Apple does take returns beyond 14 days on case by case, if the user can show some defects which impact the functionality or physical defects with in the margin.
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--Video added-- Here is why i hated my MBP 14 2023 (clicking keys, battery cycle count, gap assymetry)
- Thread starter emraha06
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My 14" had 4 cycles out of the box, and it was brand new. One thing to keep in mind is that 1-2 models from each production batch usually go through additional QA testing, which can account for the difference in battery cycles for a brand new laptop or desktop. As far as the rest of the OPs concerns, they come across as some of the most nitpicky concerns I have ever seen, given that the OP seemingly expects the most perfect machines in existence every time a new model is purchased. The most questionable part of the OPs post is where he didn't return it within the 14 days because he was busy researching the gap issue. First, it shouldn't take 14 days to determine if there is a widespread issue or just some isolated concerns regarding the hinge gaps. My guess is that it is the latter given the lack of corroborating evidence from the OP.
I am pretty amazed that you have been posting similar experiences (a lot of them) for four years now. You could go back to those thread and read the replies from people who were trying to convince you that the issues you found are not worth worrying over too much. For example the battery cycle count, it really is not so special or problematic. And if that doesn't help, try and contact the store.
For a $2500 laptop you’d expect near perfection, but that’s just me
It isn't a hand crafted Rolex watch, its a mass produced tool to do a job.
If your specific machine has some things that bug you with regards to how close it is to the edge of production tolerances, return it. I've never had to do an apple return before and I've been buying their gear since 2006. Their production tolerances in my experience are WAY more stringent than any of the big pc manufacturers.
So just sell the laptop? I don't get it, why not just get rid of it if you're not happy? Why did you even keep it in the first place if it supposedly had all of these obvious defects?
To add more argument. If OP has complained years ago, why did he/she keep buying another Apple product, not learning from his/her disappointments?
First of all, that $2500 laptop can be returned at any time in the first 14 days if there’s any problems with it.
But also, You could say this about literally anything that is mass produced no matter the price.
I don’t think an expensive vehicle should have flaws either, and yet they can and do.
OP
I think this is a good lesson not to get caught up in trivial things. 1-3 is a normal battery cycle count but you didn’t return in the 14 day period because you got caught up in researching a battery cycle count of 5!?!? I think that’s losing focus of what’s important.
As for the jagged edges and rattling keys. Absolutely that is unacceptable and the machine should be fixed at a minimum.
OP I do feel your frustration with the new Apple lottery. Your machine has a one year Apple warranty and they will fix it. Call them, be nice, don’t complain and you might find you get a new computer. At worst they will fix it. It’s a pain to go through the return process for sure though.
Good luck.
I think this is a good lesson not to get caught up in trivial things. 1-3 is a normal battery cycle count but you didn’t return in the 14 day period because you got caught up in researching a battery cycle count of 5!?!? I think that’s losing focus of what’s important.
As for the jagged edges and rattling keys. Absolutely that is unacceptable and the machine should be fixed at a minimum.
OP I do feel your frustration with the new Apple lottery. Your machine has a one year Apple warranty and they will fix it. Call them, be nice, don’t complain and you might find you get a new computer. At worst they will fix it. It’s a pain to go through the return process for sure though.
Good luck.
Look @emraha06 a long time ago I used to think a lot like you. I would get extremely nervous when buying anything, comb over it for defects, inevitably finding something, and then spending countless hours searching and discussing online trying to find out if it was normal. As you've seen here in this thread, it's almost never fruitful because most people don't care or notice this stuff and so there's not much to draw from. Often times I would return something only to get something that was even worse.
It's a very stressful way to live, and it saps any enjoyment you might have from the things you spend your hard earned money on.
Some of this thinking still seeps into my life from time to time, but I say from experience, you really have to approach it differently. Unless there is some sort of actual mechanical problem caused by the tiny asymmetries you're seeing, or the issue is something you know the average person would find a dealbreaker, it's best to just move on. There are always tolerances in mass manufacturing, and thus the aim isn't perfection but spec. If something is within tolerances, within spec, then it's normal, and Apple can rightly say this is just the way it is. If you can't live with it, there is Apple's generous 14 days no questions asked return policy.
