What is the difference between an original Apple MacBook battery and the replacement batteries?
I am looking to buy a new battery for my MacBook. I am looking to buy it on eBay. I notice there are two types of batteries on sale. One is an “original” MacBook battery, which I’m assuming is a brand new battery. The second is a rechargeable battery (like the ones sold on the Apple website). Is there a difference between these two or are is the difference really just that the ones that say “original” are actual Apple batteries. The other ones do not say “Apple,” so I’m assuming they’re just generic batteries.
July 19th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
some of them are probably generic, while others are apple-made. though this is ebay that we’re talking about here, so both could very well be imitation batteries.
July 19th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Usually there are the Apple batteries (like the original one that came with the Macbook) and the non-Apple batteries. The Apple batteries will typically be of better quality, i.e. last longer on a charge, have more charge cycles, etc but it’ll cost more. The non-Apple batteries will save you a fair bit but you won’t get the same performance out of them.
If $$ isn’t a concern stick to the Apple batteries. However, it is eBay so be careful who you buy from. There’s bound to be some sellers trying to pass non-Apple batteries as genuine Apple batteries.
Another alternative is buying from an Apple accessory manufacturer directly. Like Fastmac for instance: http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/02/09/fastmac.macbook.battery/
July 19th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
The “battery” is actually a battery pack. Inside it (I’ve opened a couple) are separate battery cells with wire connections spot-welded to them and a charging circuit board. The charging board regulates the charge level and senses when the pack is fully charges. Some battery packs are equal to those provided by Apple. Buy one from Best Buy, for example, int he U.S. and you get an equal quality product. From other JoeSchmoe outfits, I dunno.
I bought a Best Buy pack once and it has worked well for over a year, but the plastic color doesn’t exactly match. No big deal for me.