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iPad Pro Old iPad Pro worth it to replace battery?

G

ger19

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 30, 2022
159
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I have an 10.5 in iPad Pro with 256 memory. It basically runs the same as it did the day I bought it about 6 years ago. Unfortunately, the battery is running down much quicker lately. Wondering if it’s worth getting a new battery versus a replacement. I can’t imagine getting another iPad Pro given the cost and my simple use case. I basically just use it to surf (read), play some games (board/card type games), and check my email. Would a new iPad or iPad Air perform much different for the things I use it for? Or, should I just get a new battery and keep using what I have and am pretty happy with.

ETA: A new battery is about $130 including taxes and me driving to the Apple Store.
 
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Are you sure they will actually do a battery replacement, despite what it may say on the website? There are threads here discussing Apple’s reluctance to do actual battery replacements for iPads.
 
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I was just looking at this for an older Ipad I have that battery is just about dead. Do I spend 110 bucks or get a new one for 250?

For now I can just put a battery brick on the ipad and use for free :)
 
RLRabb said:
Are you sure they will actually do a battery replacement, despite what it may say on the website? There are threads here discussing Apple’s reluctance to do actual battery replacements for iPads.
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I’m not sure, but it does show battery replacement on the Apple website. I’m not sure I’d want mine swapped out with another unit. I take really good care of my equipment.
 
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ger19 said:
I’m not sure, but it does show battery replacement on the Apple website. I’m not sure I’d want mine swapped out with another unit. I take really good care of my equipment.
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It would be a swap, and they’ll only do it if battery health is 79% or below.
 
FreakinEurekan said:
It would be a swap, and they’ll only do it if battery health is 79% or below.
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The old units don't have a battery health section like my phone has. Would they test it to determine if it was under 80%? I'm pretty sure it is, given how it's acting and given its age. I'd ask them about the swap if I go that route - appreciate that heads up. Maybe I could do it through a third party if Apple won't actually replace the battery.
 
ger19 said:
The old units don't have a battery health section like my phone has. Would they test it to determine if it was under 80%? I'm pretty sure it is, given how it's acting and given its age. I'd ask them about the swap if I go that route - appreciate that heads up. Maybe I could do it through a third party if Apple won't actually replace the battery.
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It's not the old units, it's iPads in general. Don't assume 80% battery health means 80% battery life compared to when it was new. My 10.5 lasts 3-4 hours. I tried to have Apple replace the battery (= swap with a refurbished unit, no other option), and the tested it and said it had 87% battery health, does not qualify.
I haven't found a third party willing to to the service where I live, they say it's too complicated with iPads.
 
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ger19 said:
The old units don't have a battery health section like my phone has. Would they test it to determine if it was under 80%? I'm pretty sure it is, given how it's acting and given its age. I'd ask them about the swap if I go that route - appreciate that heads up. Maybe I could do it through a third party if Apple won't actually replace the battery.
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I think you will really struggle to get them to replace it. The battery in my 2018 iPP is pretty shot, yet Apple claim it is well above 80% battery health, despite it lasting only a few hours. No harm trying though if you are near an Apple store. I would never trust a third party so will just keep using it as is for now.
 
ger19 said:
I have an 10.5 in iPad Pro with 256 memory. It basically runs the same as it did the day I bought it about 6 years ago. Unfortunately, the battery is running down much quicker lately. Wondering if it’s worth getting a new battery versus a replacement. I can’t imagine getting another iPad Pro given the cost and my simple use case. I basically just use it to surf (read), play some games (board/card type games), and check my email. Would a new iPad or iPad Air perform much different for the things I use it for? Or, should I just get a new battery and keep using what I have and am pretty happy with.

ETA: A new battery is about $130 including taxes and me driving to the Apple Store.
Click to expand...

Are you running into deep battery depletion needing a recharge often enough to make a new battery (or iPad) worth the cost? Or is it just a concern about the battery health? i.e., is the current battery health causing you actual problems?
 
sparksd said:
Are you running into deep battery depletion needing a recharge often enough to make a new battery (or iPad) worth the cost? Or is it just a concern about the battery health? i.e., is the current battery health causing you actual problems?
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It’s just running down much quicker. I used to have no problem getting through a day. Now I tend to have to recharge to get through a typical day of my usage. I can always use it plugged in, but I thought a new battery was a simple job. Apparently, that isn’t the case.
 
ger19 said:
A little cumbersome but I’ll try it. I’ll have to turn on the function to share my data so it captures it. That will take a couple days.
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And if the results show your battery is still at 80% it sounds like you might be happy with the ninth generation iPad which you can still get new from Amazon for $224. You would retain the home button, bezels for holding, lightning port and compatibility with any existing smart cover you might have. Edit: but you would be losing the laminated superior screen, superior sound, and the extra storage you paid for, so I would probably just keep the pro and charge it more often.
 
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CharlesShaw said:
And if the results show your battery is still at 80% it sounds like you might be happy with the ninth generation iPad which you can still get new from Amazon for $224. You would retain the home button, bezels for holding, lightning port and compatibility with any existing smart cover you might have. Edit: but you would be losing the laminated superior screen, superior sound, and the extra storage you paid for, so I would probably just keep the pro and charge it more often.
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Yeah, I wouldn't be inclined to downgrade too much. I might look at an iPad Air. Being lighter is a plus but most likely, I'll just be charging it more often or using it plugged in.
 
ger19 said:
MaximumCapacityPercent":77,"

MaximumFCC":8256,"

NominalChargeCapacity":6123,"

6123/8256=.7416

Rated battery capacity = 8134

6123/8134= .7527

According to the article, Apple would use the last number - 75.27%, which is the current capacity divided by the rated capacity.
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No, it’s a different calculation. The number would probably be significantly higher than 77%.
 
FeliApple said:
No, it’s a different calculation. The number would probably be significantly higher than 77%.
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?? I did the calculation exactly as shown in the link that was provided. If you have a different calculation, please share.
 
ger19 said:
?? I did the calculation exactly as shown in the link that was provided. If you have a different calculation, please share.
Click to expand...

Apple uses their internal diagnostics software to determine battery health and the results from that are usually higher than calculations based on numbers from the system log files.
 
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If I was at the store and they told me that, I’d be hard pressed to accept that. The log data is data sent to Apple for their use but somehow they have a black box that provides them with a different answer? Then where is that data stored in my iPad so I can verify it? Thankfully, I’m not inclined to take any steps to do this now that I know they’ll just swap the machine out. I’d rather keep what I have until it’s not usable. So far, that’s not the case.
 
ger19 said:
If I was at the store and they told me that, I’d be hard pressed to accept that. The log data is data sent to Apple for their use but somehow they have a black box that provides them with a different answer? Then where is that data stored in my iPad so I can verify it? Thankfully, I’m not inclined to take any steps to do this now that I know they’ll just swap the machine out. I’d rather keep what I have until it’s not usable. So far, that’s not the case.
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Just curious, what worries you about having a replacement unit?
 
Digitalguy said:
Just curious, what worries you about having a replacement unit?
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OCD. I know it’s not rational but I can’t get past the thought that something would be messed up in the conversation process. Plus, I feel like I take really good care of my stuff and “there’s not a scratch on it” so I’m doubtful that any replacement would be in as good shape. Logical or not, I’d rather run this until it’s bothersome to use and get a new one rather than get a “used” one. In starting this thread, I thought it was as simple as dropping it off and getting a new battery, just like a phone. That seems to not be the case so I’m going to pass.
 
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