2015 MacBook Pro Battery Replacement or Trade in and Upgrade?

jjslozb on 12/11/2022 - 20:20
Last edited 12/11/2022 - 20:21

Hi all,

I’ve got a refurbished mid 2015 MacBook Pro 15” purchased almost 4 years ago, and it’s battery just died - only powers on when plugged in. Apple quoted $299 for a battery replacement, and Macfixit is abit cheaper at $190 to do it myself.

I’m considering whether the replacement is worth it or if I should just trade it in. Apple website has offered $190(although I’m not sure if dead battery affects this value) and I could put this money towards an upgrade - probably the 2021 MacBook Pro 14” M1 Pro. Besides better performance, I think the form factor and USB-C compatibility will make it more convenient for upcoming travels(not having to lug around the heavy power adapter). There also seem to be a few deals floating around at the moment so it might be a good time.

What do you guys think? Any tips or suggestions?

Computing Apple Computer Laptop

Comments

  • jv on 12/11/2022 - 20:24
    +2

    What do you guys think?

    I think it will rain tomorrow.

    (What we think is irrelevant as it depends on your needs vs financial situation.)

  • RobBoss on 12/11/2022 - 20:55
    +1

    It's worth the upgrade for the battery life alone. I took my m1 Mac to a school camp as a teacher and came back 4 days later with 60% battery left. It's insane!

    • djsweet on 12/11/2022 - 21:33
      +1

      I’m guessing you didn’t do much work. Good battery, but only really enough to get through one day of solid work for me.

      • RobBoss on 12/11/2022 - 21:56

        yeah light work, but beats windows laptops (Which i also own) any day

  • SBOB on 12/11/2022 - 21:08
    +1

    I replaced a slightly earlier MacBook air battery recently with one from Amazon.
    Worked fine, easy to do (at least on my model)

    About $80 (I got a 'Sloda' branded one)

    Battery monitoring shows status and as advertised

  • isaacisnotjonah on 12/11/2022 - 21:09
    +1

    In general, I'd recommend not trading in and attempting to sell 3rd party (e.g. Gumtree) - you'll generally get a higher amount.
    Also, bear in mind that repairing a 2015 MacBook Pro battery is not as easy as you might think - as it is glued on it needs quite a lot of work. (https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Retina+Disp….)

    When Apple replace the battery for the 2015 MacBook Pro devices, they actually replace the entire top case, which on this model includes the battery, keyboard, trackpad, and metal part (https://www.macfixit.com.au/products/top-case-for-early-2015… - although this isn't the right one for your computer model.)

    Looking at eBay sold items (https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=2015+15"+M…), it *may* be worthwhile to pay for the battery replacement through Apple, and then sell it for a higher amount (due to the very low battery cycle count and good condition.)

    The battery life on the new M* series laptops makes a significant impact on the reliability of these devices for travel, and it seems from your post that you don't mind the USB-C connectors. That's just my opinion on this though.

    • isaacisnotjonah on 12/11/2022 - 21:10
      +1

      Also, just remembered - it's worth double-checking if your device (although I don't think this is likely) is eligible for a free battery replacement under the
      15-inch MacBook Pro Battery Recall Program. Check your serial number at https://support.apple.com/en-au/15-inch-macbook-pro-battery-…

      • jjslozb on 13/11/2022 - 03:24

        Thanks for the suggestions! Unfortunately its not eligible for the free battery replacement.

        Yeah for the reasons you mentioned, I'm leaning toward getting the replacement from Apple and selling it. Based on Ebay and Marketplace listings, with a fresh battery, I might be able to get ~$400-$800 for it, so a net of $100-$500 after repair costs vs $170 for trade-in(just checked and they've reduced it further :/).

  • azm on 12/11/2022 - 21:14
    +1

    I’ve got my kid’s MacBook Pro 2018 battery and keyboard replaced. As good as new and it cost $300 and worth it in my opinion. I only had old windows laptop for my own but I do have iPhone.

  • mja65 on 13/11/2022 - 14:27
    +1

    You have more patience than me - I gave up on that same model a couple of years ago and upgraded to the M1. A lot snappier! Not a bad time to change given MacOS Ventura won't install on that model - well not without jumping through some hoops with the workaround.

    • jjslozb on 13/11/2022 - 17:38

      Cheers, I try to switch devices only when they've been run to the ground or if hardware issues start popping up, and imo this model was the peak of usability even just a couple years ago before the M1s were released.

      How did you go about the upgrade? Did you trade in your 2015 with Apple?

  • Setiawan on 18/11/2022 - 10:34

    I replaced the battery in my mid 2015 MBP recently. Getting the old battery out was no picnic..

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