Mid-2012 MBP Retina - obsolete?

[Open Casket]

I buy a new laptop every few years.
If you can afford it now, buy a new one.
If not, get the refurb and start saving🙂

 

[muratura]

Argh, I just discovered that I accidentally made an appointment with an Authorised Apple Service Provider (AASP) instead of a real Apple Store.

It's really hard to get a genius bar appointment for a MacBook here, there are never any available time slots.

I guess it's useless to go to the AASP for this issue?

This is a good question: does this campaign work in countries where there are no Apple Stores and just Authorized Apple Service Providers?
I guess the logical way to test would be to take the laptop to the store and ask if they do hardware repairs, 2. if they can replace the battery ensemble and 3. if they have or not the part in the store, which would depend on the keyboard layout from what I understand. The US layout seems to be the one that is missing from Apple's inventory.

Most of the posts from here and the reddit threads are people from US. It would be interesting if people from other countries say from where they are and in which store they got the replacement. That would be appreciated 🙂

 

[Open Casket]

This is a good question: does this campaign work in countries where there are no Apple Stores and just Authorized Apple Service Providers?
I guess the logical way to test would be to take the laptop to the store and ask if they do hardware repairs, 2. if they can replace the battery ensemble and 3. if they have or not the part in the store, which would depend on the keyboard layout from what I understand. The US layout seems to be the one that is missing from Apple's inventory.

Most of the posts from here and the reddit threads are people from US. It would be interesting if people from other countries say from where they are and in which store they got the replacement. That would be appreciated 🙂

The Apple stores in Western Australia are good. You can always get a walk-in appointment with a genius (or you can book online), repairs are fast, they have many sales reps, and are well-stocked. We have AASPs too, but they are only slightly cheaper than the Apple store and tend to ask for your unlock screen password when performing screen repairs.

 

[cphcph]

This is a good question: does this campaign work in countries where there are no Apple Stores and just Authorized Apple Service Providers?
I guess the logical way to test would be to take the laptop to the store and ask if they do hardware repairs, 2. if they can replace the battery ensemble and 3. if they have or not the part in the store, which would depend on the keyboard layout from what I understand. The US layout seems to be the one that is missing from Apple's inventory.

Most of the posts from here and the reddit threads are people from US. It would be interesting if people from other countries say from where they are and in which store they got the replacement. That would be appreciated 🙂

It does work through AASPs, though the process is quite long (at least in my case).
I'm located in Denmark.
The replacement was sent directly from Apple.

I just received my replacement - a 2017 touch bar, base model with SSD upgraded to 512. My 2012 was a base model upgraded to 16 Gb ram.
The whole process took almost 7 weeks for me (though 2 of these were due to TNT having problems after being hit by Petya).

 

[muratura]

Ty @cphcph and @open casket!

Is there by any chance anyone from east Europe that got a replacement? 🙂

 

[pposthoorn]

It does work through AASPs, though the process is quite long (at least in my case).
I'm located in Denmark.
The replacement was sent directly from Apple.

I just received my replacement - a 2017 touch bar, base model with SSD upgraded to 512. My 2012 was a base model upgraded to 16 Gb ram.
The whole process took almost 7 weeks for me (though 2 of these were due to TNT having problems after being hit by Petya).

Awesome, congrats!

Now you have me doubting if I should go to the AASP tomorrow
Could you please describe your process, what happened and how long thinks took approximately?

 

[adam..]

Dropped off my mid-2015 rMBP on Saturday, waiting for a call.

Tech said that the top-case was out-of-stock, but, he would order it and it would be ready in "a few days"

Also booked for the retina delamination issue at the same time.

 

[cstm]

do you have to leave your macbook in till they get the replacement or do you get to keep it until the replacement arrives?

 

[708692]

You can keep your current machine until the replacement is ready

 

[cstm]

Mac OS says the battery is normal but coconut says my battery is at 76. Do I need the service battery notification before I can take this in?

 

[708692]

Mac OS says the battery is normal but coconut says my battery is at 76. Do I need the service battery notification before I can take this in?

No, if its under 80% with <1000 cycles, you're good to take it in.

