iFixit introduces battery replacement kit for Apple's MacBook Pro with Retina display

Apple's notoriously difficult-to-repair unibody MacBook design has been a sore subject for repair enthusiasts for years, prompting solutions provider iFixit to create a new battery replacement kit that will make it easier for at-home repairs.

Priced between $89.95 and $109.95, iFixit's MacBook Pro Retina Battery Kits include all of the tools and instructions users should need to replace their own battery. Also included in the packages are batteries designed to fit within the various legacy Retina MacBook Pro designs, ranging from late 2012 until mid 2015.

Given how durable and reliable Apple's hardware is, battery use over time is now likely the main point of failure — Â or, at least, diminishing returns — with legacy MacBook Pro hardware. iFixit's new kits can give MacBook Pro owners a new lease on life with refreshed batteries restoring a full day's charge.

iFixit says swapping the battery on a MacBook Pro with Retina display can extend the life of the laptop by another two to three years.

Apple does offer its own battery replacement service for $199, but iFixit's kit comes in at about half the price, making it a more economical approach for users who feel comfortable dissecting their notebook.

The Retina MacBook Pro features a glued-in-place battery that can complicate the repair process. iFixit's tools address this with a "blend of household chemicals" that are safe, but allow the adhesive to be removed.

"The repair is still a fair bit of work: removing the battery requires a lot of caution and patience — but it's definitely doable with the right tools, the right instructions, and the right adhesive removal technique," the company said.

After lasting for about four years, the MacBook Pro with Retina display design was succeeded in late 2016 by a new, thinner chassis with USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports and a Touch Bar on high-end models. The new iFixit battery replacement sets are not designed for the latest MacBook Pros.

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28 Comments

rob53

said about 6 years ago

This article seems to say iFixit designed the replacement batteries but their website says "The battery is an original OEM battery." so they are simply providing the same battery provides, along with adhesive and tools (if desired), without charging you for labor. Of course, they do state this is a Difficult repair but don't say any additional damage done while repairing is up to the user to repair.

One thing that bothers me is they contradict their original statement about the battery with this:

MacBook Pro Retina batteries are originally adhered to the upper case assembly as a single part from Apple. The parts we sell have been separated from this assembly. Consequently, the battery adhesive may have some cosmetic flaws.

Does this mean they aren't actually Apple batteries or just that the batteries have been removed from the upper case before selling to the customer? If the latter, how much damage has been caused by this removal?

EsquireCats

said about 6 years ago

This summarises everything that's wrong with iFixit's business model, starting with the batteries being the last part of my computer I'd be willing to skimp on.

The proposition is challenged: simply dig through a 'notoriously' complex device that cost $2,000 to $3,000 in order to install a non-standard part in the hope of saving a measly $100 (your time is worth more), versus taking the official repair option: a faster, quality assured and infinitely easier service, while sparing yourself the chance of damaging your 'notorious' device or having to find a way to dispose your old battery.

Even when ignoring those pesky hidden costs, that "saving" using ifixit's perceived lifetime extension works out to around 9c a day.

Mike Wuerthele

said about 6 years ago

While I appreciate that fact that iFixit is offering this, I'm with EsquireCats on this one. Not only is the labor you're putting into it to fix it problematic from a cost standpoint, there is a really good chance you're going to break something stripping it down to the upper case assembly.

I've taken a few RMBPs apart, and they are hairy disassemblies, with a large number of very thin ribbon cables, with both the cable and socket easily breakable.

macxpress

said about 6 years ago

EsquireCats said:

This summarises everything that's wrong with iFixit's business model, starting with the batteries being the last part of my computer I'd be willing to skimp on.

The proposition is challenged: simply dig through a 'notoriously' complex device that cost $2,000 to $3,000 in order to install a non-standard part in the hope of saving a measly $100 (your time is worth more), versus taking the official repair option: a faster, quality assured and infinitely easier service, while sparing yourself the chance of damaging your 'notorious' device or having to find a way to dispose your old battery.

Even when ignoring those pesky hidden costs, that "saving" using ifixit's perceived lifetime extension works out to around 9c a day.

Yeah iFixit's business model is eroding away. This isn't the late 90's-mid 2000's where people are interested in fixing their computers themselves for the most part, AND, device manufacturers aren't making devices modular very much. Pretty soon (maybe now?), almost every review iFixit does on a device (Apple or non-Apple) will have a score of 2/10 on the repairability scale because thats not the priority of the manufacturer. I know there are those here who are very vocal about Apple not making things that are "repairable", but thats just the way things are heading. It's far easier and I would guess more reliable for Apple to design a device where everything is on a single board vs, designing something with separate boards, and then also have to design a way to access these things easily.

robjn

said about 6 years ago

This is simply dangerous.

The high tech batteries into today's products are high precision and high energy density. We have seen some phones restricted on airlines because of fires.

If the battery is not designed to be user replaceable we need to leave battery installation to those trained by the manufacturer. We also need to avoid third party batteries. All we need is for a few MacBooks to catch fire and we won't be able to carry any on an airplane!