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M1 MacBook Air won’t power on
- Thread starter wittgenstein
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Any of you guys have acquired the Mac recently (say, less than two weeks ago)? I mean, those of you who got the M1 bricked.
Maybe there is a chance that the newest, current batch of Macs have this problem already solved, and it is safe to buy (or exchange) now.
Maybe there is a chance that the newest, current batch of Macs have this problem already solved, and it is safe to buy (or exchange) now.
There are no batch problems that we are aware of. If you want one, go ahead and make the purchase.
Are you serious? Did you read this thread? I bet you this is going to end up being a widespread issue.
You have not experienced the issue yet. Better avoid using usb-c hubs with PD.
No. I use my M1 MBA with a dock and PD every day. I doubt that it is a widespread issue. There aren’t enough reports. All hardware has some amount of DOA. I’m not worried and I will continue to use the dock. If it fails, I have a year warranty.
Please if it fails let us know here. Mine worked for a month with the usb-c hub connected to monitor and PD power. Then failed. I have 3 MBA M1s. Will avoid usb-c hubs until this is cleared up.
Shoot.
Most people who have connected their M1 Macs to external monitors haven't complaint about their computers being bricked/killed. Their complaint is mostly about poor display quality. What concerns me is that your monitor had USB-C (?), which would mean you didn't use any dongle to connect to it (?). Guess we need to be cautious about connecting M1 Macs to just about all external devices, especially if they are not Apple devices.
This scenario can certainly make one nervous. I am glad I purchased AC+ on my M1 MBA.
I assume your monitor charged your Mac? If yes, then the theory that this is a PD-problem is still not disproved.
Again this is why I typically get thunderbolt certified devices. Yes they are ~$100+ but it’s worth it to not damage a $1,000+ system. The Nintendo Switch can brick on some third party docks too (I have heard all third party docks can brick it unless you get lucky) which should still be using the USB spec. While USB C is nice, there seems to be issues with power on some adapters.
I purchased a new Macbook air 8, basic model, from amazon on Jan 8, used it stand alone till Jan 16 for a couple of hours per day. On Sunday 17, after an afernoon with external monitor and power supply attached to a usb dock, in the evening it died disconnecting power. Returned on monday to Amazon and waiting for a money refund.
I don't know what I did last before using it - if it was plugged in, I would have simply closed the lid. I may have plugged it in to charge with the lid closed too.
It may have fallen asleep. Evidence that I have seen suggests that bricking/death takes place when the M1 Mac falls asleep while connected to dongles or external power sources other than its own charger.
So far, only one person here has managed to break their laptop by using the included charger directly connected to their Mac. But that particular person seemed to have a problem with one of their USB-ports not communicating with external devices, and was charging their iPhone with the other (working) port when it happened.
Therefore, I think the recommendation stands that you should use the included charger and connect it directly to the computer if you want to avoid this issue with some degree of certainty.
xWhiplash said something very interesting up thread about the Nintendo Switch. As someone with an M1 on order, and mildly concerned about inadvertently breaking my new machine when it eventually arrives, this power bricking has been bothering me.
But I wondered if xWhiplash might have nailed it - which prompted me to do some research on the Nintendo problem. It turns out the issue was/is that there are plenty of hubs and chargers which don’t seem to implement the PD power delivery standard properly. And it seems the cable might need to be compliant too. That would make 3 things: supply charger, PD dock, and cable all need to be in compliance for safety.
The best starting page for the Nintendo problems I’ve found so far is here. Some way down that page is a YouTube link where several docks for the Switch are tested:
. This video explains very clearly what the potential issue is, using real-time electrical measurements.
Also a link to this engineer’s viewpoint on Reddit:
Essentially the problem for the Switch and some 3rd party docks was incorrect or total failure to implement the standard. It really doesn’t take much imagination to suppose the problem is the same for the M1. In the video, they demonstrate that one of their tested docks had some glitches, which could explain why things fail after a while, not immediately.
Of course, even if this proves an accurate analysis, that still leaves us with the problem of working out which docks are PD compliant, or to stick always to the supplied charger, plugged directly into the Mac.
Edited to add - for an in-depth presentation (powerpoint-style slides as a pdf - technical) on the details of the PD specification and how it's supposed to work, there is one on the usb.org site here.
But I wondered if xWhiplash might have nailed it - which prompted me to do some research on the Nintendo problem. It turns out the issue was/is that there are plenty of hubs and chargers which don’t seem to implement the PD power delivery standard properly. And it seems the cable might need to be compliant too. That would make 3 things: supply charger, PD dock, and cable all need to be in compliance for safety.
The best starting page for the Nintendo problems I’ve found so far is here. Some way down that page is a YouTube link where several docks for the Switch are tested:
Also a link to this engineer’s viewpoint on Reddit:
Essentially the problem for the Switch and some 3rd party docks was incorrect or total failure to implement the standard. It really doesn’t take much imagination to suppose the problem is the same for the M1. In the video, they demonstrate that one of their tested docks had some glitches, which could explain why things fail after a while, not immediately.
Of course, even if this proves an accurate analysis, that still leaves us with the problem of working out which docks are PD compliant, or to stick always to the supplied charger, plugged directly into the Mac.
Edited to add - for an in-depth presentation (powerpoint-style slides as a pdf - technical) on the details of the PD specification and how it's supposed to work, there is one on the usb.org site here.
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I took the MBA M1 to an Apple authorized service center (I'm in Panama, no Apple Stores here). They took it and said it looks like the main board will have to be replaced. Usually takes 2 weeks to get that here in Panama from Apple. Hope that the new main board is revised. Damn! I have a total of 3 MBA M1s.
Alternatively, perhaps it can be a battery issue? I understand that the batteries have their own controllers and perhaps that is what's failing due to some kind of overload or "fail condition" triggered by usb-c hubs, specially with PD.
Alternatively, perhaps it can be a battery issue? I understand that the batteries have their own controllers and perhaps that is what's failing due to some kind of overload or "fail condition" triggered by usb-c hubs, specially with PD.
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This comparison is apples to oranges.
In the case of the Switch, the third party chargers bricked the devices in almost all cases.
Some USB C dongles discussed here have been in use for YEARS before without any issue. For instance, I have 3 different USB C drop in desks at my house. Want to work in a new spot, sure! Unplug one USB C cable and plug into another desk. Power, screen, mouse, keyboard, and Ethernet. One cable. It’s beautiful. Everyone in my house has intel MacBooks. we have all been using these spots for years. Only my new M1 MacBook Pro experiamced this bricking problem.
The only variable that changed in this equation is the M1. And everyone else is still using their intel Macs with these hubs.
not to say cheap dongles can’t cause problems, but this does not appear to be a dongle problem.
in other cases, like the iPad and iPhone, Apple has dealt with uncertified adapters gracefully by popping up a message that tells the user their device is not charging because the charger is unsupported. imagine if you plugged in you iPhone to an Amazon basics lightening charger and it bricked... Don’t Samsung phones charge off USB C now too? There aren’t widespread problems of their phones bricking while charging either and I doubt all Samsung users use the supplied cable...
Again, this is not on the consumer to figure out. Standards are created for a reason and it’s quite obvious Apple botched something in this early batch of new machines...
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