 

[Milsy68]

Well I got my replacement 2017 Space Grey model yesterday, and I'm absolutely loving it. A massive step up from my 2012. I have stuff running which would make my old one run hot with the fans going full blast, on this one it stays cool with not a peep from the fans. I'm even loving the touchbar!

Thanks Psynnott for starting this thread, otherwise I'm sure I would have lived with the old one for a while before handing to one of my kids and buying a new one anyway. (My kids don't like you so much though 😉)

 

[cmakohon]

My wife went in to the Apple Store this afternoon (North Carolina) for the standard battery replacement that everyone has been posting about. She has a 15" 2012 rMBP. I myself did this with my own 2012 MacBook Pro just a couple weeks ago and I received a 2017 Touchbar MacBook Pro as my replacement for $200. Things went a little differently for her.

She went in, and as expected, it failed the battery test. But, they said that they were going to get the part and replace it in 3-5 days. They were so sure of being able to do this that they took her computer and said they'll call when it's ready. They said they are going to replace the whole top case. Here are the work notes for reference:

Issue: Customer states that the computer will cut off at random percentages Steps to Reproduce: Verified that the battery is bad Cosmetic Condition: See photos added Proposed Resolution: Replace top case with battery. We are adjusting the price of the top case to 199 plus tax since we can not get the battery replacement one in to do the repair. I partnered with management to reduce the price to 199 plus tax. Estimated Turn Around Time: We'll call you in 3 - 5 days

Do you think that they actually have this part, or are they bluffing and she'll get the same offer as everyone else is getting? I would love to know if anyone else had this same experience and how it worked out for them. I know from my personal experience, they were very clear from my initial appointment that I would be getting a CRU. This was not the case for my wife today.

 

[Moriarty]

My wife went in to the Apple Store this afternoon (North Carolina) for the standard battery replacement that everyone has been posting about. She has a 15" 2012 rMBP. I myself did this with my own 2012 MacBook Pro just a couple weeks ago and I received a 2017 Touchbar MacBook Pro as my replacement for $200. Things went a little differently for her.

She went in, and as expected, it failed the battery test. But, they said that they were going to get the part and replace it in 3-5 days. They were so sure of being able to do this that they took her computer and said they'll call when it's ready. They said they are going to replace the whole top case. Here are the work notes for reference:

Issue: Customer states that the computer will cut off at random percentages Steps to Reproduce: Verified that the battery is bad Cosmetic Condition: See photos added Proposed Resolution: Replace top case with battery. We are adjusting the price of the top case to 199 plus tax since we can not get the battery replacement one in to do the repair. I partnered with management to reduce the price to 199 plus tax. Estimated Turn Around Time: We'll call you in 3 - 5 days

Do you think that they actually have this part, or are they bluffing and she'll get the same offer as everyone else is getting? I would love to know if anyone else had this same experience and how it worked out for them. I know from my personal experience, they were very clear from my initial appointment that I would be getting a CRU. This was not the case for my wife today.

There are other stories of Apple taking the computer from you for repair in a few days, as they normally do, only to later call and say the part is out of stock.

The work notes don't make sense, they always have to replace the top case + battery because the battery is glued in.

Perhaps the spare part shortage has finished early, perhaps they managed to find a part somewhere, or perhaps you'll get a call in the next few days offering a replacement machine...

 

[rmcnelly]

My wife went in to the Apple Store this afternoon (North Carolina) for the standard battery replacement that everyone has been posting about. She has a 15" 2012 rMBP. I myself did this with my own 2012 MacBook Pro just a couple weeks ago and I received a 2017 Touchbar MacBook Pro as my replacement for $200. Things went a little differently for her.

She went in, and as expected, it failed the battery test. But, they said that they were going to get the part and replace it in 3-5 days. They were so sure of being able to do this that they took her computer and said they'll call when it's ready. They said they are going to replace the whole top case. Here are the work notes for reference:

Issue: Customer states that the computer will cut off at random percentages Steps to Reproduce: Verified that the battery is bad Cosmetic Condition: See photos added Proposed Resolution: Replace top case with battery. We are adjusting the price of the top case to 199 plus tax since we can not get the battery replacement one in to do the repair. I partnered with management to reduce the price to 199 plus tax. Estimated Turn Around Time: We'll call you in 3 - 5 days

Do you think that they actually have this part, or are they bluffing and she'll get the same offer as everyone else is getting? I would love to know if anyone else had this same experience and how it worked out for them. I know from my personal experience, they were very clear from my initial appointment that I would be getting a CRU. This was not the case for my wife today.

