I have a late 2011 aluminum Macbook (5,1). I'm at about 650 cycles and I'm getting the "Condition: Replace Soon" status on the battery. Am I best off spending $130 for an Apple battery or are some of the cheaper batteries out there as good? There are so many out there (Amazon, Ebay, etc.) and I thought I'd ask if anyone has suggestions before I buy. Thanks.
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Need new battery (A1280) for Aluminum Macbook 5,1 - best off buying from Apple?
- Thread starter brasskey
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I bought a "genuine Apple" battery from eBay a few months ago. Wasn't entirely convinced about its authenicity, but it was a third of the price of a new battery duirect from Apple. No issues so far.
The fact that a new battery costs roughly a third of what the MacBook was worth was what really put me off buying directly from Apple.
The fact that a new battery costs roughly a third of what the MacBook was worth was what really put me off buying directly from Apple.
I wouldn't trust or recommend any non-Apple battery, due to the number of problems reported with "knockoff" batteries. Also, there is no assurance that knockoff batteries have the same charging technology that Apple uses, involving the battery, the MagSafe adapter and the Mac's logic board.
Battery Replacement
Replacing the built-in battery in your MacBook Pro
Replacing the Battery in your MacBook Air
Intel-based Apple Portables: How to replace or service a built-in battery
Replacing the built-in battery in your MacBook Pro
Replacing the Battery in your MacBook Air
Intel-based Apple Portables: How to replace or service a built-in battery
The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.