Battery Replacement For MacBook Air

[bver_hunter]

Replaced the OEM one with a Ninjabat Battery. Works okay except that the battery drains rather rapidly, and when you get the "Battery Low" notification instead of it being at 10% it is at 2%.
Have to then quickly shut down the laptop and recharge the battery. Has anyone experienced similar problems when they replaced the battery in an Apple MacBook or another Apple Laptop?
Replacement was fairly simple and took around 20 minutes as even the tools were supplied with the battery. Thanks.

 

[DesRicardo]

I recommend only buying Apple product batteries from OWC/MacSales.

MacBook Battery Replacement Kits

NewerTech NuPower = The best battery for your Apple MacBook Pro & MacBook Air. DIY made easy – all tools included + install videos and phone support.

ca.macsales.com

These other third-party sellers are cheaper but don't have the quality inspection OWC has.

I just messed up my 2012 macbook with a cheap amazon battery. It's a pain in the ass troubleshooting these macs.

 

[bver_hunter]

I recommend only buying Apple product batteries from OWC/MacSales.

MacBook Battery Replacement Kits

NewerTech NuPower = The best battery for your Apple MacBook Pro & MacBook Air. DIY made easy – all tools included + install videos and phone support.

ca.macsales.com

These other third-party sellers are cheaper but don't have the quality inspection OWC has.

I just messed up my 2012 macbook with a cheap amazon battery. It's a pain in the ass troubleshooting these macs.

Thanks, that sounds like a good source although it is quite a bit more expensive. Will give it a go as soon as this battery dies. Seems to improve slightly with each cycle of charging.

 

[explorerzip]

If your Macbook can charge via USB C, then maybe a power bank from Anker, Ugreen, etc. would work. You'll need one that can output at least 65W. You can find power banks in the 30,000 mAh range for about $80 online. There are power banks that can also output over 100W and have more mAh, but they obviously cost more. I believe there are power banks out there that have the standard 3 pronge outlet too.

The benefit is that you can charge mutliple things at the same time.
The downside is that you have another thing to lug around with your laptop.

 

[Kautilya]

I do this as well. I changed batteries from the ones I bought on Amazon. So far it is fine. It gives me about 2.5 to 3 hours battery life. But I always have my battery cord nearby, so easy to connect when I need to. No point in buying a new Apple battery, especially if your laptop is more than 3 years old.

 

[explorerzip]

I do this as well. I changed batteries from the ones I bought on Amazon. So far it is fine. It gives me about 2.5 to 3 hours battery life. But I always have my battery cord nearby, so easy to connect when I need to. No point in buying a new Apple battery, especially if your laptop is more than 3 years old.

Power banks are immensely useful.

 

[bver_hunter]

If your Macbook can charge via USB C, then maybe a power bank from Anker, Ugreen, etc. would work. You'll need one that can output at least 65W. You can find power banks in the 30,000 mAh range for about $80 online. There are power banks that can also output over 100W and have more mAh, but they obviously cost more. I believe there are power banks out there that have the standard 3 pronge outlet too.

The benefit is that you can charge mutliple things at the same time.
The downside is that you have another thing to lug around with your laptop.

My MacBook Air only has the Thunderbolt and USB 4 Ports.
But after charging my MacBook Air, the first time, it seems to have improved the usage time. The instructions mentions repeating the process 4 more times from 10% to 100% for full capacity.
So hopefully this battery may live up to it's hype.

The only issue with the power banks instead of battery replacements is the inconvenience if using it when seated on a couch.

 

[explorerzip]

My MacBook Air only has the Thunderbolt and USB 4 Ports.
But after charging my MacBook Air, the first time, it seems to have improved the usage time. The instructions mentions repeating the process 4 more times from 10% to 100% for full capacity.
So hopefully this battery may live up to it's hype.

The only issue with the power banks instead of battery replacements is the inconvenience if using it when seated on a couch.

Thunderbolt and USB 4 are supposed to use the USB C connector. The different names for USB ports these days is a total mess, but that's the story for another time. I think the Macbooks with Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports are from around 2020 so I'm surprised the battery would be dead so fast.

