10.12.2 fixed battery life on my 13" MBPr TB

[moodler]

Here's what I'm getting AFTER the update just with normal use: 3.5 hours.

Exactly same as before the update.

(yes, for some reason the graphics card is on high, which appears to be from an external monitor being plugged in - but I'm just web browsing and messaging mostly so I can't see why it would be taking up so much energy just to send a video signal. The monitor has it's own power, obviously. )

EDIT: unplugging the external monitor drops power usage by 20W or more, which gives me much better times. Looks like the graphics card is a hungry beast.

 

[Agmnu]

Here's what I'm getting AFTER the update just with normal use: 3.5 hours.

Exactly same as before the update.

(yes, for some reason the graphics card is on high, which appears to be from an external monitor being plugged in - but I'm just web browsing and messaging mostly so I can't see why it would be taking up so much energy just to send a video signal. The monitor has it's own power, obviously. )


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Can you comment on the battery performance when you are not using an external monitor?

 

[moodler]

Yeah having the external monitor plugged in was definitely the culprit I think. It's a good old 27 inch LED cinema display with a Thunderbolt 2 adapter.

This seems to force use of the high performance graphics card, and that card really sucks power even when I'm not doing anything.

 

[Agmnu]

Yeah having the external monitor plugged in was definitely the culprit I think. The good graphics card really sucks the juice.

Oh, thanks. If you are using a high resolution monitor, then the dedicated graphics card would come into play I guess. From my understanding that is used to upscale the resolution. I am not sure, Apple people might have something more technically accurate to say.

 

[CBlakeston]

So, I installed Sierra 10.12.2 on a USB flash drive and booted from there. On the fresh installation on desktop with just activity monitor and coconut battery running I'm using 5.5w with an estimated 14hrs of battery left.

My main installation uses 20w just sat in the desktop. Clearly my main installation has something wrong with it or it's something I've installed along the way.

I'm attaching screen grabs of both systems running just from boot on desktop. Note that on my main installation Adobe CC is engaging my discrete graphics even though I've stopped creative cloud app from running. Bad form Adobe. I have to kill all the CC processes if I want to run on integrated GPU.

 

[BWhaler]

This is great news. The lack of battery life really bummed me out about my new mbp.

I wonder why Apple didn't have this right from day 1 of the launch?

 

[JohnnyGo]

This is great news. The lack of battery life really bummed me out about my new mbp.

I wonder why Apple didn't have this right from day 1 of the launch?

Software is a work in progress! And it took Apple less than a month to issue this update. In the lifecycle of the product it's peanuts.

Coulda/shoulda apple launched with an update ready ? Yep. Most likely they did not had enough TBs pre-production to run enough simulations or where behind because the TB took a lot of software changes at once.

 

[robvas]

Yeah having the external monitor plugged in was definitely the culprit I think. It's a good old 27 inch LED cinema display with a Thunderbolt 2 adapter.

This seems to force use of the high performance graphics card, and that card really sucks power even when I'm not doing anything.

MacBook Pros have been like that for a long time.

 

[Leaf.]

I'm getting about 9-10 watts of usage on battery whilst JUST surfing the web (using safari) following the update. Is that normal/good/bad?

 

[Satti]

I planned to buy 13 inch MBP with TB (8 gb ram, 256 GB SSD). I'm really a pro user, Does coding, gaming and surfing primarily.

Little bit worried after seeing the reviews on battery, graphics, etc. I knew after the sierra update apple fixed the issues.
But still need your opinions whether to buy or not. And please reply with your backup before and after the update.

 

[NickPhamUK]

Wa, finally good news.

If Apple somehow figures out how to increase the battery capacity and/or include the more power efficient Kaby Lake next year, I'm betting $100 the 13" with TB will sell like a hot cake.

I'm returning my nTB (it is a fantastic machine, but my old laptop still works), purchased an iPad Air 2 128GB, and looking forward to 2017 with iPhone 8 + MBP 13" refresh.

 

[JohnnyGo]

I planned to buy 13 inch MBP with TB (8 gb ram, 256 GB SSD). I'm really a pro user, Does coding, gaming and surfing primarily.

Little bit worried after seeing the reviews on battery, graphics, etc. I knew after the sierra update apple fixed the issues.
But still need your opinions whether to buy or not. And please reply with your backup before and after the update.

Don't worry. Battery was already good (if on had a clean / re-install) and now is even better. Most users are seeing significant improvements with the new MacOS 10.12.2

 

[person123]

Well, based on my tests, they have the exact same battery life now. I'm not sure what apples done but they did it. I purchased the NTB in order to get the better battery life and meant to return the TB. I'm still returning the TB one. Its more expensive and I hate the touchbar. Ran the tests on both laptops for 34 minutes and they're both on 93%. I'm impressed. I thought the NTB would get better battery. Perhaps it's because it's only a few days old. Doesn't it take time to index? How long should it take?

 

[JohnnyGo]

Well, based on my tests, they have the exact same battery life now. I'm not sure what apples done but they did it. I purchased the NTB in order to get the better battery life and meant to return the TB. I'm still returning the TB one. Its more expensive and I hate the touchbar. Ran the tests on both laptops for 34 minutes and they're both on 93%. I'm impressed. I thought the NTB would get better battery. Perhaps it's because it's only a few days old. Doesn't it take time to index? How long should it take?