Mmm, I thought the battery replacement was free if it failed before 1,000 charge cycles (although my Genius said if before 700 charges). The CRU was offered to me for the price of the replacement battery. I'm still waiting to get the call back about a replacement, and plan to call them if they don't call me back within 7 days of the offer.

Did she tell them you had just gone thru the same issue and was offered the CRU? The first guy I talked to wanted to ship mine to the service center even after he offered the CRU, and it took 3 hours for them to figure out what to do.

I bet (hope) they call your wife back and offer the CRU.

 

[RWHGadianton]

Mmm, I thought the battery replacement was free if it failed before 1,000 charge cycles (although my Genius said if before 700 charges). The CRU was offered to me for the price of the replacement battery. I'm still waiting to get the call back about a replacement, and plan to call them if they don't call me back within 7 days of the offer.

Did she tell them you had just gone thru the same issue and was offered the CRU? The first guy I talked to wanted to ship mine to the service center even after he offered the CRU, and it took 3 hours for them to figure out what to do.

I bet (hope) they call your wife back and offer the CRU.

My understanding is that a <1000 cycle replacement is only free under warranty. As AppleCare is only 3 years, any 2012-2013 model should be out-of-warranty. The free swaps seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

 

[rmcnelly]

My understanding is that a <1000 cycle replacement is only free under warranty. As AppleCare is only 3 years, any 2012-2013 model should be out-of-warranty. The free swaps seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

I'm pretty sure he told me it would normally be a free battery replacement as mine was bad before 700 charge cycles. I had only heard others mention 1,000 charge cycles.

Still hoping for the best for everyone.

 

[33coe]

Okay, last post from me about my experience. I initially got a 2015 with only integrated graphics, being mostly a console gamer, I don't play games on my Mac that often, but when I do, it's nice to have the discreet graphics as well. So I asked if there were any 2015s with discreet graphics too, and they ended up giving me a 2017 with a Radeon Pro 555!! Now I might actually be able to play AAA games on BootCamp!

Anyway, really happy to stumble on this thread since my 2012 was dying, bad battery and really loud fan from basic tasks and just really slow in general. I don't have as much disposable income as before, so I was really worried about how I'd be able to afford my next upgrade. Thankfully, the Apple Lords have blessed me with this battery shortage. And thank you psynnott for posting this thread!

My whole experience was really really smooth.

Day 1: Took 2012 in with an appointment. Said it'd take 3-5 weeks for the 2015 CRU to come in.
Day 2: Got a call that they found a 2015 in stock, ended up being a brand new device. Realized the lack of discreet after getting home, booked an appointment for the next Monday.
Day 5: Went in with 2015 and walked out with a 2017. I love Apple.

Those that got free dongles, did they offer it to you or did you have to ask for it?

 

[johannesrue]

I got my replacement yesterday. it took only two weeks. I'm pretty happy
They offered me in Store an CRU, but couldn't say which one specific. Told me to wait for a call. A day later, they called wanted my CC and said it would be a 2015 top spec if available. Otherwise a newer model. Since my Mac has a US layout(based in Germany), they asked if I wanted it on my CRU as well.
A couple days later they called again and informed me that a 2015 model is out of stock and that it will be an all new 2017 model.
For 200 Euros deal of my life since my old machine had some kind of logic board/graphic problem which would have cost me a fortune to get it repaired!

 

[duervo]

These system swaps are not being done as warranty work to replace failed (or failing) 5 year-old batteries. They are being done as a goodwill gesture because the top case component needed to do the battery replacement cannot currently be sourced. This is a side effect of Apple deciding to glue the battery into their systems, and Apple's response is being done to head off a possible class action at the pass.

