Modern laptops are very compact and autonomous. Before buying a MacBook, users usually focus first on the device’s technical capabilities, and only consider the battery as an afterthought. However, experience has shown that the laptop’s battery specifications are very important. These parameters determine how long a laptop can operate independently, without being plugged into a power outlet.
If you suddenly notice that your device’s battery life has decreased, it’s likely that a replacement will soon be necessary. For a MacBook, battery capacity can be checked using coconutBattery.
As it turns out, in Kyiv (and across Ukraine), it is very difficult to buy an original battery for any MacBook model. Throughout the country, batteries are sold claiming to be original. Even Apple service centers sometimes install a Chinese replica disguised as original, which doesn’t pass Apple validation and could actually damage your laptop.
The original battery uses a bq20z451 controller (for MacBook Air 2018 and 2019), with a battery capacity of 4379mAh. Keys according to the datasheet are rated at 136A each. They are fairly large and do not overheat during operation. On the opposite side, there is a microcontroller and many SMD components. The power cable (connector) connects to the motherboard socket easily, clicks into place, and doesn’t fall out.
There’s nothing much to say about the battery itself because it’s protected by packaging. Visually, it is almost impossible to distinguish from a fake. The only difference may be the manufacturer listed on the central cell.
A non-original battery uses an a2168 controller – a programmable analog. This microcontroller model has been used for over 7 years, not only in MacBooks but also in most cheap replicas of original batteries from various manufacturers.
After installing such a battery, a MacBook Air may not display any battery information for the first few minutes, making it appear as if it’s original.
After connecting to the charger and fully charging the laptop, the battery is likely to display the following in settings:
At first, it might seem that an SMC reset and a few charge/discharge cycles are needed for calibration. However, a new problem arises in the form of endless charging after 100% and heating of the battery cells. This is one of the causes of rapid battery swelling.
In the top-right corner, the battery will show recommended service information.
The capacity of a new battery will drop after the first charges and will continue to decline over time. The microcontroller counts charge cycles incorrectly.
By generating a system report and going to Power, you can see the original manufacturer and the original microcontroller name. These data are embedded in the a2168 firmware and can be edited freely. There are 4 main values that distinguish a fake from an original: firmware version, hardware version, battery version, and serial number. Chinese batteries often use the serial number d861015004ndgdl3t and hardware version 00aa.
Apple has a comment on this matter:
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