Recalled 2015 15-Inch MacBook Pro Models With Faulty Batteries Banned From Flights in U.S.

[jonnysods]

Wow, pretty serious situation. Looks like this is a lot more widespread than I had thought and it has the attention of the airlines....

 

[mannyvel]

How can they even tell if a MBP is a mid-2015 model? They pretty much all look alike until the Touch Bar models.

 

[tito2020]

Have to wonder why now?

The Note 7 was recalled after a month and discontinued after 2 months. The Macs in question are 3-4 years old.

[doublepost=1565744196][/doublepost]I like it when the stocks hit high then they tell you the bad news

 

[CarlJ]

This is insane. I have a Mid 2015 that Apple say's doesn't need a replacement. As others have said, how are they going to be able to tell? They just going to ban the hundred of thousands of rMBP's?

No, see, they'll check the serial number once (which will only take them 10 minutes, per machine), and then they'll attach a "harmless" unremovable "this one has been checked" sticker to your MacBook Pro (at an odd angle), "for your protection/convenience", so it doesn't need to be checked again.

 

[Lalatoon]

Time to buy a new Macbook Pro?

 

[AppleHaterLover]

I’ll take my butterfly keyboard over an exploding laptop thank you very much
[doublepost=1565745749][/doublepost]

Ugh how can they tell the difference between the models in the 3rd gen (first introduced in 2012) lineup though, they all look similar. I just had to fix my 2014 model out of pocket due to swollen battery too. It's not the recalled model, but on the outside, looks no different.

This is being done 100% for liability purposes. If your MBP goes boom boom on a flight, it’ll be your fault because you were warned, but there really is no way to check. Unless they ban all Macs with a backlit Apple logo at the TSA checkpoint.

 

[ilikewhey]

But from my understanding, it's only a handful of 2015 models and even then, they can be fixed.

Banning all 2015 MBPs is probably the only way to be sure you don't get a defective one on a flight, so it may be necessary overkill, but it's overkill nonetheless.

thats gonna be hard, since retina mbp 2015 looks EXACTLY like the previous 2-3 years of it. folks might have to start traveling with their receipt if they wanna bring their mbp with them on flight.

 

[ibphd]

Anybody wanna buy a replacement battery for the mid 2015 MacBook Pro? I have 232, 000 batteries that are now going for fire sale prices.

Tim

 

[LogicalApex]

Earlier this month, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency also warned European airlines to make sure affected MacBook Pro models are switched off and not used during flights.

I know this isn't about the 2018+ MBP, but hopefully we don't get anything like this on these models. They are impossible to know when they are switched off. And something as simple as opening the lid to check would power it on!

 

[boomspot]

This is another example of security theater from the TSA AND FAA.

B

 

[lec0rsaire]

How exactly are they going to screen for this? The average TSA employee probably doesn’t know a 2010 MBP from a 2019 MBP.

How did it work with the Galaxy phones? I can’t tell which Galaxy is which Lol.

The 2016 and newer don’t have that lit up logo on the lid! The problem is they’ll ban 2012-2014 MBPs too because they look the same!

 

[Vasilioskn]

TSA is useless

 

[FightTheFuture]

I’ll take my butterfly keyboard over an exploding laptop thank you very much

Hah! I knew there'd be one - it kinda throws the "I'm sticking with my 2015 MBP until Apple fixes the reliability" argument out the window.

This is another example of security theater from the TSA AND FAA.

yep. That said I think the type of person with a 2015 MBP at this point would either know if they're affected, or got it used/cheap and has no idea. Luckily everyone is covered for a replacement.

 

[Robotech]

I have a 15-inch mid-2015 Retina MacBook Pro. It was purchased from Apple Store Online Refurbished. It has the Iris Pro 1536MB Graphics, not the MX370. I went to the Apple page, and plugged in the appropriate serial number for the unit, and this is what came up:

------------------------

So, apparently this mid-2015 Retina 15-inch MacBook Pro is a Refurbished model, and is not affected, and has a newer replaced battery. So how in the world are the airline security checks going to know this?? Without having a serial number checker on hand??

Are you flying soon? I bet not.

 

[Glockworkorange]

The Samsung exploding battery issue was on an entirely different level.

https://time.com/4526350/samsung-galaxy-note-7-recall-problems-overheating-fire/

Within a month after its August release:
“Samsung receives 92 reports of batteries overheating in Galaxy Note 7 phones in the U.S.; it says there were 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage. A man in Florida says his vehicle caught fire when the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone charging inside his SUV burst into flames.”

