Mid-2012 MBP Retina - obsolete?

[KUKitch]

So I have finally picked up mine! Got SG refurbished 2016 model 2.7, 16GB, 512GB, Radeon 455.
Slightly hesitant about the refurbished part (there is a purple light leakage in one corner which I'm contemplating if its big enough for a return) but other than that its perfect. Don't mind that its not 2017 as they are almost identical and super grateful and happy with the result. It is just fantastic outcome and I'm super happy that I have found this thread by accident and I wanna say thanks to Psynnott for starting it as this just have made my financial situation much better (I really couldn't afford new one and I was dreading when mine dies) so thank you man!!!

The only thing I really hate about these new models is the silly keyboard - its just so LOUD its incredible. The clickiness is just insane. No more silent typing when partner asleep

Anyway, thank you all for great contribution. I'm just one happy puppy thanks to you all.

And thank you APPLE for providing amazing support!!!

Glad to hear it! Still on pins and needles/impatient at my end - card charged Thursday last week and no updates yet... that's what I get for reading others' stories of 2 day shipping after card charging!

 

[Freida]

Glad to hear it! Still on pins and needles/impatient at my end - card charged Thursday last week and no updates yet... that's what I get for reading others' stories of 2 day shipping after card charging!

mine took ages so don't worry for now. You should be fine. Keep us updated though

 

[Rudy69]

2016 tb 2.7/16/512

That's the same one my wife got for hers! She had the base model 2012 and she was really hoping for more space as she was always running out

 

[KUKitch]

mine took ages so don't worry for now. You should be fine. Keep us updated though

Update number... I don’t know, 5? Just got a call that it shipped this morning... finally! I don’t know what it is specifically, and of course I was hoping the call would be that it arrived, but it’s good news anyway!

 

[KUKitch]

And a final update... got a call this morning that the system had arrived, was not a TB model and had a UK top case... they offered that, to start over, or the highest-spec model they sell in store (but with a UK keyboard). I went with option 3 - so I've got a 3.1/1TB/560 2017+Apple Care - I will take that!

 

[Freida]

And a final update... got a call this morning that the system had arrived, was not a TB model and had a UK top case... they offered that, to start over, or the highest-spec model they sell in store (but with a UK keyboard). I went with option 3 - so I've got a 3.1/1TB/560 2017+Apple Care - I will take that!

wow, amazing. Congratz!

 

[joninarcadia]

Posting as I wanted to reassure anyone still waiting...

I took mine in on 17th July (genuine issues with battery and intermittent restarts), was offered replacement and card charged. I picked up my replacement YESTERDAY!

I was beginning to think that I was going to be unlucky but Apple stayed true to their word.

In fact, I'd go as far as saying i received the best customer service i've ever received. The guy from apple who phoned to say my laptop was in stock checked the model for me and said it was a refurb 2015. Fine, I thought, it's still an upgrade.

Half an hour later he called back to say that they'd had another customer come in and receive a 2016 model, so instead of giving me the laptop Apple had sent me, they'd be giving me one off the shop floor to "make it fair".

The shop floor model was in fact the 2.9/16/512! Couldn't be happier!

 

[ChiSouthernGirl]

I just found this thread...apparently about a month too late.

 

[anonymous4a]

Is this still going on? Or do they just replace your battery now for 2012 models ?

 

[KUKitch]

Is this still going on? Or do they just replace your battery now for 2012 models ?

I've heard here and there that people have been told that it'll be November now, and that there may be a shortage again, but that's definitely just hearsay - could be worth a shot but I couldn't say for certain

 

[Graxxer]

WELL, now what a series of fortunate events that was!
TL;DR: Managed to get a 2017 tbMBP 2.8/16/256 upgrade from my 2012 rMBP 2.6/16/256 for FREE, and after they shut down the programme.

I had been aware of this thread but was away when i found out about it, and by the time I'd gotten home, the top case stock had already been "replenished". I went in nonetheless, and was offered a free top case replacement. The genius I dealt with was also kind enough to throw in a display repair, and I was told the whole operation shouldn't take longer than a week (late July/early August). I went in to pick up my seemingly brand new macbook pro about a week later, and posted on here about my semi-success story.

After a few days, I noticed that the computer didn't lie flat on surfaces, ie. it had a wobble. I took it back in to have it looked at and another genius confirmed that indeed it seemed to have a very slight bend (I was told different things by different geniuses at different times, that it was either the display or the top case that were bent, or even both...). At this point they also gave me a free iPhone case, which was an unnecessarily kind gesture, but one they felt inclined to offer for the faulty part. They repeated the same repair, replacing the top case and the display again. When I went to pick it up, however, I immediately noticed that they had replaced the top case with a UK keyboard, whereas I originally had a US keyboard. So the computer was put back into repair, and an order for the correct top case was placed, and I was quoted that it would arrive the following Tuesday, 3 days later.

