Apple's new batteries are bewildering MacBook Pro owners

Seth Weintraub
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June 14, 2009
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"Battery technology simply doesn't evolve this fast." - Reviews of Apple's new MacBook Pros seem to indicate there are significant battery improvements.

Notice that Apple doesn't release the name of their battery technologist? That way they can keep their technology in-house longer.

 

Comments (8)

kate (not verified) | June 14, 2009 - 10:44am

So I have the "new" 15" mac book pro. Technically not the newest anymore after this update. But I was wondering...can I swap out my 5-hour (more like 3-hour) battery and get the new one? I thought it was non-removable, but I checked and it comes out. They should really offer this, especially for people who recently bought the MacBook Pro with the old battery.

Also, if the batteries on the new Pros really are non-removable, is Apple saying that after 5 years your laptop will just be kaput? I know that's a long time, but I like to think the option to keep it alive will be available. After all, it is a very expensive object and should not have a predetermined lifespan. That sounds a bit fishy to me...

DistortedLoop | June 14, 2009 - 10:49am

 The battery can always be replaced by Apple or a certified Apple repair center, so no worries there for you five years from now.  The issue is just whether it's user replaceable or not.  iPods and iPhones do not have user replaceable batteries (technically), but you can always get the replaced.

I'm sure in a few months, or sooner, there will be third-party knock offs, or even Apple real batteries offered for replacement service for those who feel like you do.  iPhone and iPod same story a year or two ago.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 14, 2009 - 10:50am

no they wont fit in your macbook pro, they are a different shape and even if they did fit physically, they probably wouldn't work because of all that clever charging technology.
and apple will replace the new batteries when they do eventually die, for the same price it is to buy an old battery.

jimmy (not verified) | June 14, 2009 - 11:53am

i just got my 13" unibody macbook pro. The first thing I did was unscrew the 6 or so screws on the bottom, and replace the hard drive. It's super easy to get to the hard drive, battery, and RAM just by unscrewing the bottom panel. I already replaced the hard drive (as I always do, swapping the stock 250 GB 5400 rpm drive for a 500GB 7200 rpm drive), but it looks as if the battery is easily replaceable. It is molded around a couple of things, like 2 structural posts that look like they support the palm rest, but it's totally self contained and has one connector. I'm sure someone will start selling DIY replacements.

I can see now why it has to be built in, tho. It takes up every last bit of space it can. A square block in a plastic shell would have made it 25% smaller, in my guess.

That being said, I'm easily getting 5-6 hours out of my 13" with the screen at about 90% and the keyboard backlight, wifi, bluetooth all on.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 14, 2009 - 4:12pm

@gas The Computerworld blog is a parent/sister to this one. Useful to repost articles to here for people like me who only subscribe to this one

Edit from editor: I write both of them...but I often cross link when I feel it is appropriate. Thanks for understanding

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 14, 2009 - 5:09pm

oh shut up. don't read it then. buncha whiners.

SCAM (not verified) | June 14, 2009 - 5:14pm

Posted today on Macrumors.

http://www.macrumors.com/2009/06/14/13-and-15-macbook-pros-have-a-slower...

1.) It appears nearly certain that the new 13" and 15" MacBook Pros are all reporting a SATA interface running at 1.5Gb and not the faster 3.0Gb rate that has been in pretty common use for the last few years. These new models have the Secure Digital (SD) slot and also appear to have redesigned motherboards.

2.) Those who are using standard hard disk drives will probably see no difference in performance. If that is you, you can stop reading now.

3.) Benchmarks on FAST solid-state drives (SSDs) are showing a decrease in RAW disk i/o transfer rates on these same systems (in comparison to the previous generation MacBook Pros and MacBooks).

4.) The largest differences in the benchmark results seem to be in large, sequential disk READS (one of the traditional strengths with SSDs).

5.) To the best of my knowledge, no one has done any test with REAL-WORLD operations to show that the user experience (i.e. "performance") will be decreased with the 1.5Gb SATA interface. That is to say that thus far we've only seen benchmarks done with RAW disk i/o benchmarking tools.

6.) No one really knows why this has been done and no one knows whether it can be fixed with a software/firmware update (it may or may not be able to be fixed).

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 15, 2009 - 7:09am

I don't have a new MacBook, but I like the idea that they took "useless" space and were able to make a larger battery that should last longer. I have an old 15" PowerBook and a widget I have says I got around 360+ cycles out of my battery and I can't even carry it from one room to the another without sleeping it before I plug it in and use it again. If i don't, it runs out of battery.

This is left over from college and i'll be getting an iMac when funds are available. On the replacement issue, they aren't cheap to replace mine. Last I checked $120 for a new battery I think. I could only imagine what they will charge people for this new setup. I understand the resentment, but it still seems like a better design.