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FlyingTexan

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 13, 2015
941
783
I have the 2020 13" M1 MBP. Currently the battery is 94% so not the biggest issue but how low do you let it go before you replace it? What's the cost and process?
 

DarkPremiumCho

macrumors 6502
Mar 2, 2023
276
177
I don't replace it, because by the time the capacity decreased to an unusable level, Apple had already stopped the software support for the product.

The only time I replace the battery is due to a problem that caused spontaneous shutdowns. By referring to a guide on iFixit website, I spend 30 minutes of my time. Your cost may vary because of purchasing power.
 

rm5

macrumors 68040
Mar 4, 2022
3,017
3,479
United States
I have the 2020 13" M1 MBP. Currently the battery is 94% so not the biggest issue but how low do you let it go before you replace it? What's the cost and process?
I haven't replaced my battery yet, but it's getting close to that point—I'm at 87% battery health at 390 cycles. Generally, Apple advises you to replace the battery when it his 1000 cycles or 80% health. But probably by that point, I'll have gotten a new MacBook—because it's going to be at least another year or so till that happens, at least that's my prediction.
 

FreakinEurekan

macrumors 604
Sep 8, 2011
6,571
3,451
I’ve replaced a (swelling) battery on a 2015 MacBook Pro. Short of that (swelling & 8 years old) it’s very uncommon to need to replace a battery at all.
 

FlyingTexan

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 13, 2015
941
783
I haven't replaced my battery yet, but it's getting close to that point—I'm at 87% battery health at 390 cycles. Generally, Apple advises you to replace the battery when it his 1000 cycles or 80% health. But probably by that point, I'll have gotten a new MacBook—because it's going to be at least another year or so till that happens, at least that's my prediction.
I had apple replace my iphone 13 mini once under warranty. Once it dropped to about 90-92% the rate at which the battery died greatly accelerated. I'm just wondering if that was a fluke or how things happen here. I honestly haven't seen anything that makes me want to upgrade. Performance gains are minimal and I don't do anything outside of web surfing and playing Civ V or something when on flights with mine. I'd basically gotten it as a media consumption machine because I travel for work and wanted something that had great battery, good screen, great speakers. Maybe a m3 macbook pro will change that but this is the first time in a long time I've held onto a machine for more than a year. I normally just buy another and sell the current one. But when 10% battery is 2hrs of runtime lost that starts to add up.
 

Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
29,248
13,323
"I have the 2020 13" M1 MBP. Currently the battery is 94% so not the biggest issue but how low do you let it go before you replace it? What's the cost and process?"

Egads !!

There's nothing wrong with a battery that's at 94% of original capacity.
It's a process called "aging". Happens to all things.

When the capacity drops below 80%, then you can avail yourself of Apple's battery replacement program, which costs $249. You get a new Apple-labeled battery, installation, and a short warranty.

"Apple labeled" can make a big difference. Seems like 3rd-party batteries are a crapshoot. As Forrest Gump said, like a box of chocolates: "you never know what you're going to get" ...
 
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