By Friday, the part hadn't arrived, so I decided to phone in to get an update. I'm not sure what exactly I was told the problem was, but I was advised that the part would arrive the following Tuesday. Around this time, I also became aware of the renewed supply shortages alluded to in the post above this.

I rang Apple the following Tuesday, and was told that the new top case still hadn't arrived. Whether that was due to these stock shortages or to the fact that Monday was a bank holiday here in the UK, I was now presented with two options: (a) let apple keep my computer, and walk home with a new replacement unit which would *have* to have a UK keyboard, or (b) wait for the part and see if they could sweeten the deal in some other way, though there'd be no guarantee as to when that would be. Needless to say, I opted for a new replacement unit, and I couldn't be happier. I consider myself very lucky, as it was clearly a series of unlikely events that lead to this outcome.

I've got to thank the OP, Psynott, once again for drawing attention to this opportunity, and to the friend of mine who pointed me to this thread.

 

[anonymous4a]

WELL, now what a series of fortunate events that was!
TL;DR: Managed to get a 2017 tbMBP 2.8/16/256 upgrade from my 2012 rMBP 2.6/16/256 for FREE, and after they shut down the programme.

I had been aware of this thread but was away when i found out about it, and by the time I'd gotten home, the top case stock had already been "replenished". I went in nonetheless, and was offered a free top case replacement. The genius I dealt with was also kind enough to throw in a display repair, and I was told the whole operation shouldn't take longer than a week (late July/early August). I went in to pick up my seemingly brand new macbook pro about a week later, and posted on here about my semi-success story.

After a few days, I noticed that the computer didn't lie flat on surfaces, ie. it had a wobble. I took it back in to have it looked at and another genius confirmed that indeed it seemed to have a very slight bend (I was told different things by different geniuses at different times, that it was either the display or the top case that were bent, or even both...). At this point they also gave me a free iPhone case, which was an unnecessarily kind gesture, but one they felt inclined to offer for the faulty part. They repeated the same repair, replacing the top case and the display again. When I went to pick it up, however, I immediately noticed that they had replaced the top case with a UK keyboard, whereas I originally had a US keyboard. So the computer was put back into repair, and an order for the correct top case was placed, and I was quoted that it would arrive the following Tuesday, 3 days later.

By Friday, the part hadn't arrived, so I decided to phone in to get an update. I'm not sure what exactly I was told the problem was, but I was advised that the part would arrive the following Tuesday. Around this time, I also became aware of the renewed supply shortages alluded to in the post above this.

I rang Apple the following Tuesday, and was told that the new top case still hadn't arrived. Whether that was due to these stock shortages or to the fact that Monday was a bank holiday here in the UK, I was now presented with two options: (a) let apple keep my computer, and walk home with a new replacement unit which would *have* to have a UK keyboard, or (b) wait for the part and see if they could sweeten the deal in some other way, though there'd be no guarantee as to when that would be. Needless to say, I opted for a new replacement unit, and I couldn't be happier. I consider myself very lucky, as it was clearly a series of unlikely events that lead to this outcome.

I've got to thank the OP, Psynott, once again for drawing attention to this opportunity, and to the friend of mine who pointed me to this thread.

When did you take your macbook into the apple store ?

 

[Graxxer]

When did you take your macbook into the apple store ?

I originally took it in on the 30th July, a few days after the shutdown.

 

[emilykgoodman92]

Last night I had a major problem with my 2012 15 inch MacBook Pro. All of a sudden my hard drive starts making a loud clicking noise and then after several minutes the device completely shuts off. I try to power it back up and I get a white background with an icon of a file folder with a gray '?' flashing. For the last two years my screen has been distorted and sometimes even would start flickering and shut off from time to time. I would bring it in to the Genius bar and either the screen would act fine at the appointment therefore they could not help me or they simply told me it was an issue with my Internet browser. My hard drive would also have a rattling sound from time to time that Apple could never figure out, which now has lead to my hard-drive completely bottoming out. Of course I am no longer under AppleCare for my device, however when I first brought my device to get all these problems looked at I was.

I have an appointment at the Apple store on Saturday in which I'm expecting them to tell me there is nothing they can do since it is out of warranty and applecare has expired. Is this indeed what they will tell me? Is there anything that I can do to prevent having to drop a grand on a new laptop when the issues should have been taken care of when I had AppleCare? I just now heard about the repair extension program but sadly my computer was bought nov 3, 2012 which is after 4 year period.

