Kasper Jade
According to people familiar with the new-generation notebook, there are no special tools or knowledge required to swap out the MacBook Air's battery, which Apple has billed its "thinnest ever" in a product. Instead, the process requires a single size-0 type phillips screwdriver and some diligence.
Once flipped upside down, the MacBook Air's bottom cover is easily unscrewed and removed, providing immediate access to the battery cavity. From there, the battery can be unscrewed from the chassis with the same screwdriver and unplugged from the circuit board with a simple tug — it's not soldered to the board.
The entire process, according to those in the known, can be completed by any service technician in as little as three minutes.
For its part, Apple has announced its intent to offer a MacBook Air Out-of-Warranty Battery Replacement Program, which promises authorized replacements for US $129. The mail-in repair process normally takes 5 business days, the company says.
Given the simplicity of the upgrade, however, it's possible that Apple will in time offer the service on-demand at its retail stores. Similarly, third parties could also offer in-home do-it-yourself kits should they be able to acquire battery cells that meet Apple's standard for the MacBook Air.
There's no word, however, whether the latter process would void the notebook's warranty in Apple's eyes. In the meantime, the company recommends MacBook Air users follow these instructions for optimizing life span and battery life.
AppleInsider Staff
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
222 Comments
I prefer this over a removable battery, when yours degrades and you goto buy a new one you may as well wait a few minutes while they install it for you.....no biggie.
This certainly seems to negate one of the major complaints about the box...people were imagining a nightmare scenario where an old battery would require going without the unit for days. Turns out if you can use a screwdriver you can do it yourself in minutes.
If the battery replacement is so easy, why doesn't Apple sell replacement batteries as a Do It Yourself kit? I don't think people are upset at having to use a screwdriver, not as much as they are upset that Apple will only allow their technicians to do it.
Trivial or not a user replaceable battery is vastly superior. Apple can design a thin laptop, but cannot design a user replaceable battery? What's wrong with this picture? I'm not up for the utter rubbish about how Apple could not incorporate it into the design. Rubbish.
The entire process, according to those in the known, can be completed by any service technician in as little as three minutes.[/url][/c]
You mean, ..."to those in the know"...\
I believe that is the correct saying of that expressions...