Is the battery in the MacBook Air really not replaceable? Is there a "hack" to replace it?

The battery in the MacBook Air is not designed to be replaced by end-users, and it certainly is not "swappable" like the battery in the MacBook or MacBook Pro.

Officially, when the battery life of the MacBook Air drops enough to justify replacement -- and it is no longer under warranty -- one is required to provide Apple with the entire MacBook Air for service. Additional information is available from the company website, but in general it costs US$129 in the US (including the new battery) for same-day service at an Apple retail store (with an appointment) or 3-4 days by mail.

Although it might be a bit of a stretch to refer to battery replacement as a "hack" -- the always excellent AnandTech and iFixit tore apart the MacBook Air and found that it is not difficult to replace the battery, albeit it does require the removal of a whopping nineteen screws.

Photo Credit: iFixit (Unplugging the big black battery)

iFixit's "First Look" provides all the details -- and should be read in its entirety -- but basically, you have to remove the bottom case (ten screws), unscrew the battery (nine screws), and finally, just unplug the battery and remove it. Reinstallation is as simple as plugging in a new battery and reattaching the screws. Thankfully, no soldering is required.

Ultimately, those with some technical skills need not worry about replacing the battery in the MacBook Air themselves, but those who value the ability to swap out batteries -- on a long flight, for example -- most likely would prefer a MacBook or MacBook Pro.