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Apple Rechargable Batteries...Fully charged to 85% only

N

nowstime

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 2, 2008
164
0
Hi!

I recently bought the Apple rechargable batteries and charged them for a good 24 hours.

After inserting them in my Magic Mouse, Macbook indicates that the mouse battery is 85%. My Duracell (Japan made) rechargable shows 93% after full charge.

All six batteries' max charge is 85%. Did I get a bad batch or is this normal?

What percentage are you guys getting?
 
About Apple Battery Charger
Batteries fully charged with Apple Battery Charger and used in some wireless input devices released earlier than Magic Trackpad may appear to have slightly less than 100% charge when you view the available battery life in the Bluetooth menu bar in Mac OS X. This is normal behavior and does not necessarily indicate that the batteries were not fully charged.
Click to expand...
 
My uniross hybrio batteries do the same. They work fine though, none of the hassle of standard nimh losing charge.
 
Just another me too, though this time with Sanyo Eneloops (first gen).
At full charge they only show around 85% on the battery meters for my keyboard and magic mouse.

And I know it's not that the batteries weren't fully charged as my charger (Maha C-9000) displays the mAh amongst other things.
 
i'm not using the apple rechargeable batteries but some other brand's. and it's also 85% in fully charge
 
My duracell rechargeable batteries display around 85% too but still last a good month or so. I thought it was just my batteries but it's obviously not just me..
 
No customer reviews, non-apple batteries, I'll pass.

I was asking specifically for the genuine Apple AA batteries. Anyone?
 
GGJstudios said:
http://www.amazon.com/Hi-Capacity-Equivalent-APPLE-QUICKTAKE-Battery/dp/B000T55OJ8
Click to expand...

Hmm 2300 mAh cells, I didn't think there were any LSD NiMH cells at that capacity, most AA ones are around the 2000 mAh mark just like the ones Apples uses. Those a probably standard NiMH cells.

Also generally the higher mAh cells are better for high drain applications, and not as suitable for low drain devices that need to last over many weeks.


orpheus1120, I know they aren't Apple branded, but I would recommend taking a look at the Sanyo Eneloops (or maybe other LSD NiMH cells). They will perform very similarly, have been in production for quite a long time (though there is a newer improved version out) and even come in a nice white colour. There are also lots of reviews of them.

GGJstudios said:
Apple doesn't make the batteries. They're standard rechargeable batteries you can buy anywhere. There's nothing special about the Apple-branded batteries.

http://www.google.com/products?q=AA+NiMH+1900+mAh+&hl=en&aq=f
Click to expand...
Well not quite they aren't standard NiMH, they are LSD NiMH. Though there are plenty of manufacturers for this type of cell they aren't as widespread as the standard rechargeable.
 
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GGJstudios said:
... like these:
Click to expand...
I don't see any Low Self Discharge cells there that are over 2000 mAh, actually I only see the Sanyo Eneloops which are Low Self Discharge NiMH 2000 mAh cells and are the type I tend to use, the others are mostly standard HiMH.
 
Alfihar said:
I don't see any Low Self Discharge cells there that are over 2000 mAh,
Click to expand...
I didn't say there were any. That link shows:
Alfihar said:
...most AA ones are around the 2000 mAh mark just like the ones Apples uses.
Click to expand...
... illustrating that standard rechargeable batteries are fine. There's nothing unique or better about the batteries Apple sells. They're generic.
 
GGJstudios said:
I didn't say there were any. That link shows:

... illustrating that standard rechargeable batteries are fine. There's nothing unique or better about the batteries Apple sells. They're generic.
Click to expand...

Yes they are generic or rather likely rebranded, however they are not the same as the ones you tend to find in most shops like say standard energiser HiMH rechargeables.

The difference is that they will come already charged, and that they will have a very low self discharge versus normal NiMH cells, especially high capacity normal NiMH cells. They also should also keep their voltage more stable during discharge. For low drain devices they are better.

Sanyo is one of the very few manufacturers who manufacturer LSD NiMH cells in Japan, which is also where Apples cells claim to be made. So it's quite likely that they are rebranded Eneloops. However they do appear to have slightly different designs.

Wikipedia has a list of the manufacturers and brand names for these types of cell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_self-discharge_NiMH_battery
 
DoFoT9 said:
a month? in what device? i only get ~2 weeks in my Magic Mouse.! :mad:
Click to expand...

I use them in my Magic Mouse too, I put my current batteries in about 2 weeks ago and they're on 44% according to my mac.

What kind of batteries are you using?
 
DoFoT9 said:
a month? in what device? i only get ~2 weeks in my Magic Mouse.! :mad:
Click to expand...

That is not good. With non-rechargeable batteries in my magic mouse, I am getting around 4 months to a charge... I have not yet replaced the batteries, and the battery level is now at 57%. This is after approximately 2-3 months of inconstant usage.
 
AlphaDogg said:
That is not good. With non-rechargeable batteries in my magic mouse, I am getting around 4 months to a charge... I have not yet replaced the batteries, and the battery level is now at 57%. This is after approximately 2-3 months of inconstant usage.
Click to expand...

4 months!?!?!?! WOW :eek: i got 2 months out of the original batteries (energizer) that came with mine. and 2weeks out of rechargables. i never turn it off. and use it ALOT. +5hrs per day at least.
 
DoFoT9 said:
4 months!?!?!?! WOW :eek: i got 2 months out of the original batteries (energizer) that came with mine. and 2weeks out of rechargables. i never turn it off. and use it ALOT. +5hrs per day at least.
Click to expand...

I use mine at least 4 times per week and I never turn it off. I usually use it around 3-5 hours every day. There was a period when I did not use it, but it only lasted about a 3 weeks. During that period, it was off. I purchased it around April-May. Probably early May.
 
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