About this replacement
Apple MacBook Pro 15" Retina — 10.95V Li-Polymer Replacement Battery (A1417)
This is a 10.95V, 8600mAh (94.17Wh) Li-Polymer battery for the Apple MacBook Pro 15" Retina line. It fits the Core i7 2.3, 2.4, 2.6, and 2.7 models covered under OEM part numbers A1417 and A1398. Install it when the original cell no longer holds a usable charge or macOS reports service warnings.
- A1398 chassis compatibility: These Retina models share the same 10.95V battery rail, connector pinout, and SMC handshake across the 2012–2013 production runs. The A1417 cell fits each variant without modification to the connector or retaining bracket.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We ran this cell through charge and discharge cycles on an A1398 chassis. The SMC accepted the battery without triggering a kernel panic, and the BMS communicated state-of-charge data correctly to the system after the initial learn cycle completed.
- SMC recalibration after install: After fitting this battery, run the MacBook down until it hibernates on its own, then charge uninterrupted to 100% without using the machine. This one full cycle resets the SMC battery learn routine and clears the inaccurate health warning that appears in System Information after a cell swap.
Why macOS reports incorrect Wh capacity after replacing an A1417 cell
The Wh figure shown in System Information is read from the EEPROM on the battery's BMS board, not calculated live from cell voltage and current. When a replacement cell ships, its EEPROM may carry a rated Wh value that differs slightly from the actual chemistry spec. This does not affect how the battery charges or discharges — it is a data field mismatch. The figure typically self-corrects after two to three full charge and discharge cycles as the fuel gauge IC updates its learned capacity.
MacBook Pro shutting down at 20–30% charge shown on screen
This happens when the fuel gauge IC has not yet calibrated against the new cell's actual voltage curve. The gauge predicts 20–30% remaining based on the old cell's profile, but the new cell hits its low-voltage cutoff at a different point. Under full CPU and display load, voltage drops faster than the gauge expects, and the SMC cuts power before the screen percentage reaches zero. Run two full discharge-to-hibernate cycles followed by uninterrupted charges to 100%, and the shutdowns will stop as the IC locks onto the correct curve.