Being able to separate genuinely unacceptable defects from targets that our anxiety zooms in on and circles around is something that you might find hard to do, but it's necessary. I can see in your posting history that this is obviously causing you undue stress.
I'm not saying you can't find fault in Apple products - I returned and replaced an iPhone 14 Pro Max because it had unacceptable screen uniformity and got one that had acceptable uniformity. I also returned and replaced an iPad Magic Keyboard with a hilariously loose hinge. But I have gotten to a place where I only let myself go down that path when it's a genuinely, reasonably unacceptable fault that I can't live with.
It ain't easy. Good luck.
It's a very stressful way to live, and it saps any enjoyment you might have from the things you spend your hard earned money on.
Some of this thinking still seeps into my life from time to time, but I say from experience, you really have to approach it differently. Unless there is some sort of actual mechanical problem caused by the tiny asymmetries you're seeing, or the issue is something you know the average person would find a dealbreaker, it's best to just move on. There are always tolerances in mass manufacturing, and thus the aim isn't perfection but spec. If something is within tolerances, within spec, then it's normal, and Apple can rightly say this is just the way it is. If you can't live with it, there is Apple's generous 14 days no questions asked return policy.
Being able to separate genuinely unacceptable defects from targets that our anxiety zooms in on and circles around is something that you might find hard to do, but it's necessary. I can see in your posting history that this is obviously causing you undue stress.
I'm not saying you can't find fault in Apple products - I returned and replaced an iPhone 14 Pro Max because it had unacceptable screen uniformity and got one that had acceptable uniformity. I also returned and replaced an iPad Magic Keyboard with a hilariously loose hinge. But I have gotten to a place where I only let myself go down that path when it's a genuinely, reasonably unacceptable fault that I can't live with.
It ain't easy. Good luck.
I hate to minimize your situation but the final sentence does seem a bit dramatic. The karen-esque of the post will likely draw the attention of people ready to flame.
I would agree with the frustration around Apple's quality control - I may even go as far to say that for the price, its unacceptable. It is mass-produced like another individual stated, some flaws are to be expected. Should the control team do a better job inspecting - sure, I can get behind that. I'm sure many others in the forum would too.
While you are past the 14 day return window, you have a warranty. Surely the keyboard and hinge can be warrantied. If you can't warranty it for that, make up some other excuse that causes them to send you a new device. I hate to suggest that you lie, but maybe you get creative.
The context is, the remaining 99.9% of us wouldn't even look twice at the minor things he finds. He's not unfortunately just discovered some genuine isolated build-quality problem outside his 14-day return window: he has a track-record of posting complaints about absolutely non-issues. One occasion he was complaining about flaws in the brown exterior shipping box of a brand new MBP. It was only last week he was complaining the cycle-count on the battery of this Macbook was 5 and should he return it for that reason. Then on another Macbook the trackpad asymmetry was different by literally micrometres. Then another time it was screen-tint. In a post from 2019 he exchanged a MBP four times before he reluctantly accepted one which finally met his quality standards (even then he found imperfections in the aluminium surrounding the USB ports, that he wasn't happy with).
He has unrealistic expectations from a mass-produced product, even a premium-priced one, and while your advice is obviously well-intended, he'll find fault in the replacement as well.
Locally if it's a refurbished computer they'll give you a few more days. If it's a brand new computer bought in-store it's 14 and they stick to that.
As far as keyboards go I agree 200% with you. It's hit-and-miss. Back when I had a. 16" MBP which I returned because of the keyboard and display they offered a new one. Apple's quality control IMHO has been going down on hardware and operating systems.
If this was mine it would be back at Apple and id have a perfect one. I see no reason to accept defects at this price point.
I wound care about the battery (had mine for 10 months, still got 100% charge) but poor workman ship straight out fp the box is not something I would accept if it bothered me. If it didnt, then I wouldn't care about it.
I wound care about the battery (had mine for 10 months, still got 100% charge) but poor workman ship straight out fp the box is not something I would accept if it bothered me. If it didnt, then I wouldn't care about it.
He missed the return window because he was busy researching the hinge gap issue (at least that was the initial claim). Based on the OPs history on these forums, I feel that he always finds the most nitpicky issues with devices and posts here to complain about the devices not meeting his unrealistic expectations.