It is a bit of a pain to rely on an external battery pack because you'd have a cable running to it. On the other hand, it would give you a much larger battery than the built-in one in the laptop for half the cost.

 

[bver_hunter]

Thunderbolt and USB 4 are supposed to use the USB C connector. The different names for USB ports these days is a total mess, but that's the story for another time. I think the Macbooks with Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports are from around 2020 so I'm surprised the battery would be dead so fast.

It is a bit of a pain to rely on an external battery pack because you'd have a cable running to it. On the other hand, it would give you a much larger battery than the built-in one in the laptop for half the cost.

I have the 2017 MacBook Air, that has a USB 3 Port and the Thunderbolt 2 Port. Not sure it these are compatible with the USB C Cables.
But finally the replacement battery after 2 charges is back to normal.

 

[explorerzip]

I have the 2017 MacBook Air, that has a USB 3 Port and the Thunderbolt 2 Port. Not sure it these are compatible with the USB C Cables.
But finally the replacement battery after 2 charges is back to normal.

USB C cables are reversible similar to Apple's Lightning cable and have smaller plugs. Most phones, tablets, laptops and other tech have USB C plugs today. USB A has a plastic piece to one side so the cable only goes in one way. There are adapters that can go from USB a to C and vice versa.

I think the 2017 era of laptops had different ports for USB, Thunderbolt / HDMI, MagSafe, SD card, etc. Apple removed them all in 2018 and moved to USB C only. I used a MBP for work then and it was a pain to have to bring a USB hub / dongle everywhere.

 

[DesRicardo]

Thanks, that sounds like a good source although it is quite a bit more expensive. Will give it a go as soon as this battery dies. Seems to improve slightly with each cycle of charging.

I actually got everything working again. So the Amazon Battery does work, but OWC Batteries from past experiences have a longer lasting time.

It all comes done to how much you want to invest in an older macbook.

Whatever you do, avoid batteries from ebay. They're rumoured to be rejected stock Chinese manufactures try to flip.

 

[bver_hunter]

I actually got everything working again. So the Amazon Battery does work, but OWC Batteries from past experiences have a longer lasting time.

It all comes done to how much you want to invest in an older macbook.

Whatever you do, avoid batteries from ebay. They're rumoured to be rejected stock Chinese manufactures try to flip.

Thanks, will avoid those eBay ones. I guess that it is important to follow the enclosed guidelines with relations to prolonging the lifetime of the battery by charging it when it goes down to 10%.
Charged it twice and each time that it is charged the life span of that charge has increased. The guidelines indicate that this procedure has to be repeated at least 5 times for maximum battery efficiency.

 

[explorerzip]

I actually got everything working again. So the Amazon Battery does work, but OWC Batteries from past experiences have a longer lasting time.

It all comes done to how much you want to invest in an older macbook.

Whatever you do, avoid batteries from ebay. They're rumoured to be rejected stock Chinese manufactures try to flip.

It's far safer to deal with Amazon because their customer service is amazing.

 

[DesRicardo]

Thanks, will avoid those eBay ones. I guess that it is important to follow the enclosed guidelines with relations to prolonging the lifetime of the battery by charging it when it goes down to 10%.
Charged it twice and each time that it is charged the life span of that charge has increased. The guidelines indicate that this procedure has to be repeated at least 5 times for maximum battery efficiency.

Yeah you have to wake up the unused cells

Also, It's good to check your Battery stats from time to time.

Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops - Apple Support (CA)

Learn how to determine the number of cycles your Mac laptop's battery has.

support.apple.com

1. Hold the Option key and click the Apple menu , then choose System Information.
2. Under the Hardware section of the System Information window, select Power. The current cycle count is listed under the Battery Information section.

 

[bver_hunter]

Yeah you have to wake up the unused cells

Also, It's good to check your Battery stats from time to time.

Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops - Apple Support (CA)

Learn how to determine the number of cycles your Mac laptop's battery has.

support.apple.com

1. Hold the Option key and click the Apple menu , then choose System Information.
2. Under the Hardware section of the System Information window, select Power. The current cycle count is listed under the Battery Information section.

Thank You. That is some very useful information.