The company’s new “13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) Battery Replacement Program” was spotted by 9to5Mac last Friday (April 20). The reason to change appears to be cosmetic, as Apple’s page dedicated to the program states that “a component may fail causing the built-in battery to expand. This is not a safety issue.”
What should you do?
Visit this page (opens in new tab) to enter your MacBook Pro’s serial number to find out if it’s one of the affected units (which were manufactured between Oct. 2016 and Oct. 2017). To find your serial number, click the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen, and select About This Mac. Then, you’ll have the option to ship your MacBook Pro back to Apple, or bring it into a local Apple Store or a third-party that is an authorized service provider. Apple recommends you back up your data before bringing your laptop in for service. My preferred backup methods (I use both) are Time Machine and the BackBlaze cloud-based backup service. And be prepared for the chance that bringing your MacBook Pro in may trigger other repairs, and ones you might need to pay for. According to Apple’s website, “If your 13-inch MacBook Pro has any damage which impairs the replacement of the battery, that issue will need to be resolved prior to the battery replacement. In some cases, there may be a cost associated with the repair.” While it’s good to see Apple get out in front of any potential battery-related disaster, it’s not the kind of news we bet the Mac maker wants to see after it fell to 7th place (from 5th in 2017) in our Best & Worst Laptop Brands showdown. Apple’s decline is attributed to the stasis in its designs and a lack of innovation.
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