What is it with Apple and their choice of batteries lately? They just love making it very hard to replace them, and make it almost as expensive, as the device itself. This goes for the iPhone, the iPad and the new Macbook Pro.
People complained a couple of years ago, when Apple launched their iPhones. It was an era when people used phones that had a replaceable battery. There were so many great uses for replaceable batteries back then. You can purchase spare ones that you can charge and bring along during long trips, such as hiking or camping. You can easily replace the battery at low costs and even use batteries from different manufacturers. One can even expand the battery by purchasing a battery of higher capacity for use with their phones.
In the advent of Apple ‘s own iPhone, and the rise of Android and other smartphones in the world, there was one problem that arose. Due to the increased energy consumption of these smartphones, the phones of today do not last nearly as long as the old phones. That increased the need for some people to either always carry chargers, or carry extra battery packs, even on just a single day. Apple fans would definitely be stuck with only the first option, because one, removing that battery is a void on their warranty, and two, the replacements often come too expensive.
That is also the case with the new slimmer Macbook Pro that Apple has touted recently. These Macbook Pro look so much like Macbook Airs that you might think that these Macbooks are the same. When iFixit, a specialized website for creating repair guides for Macs, tried to disassemble and see just how the whole thing is built, they found very little use for the handy screwdrivers. They had to wade through more parts, which were glued together, making it nearly impossible to fix or replace parts. This especially goes for the battery, which is reportedly at least 54% more expensive than the previous Macbook Pro. You have to dish out nearly $200 for one.
The Macbook Pro is now not effectively upgradable. It would cost too much to unglue and re-glue these parts. People have been asking for thinner and lighter devices, and this is Apple’s answer. The Macbook Pro users are now wondering if it can even be called a Macbook Pro, because it now follows nearly the whole design pattern of the Macbook Air. Since these batteries are also glued in, you might just want to replace the whole thing when it dies. In fact, that is what Apple would want. A steady stream of new hardware being pushed out, just because it can no longer replace these batteries effectively both in cost and in effort.
Are you happy with this new trend of keeping the battery glued in to your device, forcing you to stick to what comes with the package? Or would you rather have the power of choice to upgrade or even simply have extra battery packs to make these devices last just a little bit longer in the unplugged world? We know Apple listens to its customers, so make sure you provide the right words!
Image sources: 2dayblog.com, toraltech.com, ifixit.org