My 16 inch came with 4 cycle counts despite being new while every Macbook air I've bought came new with 1 cycle count
It is very rare to find a quality person who can empathize as understanding as you and express it in an extremely kind way. It is very precious to me that you try to understand me without judgment and that you express it in extremely beautiful way.
Maybe we will never meet but it is a great happiness for me to know that there are good people like you in this world.
Thank you my friend.
It's my honor to know you..
Thanks for the kind words. I actually posted something far less kind which was removed by the mods, and I'm glad it was as it gave me an opportunity to reconsider and say what I should have said in the first place.
Hopefully you can enjoy tech more in the future rather than it being a source of stress.
I in no way want to sound insensitive or insulting. Your agony comes across in your comments.
Some people have suggested you sell the laptop that is making you so unhappy. That maybe isn't the best advice. If the keyboard noise really bothers you why don't you get the keyboard replaced? Take it into an Apple store and have a technician look at it. If it is defective, they should replace it under warranty. If not, it's something that makes you unhappy, so pay to have it replaced if you must. It isn't worth your stress and anguish. Life is too short to be so unhappy.
Something I learned many years ago from my father is that every morning when we get out of bed, we have the choice that day of whether we will be happy or not. Our happiness is our choice, not anybody else's. Nobody has that power over you, but you. Not any person in your life, or certainly any possession. Apple can't make you happy no matter what product they sell you. Only you can make you happy.
Maybe the main problem isn't with your Apple products, but how you emotionally respond to them? You sound like a sensitive person. We of course don't know each other, but perhaps it would be worth your peace of mind to talk things over with a councilor. Sometimes a talk with a psychologist can help put things in perspective. Often a different perspective is really all that is needed.
Some people have suggested you sell the laptop that is making you so unhappy. That maybe isn't the best advice. If the keyboard noise really bothers you why don't you get the keyboard replaced? Take it into an Apple store and have a technician look at it. If it is defective, they should replace it under warranty. If not, it's something that makes you unhappy, so pay to have it replaced if you must. It isn't worth your stress and anguish. Life is too short to be so unhappy.
Something I learned many years ago from my father is that every morning when we get out of bed, we have the choice that day of whether we will be happy or not. Our happiness is our choice, not anybody else's. Nobody has that power over you, but you. Not any person in your life, or certainly any possession. Apple can't make you happy no matter what product they sell you. Only you can make you happy.
Maybe the main problem isn't with your Apple products, but how you emotionally respond to them? You sound like a sensitive person. We of course don't know each other, but perhaps it would be worth your peace of mind to talk things over with a councilor. Sometimes a talk with a psychologist can help put things in perspective. Often a different perspective is really all that is needed.
I think it's proof you're obsessing over something trivial. It's not intended to be an insult or unkind statement. This is what I would say to a good friend or my brother to whack some sense into them.
The way you're tapping the corners will make that sound across many of the broad/wide keys. What does it sound like when you're actually typing and striking the middle of keys?
I can make the hollow tapping sound across four different keyboards at my desk but none of them have bothered me, been a distraction, nor even caught my attention under normal daily typing. It wasn't until I saw your video and only tapped the corners that I noticed, and I still don’t see it as an issue.
Have you actually used your shiny new MacBook for anything productive? I imagine this purchase was a want and not a need. If so, I can certainly understand the remorse of buying a $3K laptop you don't really need.
Please show us how bad your hinges are too. Here are my keyboard videos for comparison:
HP ProBook work-issued laptop:
2020 M1 MacBook Air:
2015 MacBook Pro 13:
Cheap wireless keyboard:
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I wouln't say it's a matter of OCD per se, but it's closer to that type of response. As NeonNights pointed out, the way you're tapping the keys on the keyboard will cause similar effects across a wide range of keyboards. If you press on the center of the keys, does the same thing happen? If not, then it honestly could be a matter of trying to find specific conditions which support your perceived issues. You also mentioned in your OP about issues with the hinges, would you mind sharing photos of the hinges to illustrate your concerns?
My 16" M1 Max MacBook Pro's keys doesn't behave like that though, so I would have definetly sended it back to Apple for a new unit.