Can't really compare using a uni-dimensional short test. You should use both as "normally" for you as possible work wise for one-two days at least. Than see which one has more juice in the end of the day.

I'm certain the NTB will be ahead, i.e. have more battery left.

 

[Leaf.]

I'm getting about 7 hours following the update - JUST web-browsing

 

[JohnnyGo]

I'm getting about 7 hours following the update - JUST web-browsing

If you are also streaming video (YouTube or Netflix) or downloading a lot of new software/files, or just syncing your Cloud storage (files, photos, etc), you are probably seeing 2-3 hours less than if you are just browsing internet and stopping to read articles, forum posts, etc.

 

[tivoboy]

Yeah having the external monitor plugged in was definitely the culprit I think. It's a good old 27 inch LED cinema display with a Thunderbolt 2 adapter.

This seems to force use of the high performance graphics card, and that card really sucks power even when I'm not doing anything.

external monitors pretty much will always activate the dGPU which will suck power.

 

[Leaf.]

If you are also streaming video (YouTube or Netflix) or downloading a lot of new software/files, or just syncing your Cloud storage (files, photos, etc), you are probably seeing 2-3 hours less than if you are just browsing internet and stopping to read articles, forum posts, etc.

Yeah that's the thing I'm not on anything 'intensive' just web-browsing i.e. searches etc no netflix/youtube etc

 

[aaronRobeson]

15" new pro here, I updated today and was getting like an hour and a half estimated battery life at 50% charge earlier, with ~20 watts being used, and just pages running. I restarted and now have pages, and safari open, brightness at 60% using 6.3 watts, with 2:30 left on 18% charge. Something definitely changed.

 

[JohnnyGo]

Yeah that's the thing I'm not on anything 'intensive' just web-browsing i.e. searches etc no netflix/youtube etc

Did you try the PRAM / SMC reset ?

 

[NotVeryFriendly]

I'm getting the exact same battery before and after the update (roughly 10 hours on both) with a 13" Touch Bar MacBook Pro. I'm very skeptical there was any actual difference. The only thing that's changed is that the time remaining indicator isn't present (which was incorrect before the update, and seems a bit more accurate in the activity monitor now) with the same apps open.

To those saying the battery life has improved, do you have any pictures of the Activity Monitor's time on battery before the update near zero percent, and a picture of the Activity Monitor's time on battery after the update, both on the same level of brightness/same apps open? The estimated time remaining may be better but I'm wholly unconvinced they actually made any change to improve the battery life until there's some definitive reason it would have improved.

 

[thesaint024]

I'm getting the exact same battery before and after the update (roughly 10 hours on both) with a 13" Touch Bar MacBook Pro. I'm very skeptical there was any actual difference. The only thing that's changed is that the time remaining indicator isn't present (which was incorrect before the update, and seems a bit more accurate in the activity monitor now) with the same apps open.

To those saying the battery life has improved, do you have any pictures of the Activity Monitor's time on battery before the update near zero percent, and a picture of the Activity Monitor's time on battery after the update, both on the same level of brightness/same apps open? The estimated time remaining may be better but I'm wholly unconvinced they actually made any change to improve the battery life until there's some definitive reason it would have improved.

I'm speculating here, but I think some people had some combination of factors that led to the CPU/hardware drawing more power than necessary. If your (and mine) combination of apps and data didn't cause significant power draw to begin with, I wouldn't expect an improvement, and I don't. Just reading this thread, I could see how people's experiences varied greatly, but we all have slightly different setups. Who knows what combinations or specific things were triggering power, but it was, as evidenced by varying degrees of battery life. You and I probably won't see a difference in battery life, nor anyone else who already was experiencing the claimed battery life.

 

[macbook123]

I can't get the update on my 15". How do I force it? When I hit software update none shows available. Still on 10.12.1.

Did people notice improvements on the 15" or just 13"?

EDIT: Nevermind, just needed to hit it multiple times.

 

[dgdosen]

I can't get the update on my 15". How do I force it? When I hit software update none shows available. Still on 10.12.1.

Did people notice improvements on the 15" or just 13"?

EDIT: Nevermind, just needed to hit it multiple times.

You could always just download updates - just google for:

Apple Support Combo Update
[doublepost=1481871681][/doublepost]Isn't Kaby Lake supposed to use 2/3rds the juice of Skylake? Even more for video?

 

[aaronRobeson]

I'm getting the exact same battery before and after the update (roughly 10 hours on both) with a 13" Touch Bar MacBook Pro. I'm very skeptical there was any actual difference. The only thing that's changed is that the time remaining indicator isn't present (which was incorrect before the update, and seems a bit more accurate in the activity monitor now) with the same apps open.

To those saying the battery life has improved, do you have any pictures of the Activity Monitor's time on battery before the update near zero percent, and a picture of the Activity Monitor's time on battery after the update, both on the same level of brightness/same apps open? The estimated time remaining may be better but I'm wholly unconvinced they actually made any change to improve the battery life until there's some definitive reason it would have improved.

I definitely noticed a difference, I unfortunately didn't capture much information before the update, but I did check the watts being used and with no apps open I was sitting at ~20-25. After updating I've currently got safari, mail, and messages open and I'm at 8.9 watts.