Source for quality battery 11" MBA

[AZhappyjack]

Are there any reliable/reputable sources for quality replacement batteries for the 11" MBA? I've seen some on Amazon for as low as $49... but fear they are an explosion and fire waiting to happen... Apple wants upwards of $125 for a replacement battery... so my question is simply this: are there any sources for reliable, quality replacement batteries?

OWC/Mac Sales?
NewEgg?
Others?

 

[Boyd01]

Doesn't Apple's price include installation? When it's time to replace mine, I'll take it to the Apple Store.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Doesn't Apple's price include installation? When it's time to replace mine, I'll take it to the Apple Store.

Its $129. Kind of steep when you can find knock offs for 1/3 of that.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Doesn't Apple's price include installation? When it's time to replace mine, I'll take it to the Apple Store.

Yeah, it does... 10 screws holding the bottom cover in place... 5 screws holding the battery in place and one friction connector. Literally 5 minutes of work with no special skills needed, except the be able to turn a screwdriver.
[doublepost=1502133156][/doublepost]

Its $129. Kind of steep when you can find knock offs for 1/3 of that.

Ahhh, but there's the rub... which of these knockoffs is a fire waiting to happen and which is a good deal? That's my predicament at the moment.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Yeah, it does... 10 screws holding the bottom cover in place... 5 screws holding the battery in place and one friction connector. Literally 5 minutes of work with no special skills needed, except the be able to turn a screwdriver.
[doublepost=1502133156][/doublepost]

Ahhh, but there's the rub... which of these knockoffs is a fire waiting to happen and which is a good deal? That's my predicament at the moment.

Im in the same exact boat as you. I was looking at some on Amazon and MacSales/OWC. The majority of the bad reviews were poor battery life. I don't know if thats because the batteries were duds, their capacity is lower or whatnot. But my MBA is at 1250 cycles, 84% health remaining and on its way out. But the computer isn't even worth $200, so spending $129 on a battery is painful.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Im in the same exact boat as you. I was looking at some on Amazon and MacSales/OWC. The majority of the bad reviews were poor battery life. I don't know if thats because the batteries were duds, their capacity is lower or whatnot. But my MBA is at 1250 cycles, 84% health remaining and on its way out. But the computer isn't even worth $200, so spending $129 on a battery is painful.

I have checked with Apple and the $129 option is not even available to me... this MBA is a 2011 model... which Apple considers "vintage" and no longer has/makes/sells parts or service for. I guess I could just buy an SSD sled and make a 256GB external SSD out of it.

 

[Mlrollin91]

I have checked with Apple and the $129 option is not even available to me... this MBA is a 2011 model... which Apple considers "vintage" and no longer has/makes/sells parts or service for. I guess I could just buy an SSD sled and make a 256GB external SSD out of it.

Wait, really? Mine is a 2012. They use the same battery. Meaning I'm also screwed.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Wait, really? Mine is a 2012. They use the same battery. Meaning I'm also screwed.

I have a local Apple authorized outfit here close by. I just called them and they sell the NewerTech NuPower batteries... the tech said they were "approved by Apple" - for what ever that's worth... but they get $149 for the battery... looks like it's the exact same battery that MacSales carries for $79... so I may go that route... most of the batteries they sell have customer ratings in the 4+ to 5 range... so as long as it fits (that seems to be the biggest knock from the reviews)...

The really strange part of all of this is that MacSales lists the same battery (same part number) for 11" MBA from 2011-2015... seems fishy, or is it just me?

 

[Mlrollin91]

I have a local Apple authorized outfit here close by. I just called them and they sell the NewerTech NuPower batteries... the tech said they were "approved by Apple" - for what ever that's worth... but they get $149 for the battery... looks like it's the exact same battery that MacSales carries for $79... so I may go that route... most of the batteries they sell have customer ratings in the 4+ to 5 range... so as long as it fits (that seems to be the biggest knock from the reviews)...

