Image by iFixit
It was openly announced at WWDC and also shown in detail by iFixit that the insides of the MacBook Pro are very tight and custom-made. In fact, what iFixit found was that the RAM, flash storage, and some other components that were previously capable of being replaced by aftermarket parts are not capable of being switched out by the end user in the new Retina display MacBook Pro because they are not the same as consumer components that could be placed into older MacBook Pro models. This is due to the machine being so slim.
The battery in the new Retina display MacBook Pro is even glued in – offering almost no chance of an end user being able to replace the battery himself or herself with an off-brand replacement. It almost guarantees Apple the business of replacing the battery when something goes wrong with the notebook computer. So what does Apple do with this kind of power? – Why, take advantage of it, of course!
Apple will charge a hefty fee of $199 to replace a battery in the new Retina display MacBook Pro. That is the price of a brand new iPod touch, just to get a replacement battery for the new, high-resolution notebook computer. The new price is a steep 54% price increase, according to ComputerWorld, which cites Apple's previous price of replacing batteries in older MacBook Pro models to be just $129.
How exactly does one justify the price increase? It could be humorously assumed that it requires more effort by Apple's workers to chisel the battery out of the computer case because of the glue that they purposely put in there. Or maybe it’s more realistically because of the better battery, which is more expensive to produce and replace than older versions because of the amount of juice it can hold.
Since the price is now more expensive to replace the battery in the new Retina display MacBook Pro, we can offer the advice to all who have bought the new notebook to practice safe battery-preservation steps to prolong the life of the battery. Don’t leave it charging for long periods of time, be sure to unplug the MacBook Pro during thunderstorms, and try to go through full power-cycles instead of excessive charging when not needed.
Sources: ComputerWorld via MacRumors
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