5 ms·

You technically can, in 66 easy steps and about 1-3 hours [1], all the while risking damaging your laptop. Compare that with 3-6 minutes [2] for the actually re

You technically can, in 66 easy steps and about 1-3 hours [1], all the while risking damaging your laptop. Compare that with 3-6 minutes [2] for the actually replaceable battery on the Framework. [1]: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Touch+Bar+2019+Battery+Replacement/124182 https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Touch+Bar+2... [2]: https://guides.frame.work/Guide/Battery+Replacement+Guide/85 https://guides.frame.work/Guide/Battery+Replacement+Guide/85

Grustaf 5y ago
I did it on two old MBAs in under an hour, never tried with the touch bar mac. My 2016 touchbar MBP13 still has an excellent battery though. Also, amortised over 3-4 years of use I don't really see why it matters if it takes 1 or 3 hours. I'll take a 2 mm thinner computer any day.
- npongratz 5y ago
  Replacing batteries for MBAs and MBPs are completely different experiences. I did the same with an MBA, replacing its battery in less than an hour by virtue of the battery not being glued to the case, nor having to worry about hidden clips built into the case, nor having to carefully dig out the guts of the system and putting them back together. The MBP is in a totally different class -- as iFixit shows, you don't start removing the battery until step 51! And they're not kidding: to get to the battery, you have to do things like remove the trackpad assembly and pry out the logic board assembly. Sure, you can amortize the 1-3 hours of labor over years of device ownership, but at every step, you're dealing with delicate parts, putting you in danger of turning your expensive, trusty daily driver into a brick. Batteries are a wear item, guaranteed to have to be replaced. Apple's managers, designers, and engineers could show more empathy for their customers by making it easier and less risky to replace their wear items.
  - Grustaf 5y ago
    I think the vast majority of people are like me, I'd much rather pay Apple 100-200 bucks to replace it, so that is what they optimise for. I'd rather have a slim computer than one where I can easily change the battery, so they are indeed empathic to the majority of customers. The group of people that actually want to open their computer and tinker with it is extremely small, it just happens to be loud and living on HN.
    - NotPractical 5y ago
      The thing is, I don't even know if you're paying Apple 100-200 bucks to replace the battery, or if you're paying them that much to replace the entire top case assembly, along with the battery, since it's so damn difficult to replace just the battery, I don't know if they even try. This is at least what they used to do.[1] I tried to research and find if this is still their practice but it was proving difficult. Very wasteful if so, and all likely just to make it difficult for the user to repair their own machine. (For what it's worth, recent MacBook Airs reportedly have Apple-replaceable batteries.) [1] https://www.macrumors.com/2018/11/07/2018-macbook-air-battery-individually-replaceable/ https://www.macrumors.com/2018/11/07/2018-macbook-air-batter...
      - Grustaf 5y ago
        Whatever else, I can guarantee you that they are not doing it on purpose in order to make it harder to repair them. They have just been prioritizing thinness. > or if you're paying them that much to replace the entire top case assembly The link says that "previous" MBAs had replacable batteries, and I know that 2012-2014 had it, so I don't think it was ever the case. > For comparison, the previous-generation MacBook Air has a screwed-down battery that can be removed and replaced by Apple and its service providers without a top case replacement, in line with other non-Retina notebooks.
        NotPractical 5y ago
        Why can you guarantee that? Also, this article was written in November 2018, and here's what it says: > the battery can be individually replaced in the new MacBook Air [...] In all other MacBook and MacBook Pro models with a Retina display released since 2012, when a customer has required a battery replacement, Apple has replaced the entire top case enclosure, including the keyboard and trackpad. This implies that, at least from 2016-2019, they were replacing the entire top case assembly in MBP. I have no reason to doubt they still are. The article is mainly about the MBA so it is a little confusing, to be fair.

Grustaf 5y ago

I did it on two old MBAs in under an hour, never tried with the touch bar mac. My 2016 touchbar MBP13 still has an excellent battery though. Also, amortised over 3-4 years of use I don't really see why it matters if it takes 1 or 3 hours. I'll take a 2 mm thinner computer any day.

npongratz 5y ago
Replacing batteries for MBAs and MBPs are completely different experiences. I did the same with an MBA, replacing its battery in less than an hour by virtue of the battery not being glued to the case, nor having to worry about hidden clips built into the case, nor having to carefully dig out the guts of the system and putting them back together. The MBP is in a totally different class -- as iFixit shows, you don't start removing the battery until step 51! And they're not kidding: to get to the battery, you have to do things like remove the trackpad assembly and pry out the logic board assembly. Sure, you can amortize the 1-3 hours of labor over years of device ownership, but at every step, you're dealing with delicate parts, putting you in danger of turning your expensive, trusty daily driver into a brick. Batteries are a wear item, guaranteed to have to be replaced. Apple's managers, designers, and engineers could show more empathy for their customers by making it easier and less risky to replace their wear items.
- Grustaf 5y ago
  I think the vast majority of people are like me, I'd much rather pay Apple 100-200 bucks to replace it, so that is what they optimise for. I'd rather have a slim computer than one where I can easily change the battery, so they are indeed empathic to the majority of customers. The group of people that actually want to open their computer and tinker with it is extremely small, it just happens to be loud and living on HN.
  - NotPractical 5y ago
    The thing is, I don't even know if you're paying Apple 100-200 bucks to replace the battery, or if you're paying them that much to replace the entire top case assembly, along with the battery, since it's so damn difficult to replace just the battery, I don't know if they even try. This is at least what they used to do.[1] I tried to research and find if this is still their practice but it was proving difficult. Very wasteful if so, and all likely just to make it difficult for the user to repair their own machine. (For what it's worth, recent MacBook Airs reportedly have Apple-replaceable batteries.) [1] https://www.macrumors.com/2018/11/07/2018-macbook-air-battery-individually-replaceable/ https://www.macrumors.com/2018/11/07/2018-macbook-air-batter...
    - Grustaf 5y ago
      Whatever else, I can guarantee you that they are not doing it on purpose in order to make it harder to repair them. They have just been prioritizing thinness. > or if you're paying them that much to replace the entire top case assembly The link says that "previous" MBAs had replacable batteries, and I know that 2012-2014 had it, so I don't think it was ever the case. > For comparison, the previous-generation MacBook Air has a screwed-down battery that can be removed and replaced by Apple and its service providers without a top case replacement, in line with other non-Retina notebooks.
      - NotPractical 5y ago
        Why can you guarantee that? Also, this article was written in November 2018, and here's what it says: > the battery can be individually replaced in the new MacBook Air [...] In all other MacBook and MacBook Pro models with a Retina display released since 2012, when a customer has required a battery replacement, Apple has replaced the entire top case enclosure, including the keyboard and trackpad. This implies that, at least from 2016-2019, they were replacing the entire top case assembly in MBP. I have no reason to doubt they still are. The article is mainly about the MBA so it is a little confusing, to be fair.