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Show HN: Apple no longer repairing older MacBook Pros
I just got done talking to Apple because the battery on my MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) has started to bulge.
According to Apple, they are no longer manufacturing parts to repair this machine. Instead, I can make an appointment with my local Apple Store and IFF they still have the part lying around, they might do a battery replacement for me. Otherwise, and I quote, "you should buy a new laptop."
Let's see: $199 to replace the battery on a perfectly functional $2400 laptop OR I can spend $2400 + tax on a new Apple laptop with worse specs that I don't even want or need.
Fuck. Apple.
P.s. I ordered https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Compatible-MacBook-Retina-Late/dp/B07GTF8GQ8 and will replace the battery myself. I still think Apple should be able to repair their own products—imagine Honda refusing to repair a 2014 Honda Accord that needs a new battery, instead suggesting that you should just "buy a new 2021 Honda Accord."
It's absolutely pathetic for a trillion hardware company to encourage people to replace hardware that works perfectly well (other than needing a new battery) because they refuse to manufacture replacement batteries—Apple's "environmentalism" is complete and utter self-serving marketing bullshit.
- wmf 6y agoThis is where third-party repair companies really shine.
- heavyset_go 6y agoThis is where third-party repair companies would shine, if Apple let them[1]. [1] https://thenextweb.com/apple/2021/03/14/apple-makes-third-party-repairs-impossible-syndication/ https://thenextweb.com/apple/2021/03/14/apple-makes-third-pa...
- wmf 6y agoYou're speaking generally, but I'm speaking specifically. Third parties perform battery replacement on 2014 MacBook Pros every day.
- approxim8ion 6y agoWill they be able to do the same on more recent iterations a few years later?
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- hindsightbias 6y agoBattery change is doable but be sure of the supplier. I got one of the swelling batteries.
- znpy 6y ago> Let's see: $199 to replace the battery on a perfectly functional $2400 That's not a $2400 laptop. That's a $400 laptop at most. It was $2400 in 2014, which was seven years ago.
- erichocean 6y agoA new laptop with equivalent specs from Apple is at least $2400. This is not complicated.
- znpy 6y agoA new laptop with equivalent specs is probably a $300 Chromebook. That thing is 7+ years old. Don't be silly.
- mtmail 6y agoI own the same laptop model, same year, also with battery that needs replacement. At well kept state they can reach 600 Euro (about $700 USD) on ebay in my country. Mine isn't well kept and I wouldn't sell anything with a battery in a bad condition so I have no illusion mine is worth even $400.
- google234123 6y agoYour laptop does not have equivalent specs to the new ones :P No doubt yours will feel very slow compared to it running modern software.
- stu2b50 6y agoIf you really think so I would recommend looking at some benchmarks because that is not particularly close to reality. Although you should wait until the M1 variant of your laptop releases. It is a bad time to buy the non Apple Silicon macbooks.
- JediPig 6y agoI was about to say the same thing. Its not a $2400 laptop. His only choice is go to ebay / amazon. A laptop 7 years old it is a miracle that laptop lasted that long. at $200, apple rep is right, its best to put that $ into a new or slightly used laptop. I do not get these posts that say things like this on a laptop that has done its duty for 7 years. Even HP / Dell / Lenovo enterprise will not have the parts for this.
- 1-6 6y agoIf Apple wants to become a car company, they better change their policies.
- google234123 6y agoIf they can sell a car for 2400$ then I think this would actually be acceptable policy :P
- sdfhbdf 6y agoWhile I understand you might be frustrated. It could be considered satire if you would substitute "Apple" with "Generic Windows Laptop OEM" and "MacBook Pro" with some plastic model of a windows laptop. What I'm trying to say that 7 years is a great lifespan for a laptop and a fact that only now first-party repair is becoming problematic (I understand it was possible to replace battery with OEM a year ago) and you have to resort to third-party parts seems still outstanding for a consumer goods company. Apple does have its fair share of problems with less repairable laptops as of recently - that's for sure. Especially if you listen to Louis Rossmann
- tbrock 6y agoSeriously, if I had a problem with a dell XPS laptop I’d have throw it away. Repair after 7 years? I think Dell would laugh in your face. Lenovo and Apple are the only brands that even remotely stand by their products after even a couple of months and don’t make it horrendously awful to repair. It’s a miracle it works after 7 years of use. I’d venture to say that Apple is the best of breed in longevity for the original purchase. You paid about $1/day for that laptop. If you can buy another that lasts remotely as long and it isn’t made by Lenovo I’d love to hear about it.
- approxim8ion 6y ago>It’s a miracle it works after 7 years of use What do you people do with your laptops? ThinkPads aside, even my $300-350 Acer laptop is coming up on 6 years of (11-12h daily) use and everything works more than fine. I don't even use an SSD. The one I had before this lasted a good 10-11 years of similar if not heavier use (my entire family used it).
- meepmorp 6y agoBefore covid, I carried my laptop to where I was working, and I did that on a daily basis for years. No matter how gentle you are, they take a beating because the rest of the world definitely isn't nearly as careful. As an aside: the Dell Latitude 610 I carted around for several years was a goddamn beast. It weighed a shit ton, but it took some drops and hits that I was positive wrecked the thing. What killed it eventually was the hinges on the screen breaking and shearing the video connector.
- google234123 6y agoYou should actually compare the actions of Apple compared to other companies before stating that their stance is bullshit. I don't think this holds up to scrutiny. It looks to me that they actually do a lot for the cause of environmentalism. Also, have you never had an old car where the repairs start to cost more than the car is worth? Sometimes you do need to replace things.
- mieses 6y agoRepairs on a Volvo 240 may cost more than the car is worth but the total annual cost is many times less than replacing the car. And it's more reliable than modern >$40k cars. Ikea also practices fake environmentalism by using non-standard parts in their light fixtures while not providing replacement parts.
- heavyset_go 6y agoTo make matters worse, Apple actively weaponizes the legal system against repairers and to make sure that spare parts aren't put on the market for their computers.
- taylodl 6y agoMeanwhile I'm writing this comment on a mid 2012 MacBook Pro. Apple has serious longevity, but if you're machine is over 5 years old and needs a part, don't count on Apple supplying it. You can still by the charger. Everything else you're pretty much screwed. I'm not complaining though because these are the best, longest-lasting laptops I've ever used. Frankly, I'm more concerned about Apple's software than I am their hardware.
- jareklupinski 6y agohow do you think they got that trillion it wasn't by repairing every gadget they sell
- raincom 6y agoEven iFixit batteries are not good. So, be careful. One of the problems with aftermarket batteries is that these batteries were made at least 2 years ago or so.