Another month went by, millions of phones recalled, banned in airports, and this:
“On Oct. 9, Samsung stops exchanging recalled Note 7 devices due to reports of replacement phones catching fire, just as the original phones did.”

Two days later, Samsung announced they were ceasing production of the phone.

It’s incredible that people went back and bought phones from Samsung again. I know Apple customers are loyal, but wow, Samsung customers took it a bit beyond “loyal” in my opinion.

If memory serves, they re-released the note 7 in Korea.

 

[Khedron]

The important thing is we continue working towards a future where only Apple Inc. is legally allowed to service the batteries on their devices.

Don't live near an Apple Store and the post service won't transport faulty batteries? Move to a real city, loser.

 

[konqerror]

Never ever heard about a MBA blowing up in 4+ years. What a fraud.

https://www.macrumors.com/2019/07/03/macbook-pro-battery-recall-program-damage

 

[Khedron]

The Samsung exploding battery issue was on an entirely different level.

https://time.com/4526350/samsung-galaxy-note-7-recall-problems-overheating-fire/

Within a month after its August release:
“Samsung receives 92 reports of batteries overheating in Galaxy Note 7 phones in the U.S.; it says there were 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage. A man in Florida says his vehicle caught fire when the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone charging inside his SUV burst into flames.”

Another month went by, millions of phones recalled, banned in airports, and this:
“On Oct. 9, Samsung stops exchanging recalled Note 7 devices due to reports of replacement phones catching fire, just as the original phones did.”

Two days later, Samsung announced they were ceasing production of the phone.

It’s incredible that people went back and bought phones from Samsung again. I know Apple customers are loyal, but wow, Samsung customers took it a bit beyond “loyal” in my opinion.

Why do the Ford and Honda companies still exist? Their defective hardware killed at least 21 people.
[doublepost=1565750518][/doublepost]

Even if they were on the ball and had a PC or tablet set up at the gate, connected to the website, to check serial numbers, getting the serial number from one machine (which may be in someone's carry-on and you have to tell them you need to look at it, and then explain why you need to look at it, "yes, really, yes, you", and then have them get it out, and turn it on, and maybe plug it in, and maybe boot it up, and maybe log in, to get to "About this Mac", and then read out/transcribe the serial number without error)... now multiply that by, say, 20 users... that's quite a pile-up at the gate.

Laptops should already have a charge and be on to get through security who might request a check. Still impractical though.

 

[goodwilldrums]

This is insane. I have a Mid 2015 that Apple say's doesn't need a replacement. As others have said, how are they going to be able to tell? They just going to ban the hundred of thousands of rMBP's?

I am in the same boat. I also have a mid 15 and am not eligible.
[doublepost=1565751096][/doublepost]

No it won't.
[doublepost=1565743685][/doublepost]Makes sense...

My wife's 2015 MBP was on the battery recall list. We took it in for repair two weeks ago.

The rep at the Apple store said if it went to the Austin repair facility it would need to go ground due to the battery issue. But would be returned via air.

As it turned out the turnaround time was just 1 week. Based on that I suspect the battery was replaced at either their Sacramento or Cupertino facilities.

Problem is it's not all 2015 models. Mine is Mid 15 and is not eligible, and looks exactly the same.

 

[calstanford]

Oh Apple what a ridiculous **** show you’ve become under Tim’s and the exisiting VPs leadership. Most expensive phone, most expensive computer on the market. BANNED for shittiness.

 

[CylonGlitch]

This is going to be interesting. I'm flying this weekend, with my 2015 MBP 15" that WAS on the recall list. I have already brought it in to have the battery replaced. Wonder if they will even ask. I guess I should print out the receipt to take with me, just in case.

 

[512ke]

How about, Apple, YOU fix it. Push out notices on the screens of Affected MBPs. Take action that doesn’t depend on busy and distracted airline personnel or confused and busy consumers. Do more and better given the danger of a freaking plane having a burning battery that can’t be easily extinguished.

 

[Plutonius]

Who thinks that TSA members can correctly identify 2015 MacBook Pros ?

 

[calstanford]

How exactly are they going to screen for this? The average TSA employee probably doesn’t know a 2010 MBP from a 2019 MBP.

How did it work with the Galaxy phones? I can’t tell which Galaxy is which Lol.

This is what happens when your billionaire star designer hasn’t designed anything in TEN years. Macs have been looking the exact same for a decade (besides minor things that normal people can’t screen for like a mm or two height difference, different keyboard/touchpad, different ports. None of those are design changes)

 

[JPSaltzman]

And I have two 2014 MacBook Pro 15'' models. You can't tell the difference between those and the 2015 model just by looking at them.... only if you know which models has which Thunderbolt version. Other than that... they're identical.