The really strange part of all of this is that MacSales lists the same battery (same part number) for 11" MBA from 2011-2015... seems fishy, or is it just me?

Thats definitely not right, the 2013+ has a different battery than 2011-2012. The capacity is like 1000mAh more for the later models.

 

[Boyd01]

Wait, really? Mine is a 2012. They use the same battery. Meaning I'm also screwed.

I don't think so. Apple's policy is described here. I don't think it's an issue of whether or not they stock the correct battery. They simply won't work on the machines that they consider "vintage" or "obsolete". https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624

According to the list of products at that link, the 2011 is no longer supported but the 2012 is. So get your battery changed soon if you want Apple to do it.

 

[Gjwilly]

I wouldn't go with Apple because they only offer a 90-day warranty.
What's the point of going to Apple if they aren't going to stand behind their own product?
Go with a reputable 3rd-party and get at least a 1-year warranty.

 

[AZhappyjack]

I wouldn't go with Apple because they only offer a 90-day warranty.
What's the point of going to Apple if they aren't going to stand behind their own product?
Go with a reputable 3rd-party and get at least a 1-year warranty.

I am having a hard time justifying any repair... the machine is already 6 years old... I may just stick in a closet and forget about it for another 10 years... it does boot and run "as-is" with no battery...

 

[Boyd01]

I am having a hard time justifying any repair... the machine is already 6 years old

That is a very good point. I had a 2011 MBA and loved it, upgraded to a max'ed out 2013 which is still my primary computer. Sold the 2011 to a close friend as a "sweetheart deal" and she still uses it. But for me, the s-l-o-w USB 2.0 ports would be a deal killer today. And run time is not so great, even with a new battery.

You could use it for an iTunes server though.

 

[meeebee]

Did all of this very recently. I just put this Ansanor battery in a couple of 2011 MCAs and they run fine (about a month into it). Neat thing is that they get 5-8 hours since it's a higher amp than the original.

One thing to be careful is that many of these battery ratings are only 300-500 charges, not the 1,000 that the original Apple one did. I figure that it's okay due to it being cheaper and it is very easy to install a new one in a few years.

Also one of the batteries did not line up exactly with all of the holes. I had to leave one screw out, but it's in their solid with all of the rest.

And one was a bit more effort to lock the connector in place. It seemed too tight. I squeezed a small screwdriver into the connector and slightly twisted to loosen up the connector just enough. It then popped right into place.

So far I'm extremely pleased with them.

I did order another battery from this place that showed them at 5200mA but the one I got was 4500 so I promptly sent it back.

 

[AZhappyjack]

I've opted to pull the 256GB SSD and use it as a portable drive. I just could not justify the cost of a new battery for an EOL machine.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

If I thought I could get another year out of quality life from a MBA that I knew, and trusted - rather than investing in a computer (the rMB) that I think has yet a good way to go to become the computer that it has the potential to become (in a way, similar to the situation of the early MBAs) - by spending around 150 dollars or Euros, I would seriously contemplate doing so.

 

[wol]

The only other "reputable" source I would trust for a MacBook (Air) replacement battery is iFixit. Got a replacement battery for my trusty old iP4 from them 2yrs ago, which has been doing its job nicely since then (still using my iP4 to track my runs). I got the impression that they scrutinize their suppliers, thus you have at least some kind of quality control. They offer MBA replacement batteries for around US$90.

 

[Buggyflayer]

I've opted to pull the 256GB SSD and use it as a portable drive. I just could not justify the cost of a new battery for an EOL machine.


shame you're not in the UK or I'd be PM'ing you offering to buy it!

 

[lukebar]

$60 on Amazon. I'm pleased with it. I get about 4-5 hours of battery life. Installation really is simple.

 

[Rocko99991]

. the tech said they were "approved by Apple" -

Problem #1, no third party replacement parts are approved by Apple.