AppleCare for Mac Now Covers Batteries Retaining Less Than 80% Capacity

Just a few days after updating the terms of its AppleCare+ Protection Plan for iPhone, iPad, iPod and Apple Watch to cover batteries that retain less than 80% of their original capacity within the extended warranty period, Apple has extended the same policy to the AppleCare Protection Plan for the MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

AppleCare MacBook
Apple previously only replaced defective batteries under the old terms of the AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac, but a support page updated today now outlines that the company will also replace a MacBook's battery at no charge if it retains less than 80% of its original capacity. If the notebook is not covered by AppleCare, replacing the battery requires paying an out-of-warranty service charge ranging between $129 and $199.

The new battery terms of the AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac:

"Your Apple One Year Limited Warranty or AppleCare Protection Plan includes replacement coverage for a defective battery. If you purchased an AppleCare Protection Plan for your Mac notebook with a non-removable battery, Apple will replace the notebook battery at no charge if it retains less than 80 percent of its original capacity. If you do not have coverage, you can have the battery replaced for a fee."

The old battery terms of the AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac:

"Your one-year warranty includes replacement coverage for a defective battery. You can extend your replacement coverage for a defective battery to three years from the date of your notebook purchase with the AppleCare Protection Plan. However, the AppleCare Protection Plan for notebook computers does not cover batteries that have stopped working or are exhibiting diminished capacity due to normal use except when it is the result of a manufacturing defect."

MacBook notebooks with non-removable batteries:

  • MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009) and later

  • All MacBook Airs

  • All MacBook Pros with Retina display

  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) and later; MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009) and later

    AppleCare for Mac extends the notebook's warranty coverage and telephone technical support to three years from the original date of purchase. Without an AppleCare Protection Plan, Mac customers are covered by a limited one-year warranty and 90 days of complimentary phone support. AppleCare for Mac costs between $249 and $349 depending on the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro model.

    MacBook batteries are designed to retain up to 80% of their original capacity at 1000 complete charge cycles, similar to the iPad and Apple Watch.

    Apple retail staff have been informed of the new policy which is effective immediately.

  • Popular Stories

    iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

    iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

    Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
    Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
    iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

    iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

    Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
    Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
    bsod

    Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

    Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
    A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
    iphone 14 lineup

    Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

    Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
    Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
    Apple Watch Series 9

    2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

    Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
    Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...
    tinypod apple watch

    TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

    Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
    If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...

    Top Rated Comments

    speedbumpnv Avatar
    118 months ago
    Does this include any MacBook with AppleCare+ purchased prior to today?
    Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    nigameash Avatar
    118 months ago
    Finally.
    Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    Arrr Avatar
    118 months ago
    With all the machines having non-removable batteries that are costing upwards of $300 to replace, I'm really glad Apple took this step. Especially with the newest machines that have soft cells glued to the top cases and whatnot.

    Kudos Apple.
    Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    Dargoth Avatar
    118 months ago
    I really hope that new laptop isn't going to be the "Face of Mac" on this forum for the foreseeable future... It really is a terrible laptop.
    Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    Even Longer Avatar
    118 months ago
    Isn't it just a great move from Apple worth appreciation? Regardless all those comments...
    Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
    ardent73 Avatar
    118 months ago
    What's the test to find the percentage.
    System Information > Hardware > Power >
    Battery Information:

    Charge Information:

    Charge Remaining (mAh):6552

    Fully Charged:Yes

    Charging:No

    Full Charge Capacity (mAh):6554

    but you have to calculate the % yourself or get an app like this one:

    https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/battery-health-monitor-battery/id490192174?mt=12
    Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)