Repair or replace 2015 MBP?

[kpaaron]

I'm torn and could use some advice.

The keyboard on my mid-2015 MBP (15-inch) has started acting flaky - a couple of months ago the 'i' key would only work if you mashed it really hard (it subsequently got better), last week the 'r' key stopped working completely. Tech says it needs a new top case. $550.

Replace it? Or upgrade?

I haven't been feeling the need to upgrade, to be honest - I do some photo editing, but I'm a writer by trade so I don't tax the machine. I love the bigger 15" screen, and I'm not crazy about getting a 13 inch on the M1 (and I don't want to shell out for a 16".) Also, I need a battery replacement, and I'd get one with the top case, apparently.

The more I write this post, the more I think I'm going to repair it - but what do you all think?

 

[Macdctr]

If you're still happy with your 2015 15-inch MBP then by all means get the keyboard issue fixed by replacing the upper case assembly. You can take care of your battery issue and keyboard at the same time. The 2015 laptops are awesome laptops even today. If I was the one with this issue I would opt to replace the upper case assembly and keep going.

You can order the entire upper case assembly with keyboard, trackpad and battery in A-condition from iFixit - $300. I'm assuming you have a Retina MacBook Pro...

MacBook Pro 15" Retina (Mid 2015) Upper Case Assembly

Replace an upper case assembly compatible with the Mid 2015 MacBook Pro 15" Retina laptop. Part #: IF117-055-2, 661-02536, 66102536. Repair your Mac yourself. iFixit sells parts and upgrades for your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with free Fixit Guides

www.ifixit.com

 

[Apple_Robert]

If you like that model best and plan on keeping it longer, go ahead and spend the money.

 

[Flabasha]

I'm torn and could use some advice.

The keyboard on my mid-2015 MBP (15-inch) has started acting flaky - a couple of months ago the 'i' key would only work if you mashed it really hard (it subsequently got better), last week the 'r' key stopped working completely. Tech says it needs a new top case. $550.

Replace it? Or upgrade?

I haven't been feeling the need to upgrade, to be honest - I do some photo editing, but I'm a writer by trade so I don't tax the machine. I love the bigger 15" screen, and I'm not crazy about getting a 13 inch on the M1 (and I don't want to shell out for a 16".) Also, I need a battery replacement, and I'd get one with the top case, apparently.

The more I write this post, the more I think I'm going to repair it - but what do you all think?

Repair. I finally "upgraded" to a 16" a year ago, but only because I redline the processor with RAW video. I still have my 2015 15", and don't think I'll sell it, in many ways (HDMI, MagSafe, no Touch Bar, quieter fans) it's actually better for my uses than the 16".

 

[kpaaron]

If you're still happy with your 2015 15-inch MBP then by all means get the keyboard issue fixed by replacing the upper case assembly. You can take care of your battery issue and keyboard at the same time. The 2015 laptops are awesome laptops even today. If I was the one with this issue I would opt to replace the upper case assembly and keep going.

You can order the entire upper case assembly with keyboard, trackpad and battery in A-condition from iFixit - $300. I'm assuming you have a Retina MacBook Pro...

MacBook Pro 15" Retina (Mid 2015) Upper Case Assembly

Replace an upper case assembly compatible with the Mid 2015 MacBook Pro 15" Retina laptop. Part #: IF117-055-2, 661-02536, 66102536. Repair your Mac yourself. iFixit sells parts and upgrades for your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with free Fixit Guides

www.ifixit.com

Thanks a lot for the input. I'm going to repair it - but I'll let somebody else do it. I'm fairly adventurous when it comes to DIY but that iFixit tutorial looks like I'd be asking for trouble

 

[kpaaron]

Thanks very much for your suggestions, everybody. I was leaning toward repair ... and after doing my taxes tonight, I realized I'm definitely not in the market for a new laptop. Long live the 2015!

 

[Macdctr]

Even if you do eventually upgrade to a newer laptop, I recommend that you keep your 2015 MBP... especially if you get the new 16" MBP. I have heard there are a lot of issues associated with the 16" MBP. I have no intention of getting anything newer than 2015 at the moment. Not a fan of the "butterfly style" keyboards and issues associated with quality control the newer computers apparently have. The 2013-2015 computers were solid machines and even though compared to the current gen laptops are slower, they still can do the job and are much more reliable machines. Good enough for me.

 

[nighthawk67]

Have you ever met a 6 year old child? That’s a long time; time to upgrade.