 

[hallux]

Retina or non-retina @emilykgoodman92 ? If your drive is clicking it sounds like a non-retina. You can EASILY replace the bad drive with a standard SATA SSD and have a nice performance boost while not spending a ton of money.

 

[BrittWentz]

My mid-2012 13 inch just started showing the replace now warning- capacity between 75-79% according to Coconut, only 420 cycles in 4 years! Nearest Apple Store is a 5 hour drive, i do have a AASP near but they want to charge me €250 for the service. They weren't specific as to how long would it take as they need to have the computer already in service in order to order the battery. I can't afford waiting for 2-3 weeks for the part to arrive- should i try Apple Store? What are the odds of getting an upgrade outside of the US/UK?

 

[vysyus]

My mid-2012 13 inch just started showing the replace now warning- capacity between 75-79% according to Coconut, only 420 cycles in 4 years! Nearest Apple Store is a 5 hour drive, i do have a AASP near but they want to charge me €250 for the service. They weren't specific as to how long would it take as they need to have the computer already in service in order to order the battery. I can't afford waiting for 2-3 weeks for the part to arrive- should i try Apple Store? What are the odds of getting an upgrade outside of the US/UK?

I had mine replaced outside US/UK (in the EU), my MacBook Pro 2012 was originally purchased in Australia, but you're probably way too late. Topcases are most likely in supply by now.

€250 sounds in the ballpark for topcase replacement + labour. From what I understand from AASP service guys over here, that is a discounted price for batteries that fail the test, as the official price is above €400.

 

[BrittWentz]

I had mine replaced outside US/UK (in the EU), my MacBook Pro 2012 was originally purchased in Australia, but you're probably way too late. Topcases are most likely in supply by now.

€250 sounds in the ballpark for topcase replacement + labour. From what I understand from AASP service guys over here, that is a discounted price for batteries that fail the test, as the official price is above €400.

From what i understood they would only be replacing the battery, no mentions of a topcase replacement. Is it absolutely necessary to replace the topcase along with the battery? Because i don't really trust the AASP much, and my experience tells me they'll keep the topcase if they can.

 

[vysyus]

From what i understood they would only be replacing the battery, no mentions of a topcase replacement. Is it absolutely necessary to replace the topcase along with the battery? Because i don't really trust the AASP much, and my experience tells me they'll keep the topcase if they can.

I am not 100% sure, but I think they always replace the whole topcase (at least they should).

 

[maflynn]

From what i understood they would only be replacing the battery, no mentions of a topcase replacement. Is it absolutely necessary to replace the topcase along with the battery? Because i don't really trust the AASP much, and my experience tells me they'll keep the topcase if they can.

If we're talking about the retina 2012 MBPs, yes they replace the top case because the battery is glued onto that and the techs don't mess with trying to [safely] remove the battery without ruining the topcase or puncturing the battery.

 

[leman]

€250 sounds in the ballpark for topcase replacement + labour. From what I understand from AASP service guys over here, that is a discounted price for batteries that fail the test, as the official price is above €400.

Battery replacement for a retina MBP is $209 euro in the EU — this is the official price as stated by Apple. If a shop asks for more, they are simply trying to rip you off.

 

[Fishrrman]

BrittWentz wrote:
"My mid-2012 13 inch just started showing the replace now warning- capacity between 75-79% according to Coconut, only 420 cycles in 4 years! Nearest Apple Store is a 5 hour drive, i do have a AASP near but they want to charge me €250 for the service."

If it's a non-retina, you will find the answer here in the other thread that you posted:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...replace-or-get-new-mbp.2090323/#post-25505563

 

[Macalicious2011]

I am not 100% sure, but I think they always replace the whole topcase (at least they should).

I dropped in my 2012 rMBP for a free battery service this week and can confirm that that the service includes top case with keyboard and touchpad.

 

[Pkupman57]

I have a 2012 non-retina MBP (the one with user serviceable items, in fact I just installed an SSD and put my stock 750gb spinner drive in an OWC caddy in the place of the optical drive... waiting a while longer for 16gb of ram, as 8 is running well for me)

My battery has 69 cycles and is at 88% health... BUT, its swollen and affecting the function of the trackpad. I called my local apple store, and have an appointment for tomorrow evening to have the battery replaced. They are charging me $130. Since mine is a 13" and all I need is the battery, not the top case or trackpad. I checked my trackpad when I had the system apart for upgrades, and it functions fine without the battery in place. I know I could do it myself, but I would prefer an apple battery with the warranty they are giving me. And the price difference in having them do it, Vs buying an aftermarket isn't much. Ive also read on here that it takes a bit of effort to get the system to recognize and read an aftermarket battery.