This is a win-win for Apple and the customers getting this done. It's a win for Apple because they receive a boost to their reputation, keep their customers satisfied, increases the long term chance of customer retention, costs them a lot less than what any class action would, and minimizes the possible negative impacts that the situation could have on their position of the right to repair initiative. It's a win for their customers because ... well ... much newer system for ~$200.

Really, this was a no-brainer move for Apple to do this, given the circumstances.

This is not because a 5 year-old battery no longer retains more than 80% of its charge after less than 1000 cycles. That would only apply within the product's warranty period.

 

[theCraigLaw]

Hi all

I’ve got an early 2013 Retina 15 inch model here in the UK. Brought it into the Apple Store with the battery health being around 81% and on 1005 cycles. The diagnostics showed that it was just about to fall into the Replace Now or Consumed category.

Essentially I went into the store and told the girl that I was having really bad battery problems and that I had seen the service battery warning multiple times over the past few months. She ran the diagnostics, and said that it’s up to me if I want the battery replaced. I asked how much it would cost, and she said £199 - fair enough. I asked her how long would it take? She said 3-5 days. I asked if they had the parts in stock, and she said they would definitely have them ordered in and done in 3-5 days. Realising that she probably wasn’t aware of the replacement shortage, I asked her to double check with the manager in the back, and so she did and came back a few minutes later and hey presto - gave me the two options of waiting until September for free replacement, or pay and get a model as close to my spec. Obviously chose the latter. She was mega impressed!

So I’m going to get a call tomorrow probably with details of the CRU. My model is the one with the discrete GeForce graphics card, so should I definitely try and haggle if the guy on the phone for a 2016/7 model if he offers me a base 2015 model? The base one only has integrated.

 

[708692]

should I definitely try and haggle if the guy on the phone for a 2016/7 model if he offers me a base 2015 model? The base one only has integrated.

Yes for sure. The replacement must have dedicated GPU to be even close to the spec of your existing machine.

 

[RWHGadianton]

@theCraigLaw, I concur with psynott on this. I made it a point to mention the need of the dedicated GPU when they started my process. Today I got a call (to get payment info) and they said they e-mailed up the chain because all the replacement versions they gave the store did not have dedicated and ,therefore, were "unacceptable replacements." We'll see what happens in a few days.

 

[pposthoorn]

Hi all

I’ve got an early 2013 Retina 15 inch model here in the UK. Brought it into the Apple Store with the battery health being around 81% and on 1005 cycles. The diagnostics showed that it was just about to fall into the Replace Now or Consumed category.

Essentially I went into the store and told the girl that I was having really bad battery problems and that I had seen the service battery warning multiple times over the past few months. She ran the diagnostics, and said that it’s up to me if I want the battery replaced. I asked how much it would cost, and she said £199 - fair enough. I asked her how long would it take? She said 3-5 days. I asked if they had the parts in stock, and she said they would definitely have them ordered in and done in 3-5 days. Realising that she probably wasn’t aware of the replacement shortage, I asked her to double check with the manager in the back, and so she did and came back a few minutes later and hey presto - gave me the two options of waiting until September for free replacement, or pay and get a model as close to my spec. Obviously chose the latter. She was mega impressed!

So I’m going to get a call tomorrow probably with details of the CRU. My model is the one with the discrete GeForce graphics card, so should I definitely try and haggle if the guy on the phone for a 2016/7 model if he offers me a base 2015 model? The base one only has integrated.

Just to confirm, you are getting a replacement for your Early 2013 rMBP, and not a mid 2012? (So you have a GT750 gpu and not a GT650?

 

[theCraigLaw]

[doublepost=1500448366][/doublepost]

Yes for sure. The replacement must have dedicated GPU to be even close to the spec of your existing machine.

Brilliant. Thank you very much @psynnott for doing this thread, deserve a Nobel peace prize or something of similar stature!

Just to confirm, you are getting a replacement for your Early 2013 rMBP, and not a mid 2012? (So you have a GT750 gpu and not a GT650?

Early 2013 rMBP - nope it's definitely an NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M. This is my model on Apple's website:

https://support.apple.com/kb/sp669?locale=en_GB