Bait and solution: Apple essentially forces you to use AppleCare for your new MacBook Pro.



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The new MacBook Pro are not cheap. The cheapest 13-inch model costs $ 1,800 and goes up to $ 6,700 for the 15-inch model with Intel Core i9 processor clocked at 2.9 GHz. And now, there is a hidden trap that could make them much more expensive.

In addition to the high price and the dongles you may need to install your old USB-A devices, you risk a rude awakening if you try to repair your new MacBook Pro. As stated by Motherboard, Apple has introduced new software locks with its new laptops that "will render the computer inoperative" unless Apple's proprietary "system configuration" software is run after replacing parts of the system. "

The new strategy, which is also implemented on the $ 5,000 iMac Pro, refers only to major repairs, but covers just about everything you need to be repaired: the screen , the logic board, the upper case (which includes the keyboard and the touchpad). ) and the Touch ID sensor. Once the locks are enabled, the computer "will only work again after Apple or a member of the Apple Authorized Service Provider repair program has run a diagnostic software called Apple Service Toolkit 2. "

Why is it important? Apple has not been very clear about this new policy and some buyers may be surprised by the fact that they are trying to repair their MacBook once their one-year limited warranty runs out. Apple has long made its products irreparable by soldering RAM and sticking screens, but this is different. Apple should tell people at the point of sale that they will have to take their MacBook to an authorized repairer in case of a breakdown and give them the opportunity to buy Apple Care. AppleCare is not cheap, but it's always better than paying for a new screen or a new motherboard.

This is probably not the last time we will hear about this problem. Not only will this extend to the new Macs that Apple will release later this month, but it is also at the heart of a new bill on the right to repair currently being pushed in 19 states, including including the state of California, where Apple resides. The motherboard reports that Apple is fighting against the legislation, which will not surprise anyone who has recently tried to repair an Apple product.

AppleCare or broken

The problem is with the T2 chip. It is a separate chip responsible for equipment such as the FaceTime camera and the touch bar, but it also validates the entire boot process when powering up, an extra security step that verifies that everything is worthy of trust. If this is not the case, for example in case of repair, your Mac will not start. You will need to transfer it to an Apple Store, where you will be charged, possibly for a new repair if the original does not meet Apple standards.

This means that the time to get a Pentalobe screwdriver and try to save your MacBook at home is over. And this also severely hampers third-party repair shops unauthorized by Apple. You know, the ones you're going to get to get a reasonable price on repairing your MacBook. Apple leaves us with two options:

  • Keep your fingers crossed so that nothing goes wrong with your new expensive MacBook Pro for more than three years.
  • Spend $ 269 (13 inches) or $ 379 (15 inches) on AppleCare + for Mac and get two more years of hardware repair.

AppleCare will ensure that any problem on your new MacBook in the first three years of life is sent to the Apple Store, which will repair it correctly and free of charge. And this also applies to accidental damage, although you have to pay a $ 99 deductible for "outer screen or case damage" or $ 299 for "other damage".

Otherwise, you could repair your Mac while discovering that it was an expensive paperweight.

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