 

[gnasher729]

I'm torn and could use some advice.

The keyboard on my mid-2015 MBP (15-inch) has started acting flaky - a couple of months ago the 'i' key would only work if you mashed it really hard (it subsequently got better), last week the 'r' key stopped working completely. Tech says it needs a new top case. $550.

If everything is fine apart from the keyboard, then you can close your MacBook and turn it into a flat version of a MacMini. You or someone else who needs a desktop machine. Add a monitor, keyboard and mouse.

I'd put it on eBay. Someone will take it and use it as a desktop machine. Maybe you get $300 for it, add the $550 you save, that's $850. Check out what a MacBook Air M1 with the same memory will cost you. So you have a brand new computer that should last 5 years longer than your current one, same RAM / drive, smaller screen, hugely faster processor and hugely better battery life. For the price minus $850.

 

[DearthnVader]

I'm a writer by trade so I don't tax the machine.

You seem to tax the keyboard.

I think you should repair it.

 

[kpaaron]

Have you ever met a 6 year old child? That’s a long time; time to upgrade.

My 10- and 14-year-old kids run much better after I updated their firmware

 

[nighthawk67]

My 10- and 14-year-old kids run much better after I updated their firmware

Yes the puberty update on the 14 year old I’m sure has some bugs in it still.

 

[kpaaron]

If everything is fine apart from the keyboard, then you can close your MacBook and turn it into a flat version of a MacMini. You or someone else who needs a desktop machine. Add a monitor, keyboard and mouse.

I'd put it on eBay. Someone will take it and use it as a desktop machine. Maybe you get $300 for it, add the $550 you save, that's $850. Check out what a MacBook Air M1 with the same memory will cost you. So you have a brand new computer that should last 5 years longer than your current one, same RAM / drive, smaller screen, hugely faster processor and hugely better battery life. For the price minus $850.

A good idea. I think I'd rather squeeze another couple of years out of this laptop, though, and invest in a better second monitor at the moment.

 

[pshufd]

I have a 2014 MBP 15 and a 2015 MBP 15. I'm typing on the 2015 right now. I started another thread on battery bulging and replacement in this forum several weeks ago. The case was bulging so I replaced the battery - they also replaced the top case for $200. After I got it back, the Service Battery indicator turned on on the 2014 so I had the battery replaced on that one as well. Both of them are nice with the new top case.

I don't understand the $550 quote for a top case replacement unless they are replacing more than what they replace for the battery. With the battery replacement, you get the metal, trackpad and keycaps. I wonder what you get for the $550? You don't even have to do the replacement if you can live with an external keyboard. I do think that it's a good idea to do the battery replacement as I think that these will become obsolete by 2013 (last ones were sold in 2018 I think).

My plan is to get an M1X notebook and then sell one of these notebooks. I still want to be able to run 32-bit and Intel software on something.

 

[Phantom Gremlin]

I think I can explain the pricing anomalies. Just today I learned all about this from the Genius Bar at the Apple store in war-torn Portland, Oregon. This info is for 2015, 13" retina Macbook Pro. But the same general idea probably applies to the 15".

My ESC key is broken. Applecare couldn't tell me over the phone what it costs to get a new keyboard; they made me go see a genius. Here's what the Genius told me (round numbers):

new keyboard $500
new battery + new keyboard $200

It only costs $200 if you need a new battery. But they're attached to each other, so you get a new keyboard for free.

Unfortunately for me, my battery, which has a cycle count of 1533, isn't yet failing. It passed the Genius' diagnostic test. So he couldn't give me the cheaper rate. So I walked away. Not worth $500 to me.

 

[startergo]

I think I can explain the pricing anomalies. Just today I learned all about this from the Genius Bar at the Apple store in war-torn Portland, Oregon. This info is for 2015, 13" retina Macbook Pro. But the same general idea probably applies to the 15".

My ESC key is broken. Applecare couldn't tell me over the phone what it costs to get a new keyboard; they made me go see a genius. Here's what the Genius told me (round numbers):

new keyboard $500
new battery + new keyboard $200

It only costs $200 if you need a new battery. But they're attached to each other, so you get a new keyboard for free.

Unfortunately for me, my battery, which has a cycle count of 1533, isn't yet failing. It passed the Genius' diagnostic test. So he couldn't give me the cheaper rate. So I walked away. Not worth $500 to me.

Around 50 bucks. The top case with the keyboard.

