2012, and it’s still “close” to 4 yr mark, and you save any evidence of GPU or kernal panic from defect Nvidia GPU chips that have inherent manufacturing flaw even admitted by NVidia in the press, you might also get a brand new logic board WHILE paying mere $199 b/c they have to remove it to do the battery anyway.
(You are welcome
