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Comment by kmacdough | Hacker News Reader

If it's dead or if it's low?

In my experience a low-power charger will revive, you just must wait for it to hit enough SOC since it is effectively starting off the battery. This does take a while, but starting dead on a supply that can't guarantee enough power would be dumb.

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My M1 Pro with 441 battery cycles won't power back on without the Apple charger it came with if I close the lid or put it to sleep and the battery isn't over 60%... something happens and the computer goes into a sleep state where the battery doesn't drain but no charger except the OG brings it back to life.

Even a Studio Display, which can provide more power than my M1 Pro can use, won't wake it from this state. Apple wants $300 for a replacement battery so I'll just buy a new MacBook at that price, but the charger situation doesn't bode well for M5 MacBook buyers who wonder why their Mac is dead one day (and they just need the exact charger the system wants, but Apple didn't provide it)

>Apple wants $300 for a replacement battery

Looks like iFixit shows thinks it's only a "moderate" difficulty replacement and should only cost you $109

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+14-Inch+2021+Batter...

Replacing a MacBook battery is a lot of delicate work. Not everyone has steady hands, great eyes, etc. For $300, the Apple Store is a better deal for most (and guaranteed to be a quality battery with warranty) compared to the difficulty of a $110 battery kit.

I don't want to use a 3rd party battery in a device I carry with me most places I go...

I agree.

I re-did the battery on my 2013 MBP well after the Apple support period (~2020). I don't think I'd try it on a still-supported Mac unless I was very price sensitive.

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