MacBook Pro 2015 Top Case for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for MacBook Pro 2015 Top Case at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

 

[pshufd]

Around 50 bucks. The top case with the keyboard.

MacBook Pro 2015 Top Case for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for MacBook Pro 2015 Top Case at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

The problem is the labor associated with replacing it.

My battery was at 500 cycles but it said Service Battery. I thought you could just go in and replace the battery As they lose life with age.

 

[startergo]

The problem is the labor associated with replacing it

It is very easy to replace it. I have done it several times on my MBP 2014.
I used these spatulas to replace the battery:

RGM 8013 Large Painting Spatula, Multi

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5 Pieces Painting Knives Stainless Steel Spatula Palette Knife Oil Painting Accessories Color Mixing Set for Oil, Canvas, Acrylic Painting-Lightwish

5 Pieces Painting Knives Stainless Steel Spatula Palette Knife Oil Painting Accessories Color Mixing Set for Oil, Canvas, Acrylic Painting-Lightwish

www.amazon.com

 

[pshufd]

It is very easy to replace it. I have done it several times on my MBP 2014.
I used these spatulas to replace the battery:

RGM 8013 Large Painting Spatula, Multi

Made with high-quality steel mirror blades and natural bubinga handles, these large painting spatulas have superior flexibility and quality. They can be used for mixing, moving and manipulating paint, for applying Texture mediums for dimensional artwork and for texturizing paper-born artwork. Ava...

www.amazon.com

5 Pieces Painting Knives Stainless Steel Spatula Palette Knife Oil Painting Accessories Color Mixing Set for Oil, Canvas, Acrylic Painting-Lightwish

5 Pieces Painting Knives Stainless Steel Spatula Palette Knife Oil Painting Accessories Color Mixing Set for Oil, Canvas, Acrylic Painting-Lightwish

www.amazon.com

I paid Apple to do two of them.

I'm quite happy with my decision.

 

[startergo]

I paid Apple to do two of them.

I'm quite happy with my decision.

I just chatted with Apple rep. He said Apple does not provide parts for vintage machines and suggested using third party authorized providers. When I mentioned this thread he said he does not believe it.

 

[pshufd]

I just chatted with Apple rep. He said Apple does not provide parts for vintage machines and suggested using third party authorized providers. When I mentioned this thread he said he does not believe it.

Apple services Vintage Machines. They don't service Obsolete machines. The 2015 is neither vintage nor obsolete.

Mac Repair and Service - Apple Support

Need to repair your Mac? See your service options, their costs by coverage type, and how long they take.

support.apple.com

Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty - Apple Support

Learn about your options for getting service and parts for Apple devices that are past their warranty period.

support.apple.com

The 2015 is neither Vintage or Obsolete yet. The 2013 and 2014 Retina MacBook Pros are Vintage but battery service is still available for them as per Apple's official websites and per my recent battery replacement at The Apple Store for my 2014 Retina MacBook Pro.

 

[MBAir2010]

from someone who has a 2010 MacBook air:
repairing your MacBook pro might not be the right direction.
when the keyboard starts acting up without any reason like being dropped or crumbs under the keys
is an indication of the MacBook pro need more attention and funds down the road.
After time these laptops are not worth the investment of repair, especially potentially wasting $500
which by the way is too pricy and there has to be some other source.

from mid 2018 to late 2019 that MacBook air would not type all the letters.
luckily there was a great $20 bluetooth keyboard the solved this problem.
kinda sucked toting that outside on a nice day to type some content, but that did the trick.

 

[startergo]

The 2013 and 2014 Retina MacBook Pros are Vintage but battery service is still available for them as per Apple's official websites and per my recent battery replacement at The Apple Store for my 2014 Retina MacBook Pro.

I have a 2014 machine (vintage). I literally first chatted and now also spoke to an Apple rep. They said the same thing. Take it to a third party service.

 

[startergo]

I would never replace a battery with Apple, but the problem with the ebay batteries is that the controller has been unsealed to reset the counter and so the batteries don't discharge uniformly and also come up with an error PPT04. It is hard to find a good battery. Most people do not even realize that the battery is broken. If you hold D during startup it will start diagnostic check of the hardware.

 

[pshufd]

I have a 2014 machine (vintage). I literally first chatted and now also spoke to an Apple rep. They said the same thing. Take it to a third party service.

Which country are you in? Do you have more than one Apple Store available to you (I have three locally). Perhaps they just don't want to service your system locally.