MacBook Pro Unibody Non-Removable Batteries
From the first iPod, to the MacBook Air and now MacBook Pro, Apple has been moving more and more to fixed, non user-removable batteries.
But why?
With the iPods and iPhones it made sense from an aesthetic standpoint. The clean lines of the devices would have been broken up with a cheap, plastic battery cover.
Since the devices can be easily powered in the car or with an external battery pack and have long life to begin with, the need to swap out a new battery wasn’t that great.
With laptops it made a little less sense. The original 13″ MacBook Unibody with a removable battery and the 13″ MacBook Pro (with a fixed battery) look almost identical. The battery bay on the first Unibody is a clean and functional design. Why change it?
All rechargeable batteries are consumables that will eventually need to be replaced. Non user-swappable batteries will make the eventual replacement more costly and difficult (for both the user and Apple.) The batteries can only be replaced by an AASP and not sold separately.
The end goal is to get batteries that can run all day and last the life of the device.
I think part of the problem with batteries is also part of the solution (and Apple is implementing it.)
If a battery is not designed to be swapped out of the machine, the safety of the battery outside of the machine is not really an issue. It doesn’t need to meet the requirements of a standalone product. This means that the battery can consist of more chemicals juice and less structure. This means longer battery life, lighter weight and less cost.
It’s kind of like sending cargo up to the space station. Cargo sent in the shuttle was always more expensive because it has to be safe for the crew, whereas on a stand alone rocket, the cargo can be sharp, radioactive, etc.
If non user-removable batteries lead to lower costs, lighter weight, and longer life, I’m all for it. So far these batteries are holding up fine and if they do last for 3+ years, I’d say problem solved.
