2016 MacBook Pro - Is it worth the cost?

UPDATE: Those who have recently sent in a MacBook Pro to replace a faulty butterfly keyboard probably already have the replacement battery per the below recall. Check your serial # (Apple Menu -> About This Mac) with link below to find out if it affected. 

If you own a MacBook Pro made between September 2015 and February 2017 you may want to take action right away.

Go to this Apple support page and enter your serial number. You could possibly have an unsafe battery that could overheat. If yours does come up as impacted, you can get Apple to replace it free of charge.

“Apple today announced a voluntary recall of a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units which contain a battery that may overheat and pose a safety risk. The units were sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017 and can be identified by their product serial number.”

Note that this recall only impacts 15-inch models, so other small screen models are okay and no action is required.

Also, Apple (NASDAQ: APPL) says this is a voluntary recall. So it’s not mandated by the Government or any regulatory body, perhaps suggesting the danger is not severe. Still, for peace of mind if you have a model impacted it would likely be a good idea to go for the battery swap.

“Because customer safety is a top priority, Apple is asking customers to stop using affected 15-inch MacBook Pro units. Customers should Google “Apple 15″ MacBook Pro Battery Recall”  for details on product eligibility and how to have a battery replaced, free of charge.

First, it was the keyboard in certain MacBook Pros that were causing problems (letters repeating, for instance), and now the battery is acting up. Well, at least Apple is doing the right thing and taking care of the fixes without any charges. Going forward here’s hoping quality control improves on future models.

More on Apple voluntary battery recall:

  • Official announcement
  • Apple Support page (go here and enter your MacBook Pro serial number to see if you’re laptop is impacted)
Mike Carrall is a tech executive by day in Silicon Valley who writes under a pseudonym. Mike's passions include extreme sports, testing audio gear, trying (not so successfully) to restore a vintage 70's McIntosh receiver and spending time with his seven year-old daughter.