Battery Health?

[Peter Franks]

Is it normal after 2 to 3 years for battery health to be at 85% (iStat Pro)? Fully charged to 100%, and then turning it on 30 mins later it says 97%, used be 99% after a 100% charge when switched off after charge.

I don't usually leave it on charge very often as I believe leaving it plugged in all the time doesn't do it much good?

And when is it normal that a new battery would be needed in a MBP. In fairness, the battery life has been a real let down to me since I've had it, And I've read those looking after the battery threads till I'm blue in the face. I've not had the keyboard lights turned on since I've had the MBP and it's made no difference. I've got click to flash, I have it very dim etc. etc. I think it's just luck of the draw really.

Can this tell you anything. I have no clue what any of this means.

Charge Information:
Charge Remaining (mAh): 5016
Fully Charged: Yes
Charging: No
Full Charge Capacity (mAh): 5131

Health Information:
Cycle Count: 430
Condition: Normal
Battery Installed: Yes
Amperage (mA): -812
Voltage (mV): 12222

 

[dirtnnasty]

The information is clear...

you already loaded and unloaded your battery 430 times (a cycle is from 100-0, or 100-50-100-50)...
If you charge your battery to 100% you got 5131mA, now it is 5016mA.

Important now is the design capacity (the capacity as you brought your mac)
then you know ho much you lost...

i think you had around 6100mA... (100% of the 5131mA)

and I think apple says you loose capacity down to 80% with 1000 cycles...

you are pretty close with your 85 % but not with your 1000 cycles...

 

[Peter Franks]

thanks, so this isn't terrible yet. Do people change batteries at 1000 cycles usually? And do anyone do it before then?

 

[dirtnnasty]

thanks, so this isn't terrible yet. Do people change batteries at 1000 cycles usually? And do anyone do it before then?

if you calculate it, let's say you charge your battery nearly every day, so you have around 333 cycles per year... -> 3 years until 1000 cycles...

a new battery costs in europe 200 euro...

in your case: it is "really" terrible...

you are already near the 80% with just 430 cycles...

1/5 of your capacity is already gone... so your battery could last 1/5 more hours...

now it depends on you... does it care you? is it worth for you to invest additional 200 bucks?

 

[Bear]

thanks, so this isn't terrible yet. Do people change batteries at 1000 cycles usually? And do anyone do it before then?

You change the battery when you feel battery life is no longer acceptable for your uses. It's not by the number of cycles - it's by how long it runs on a charge.

 

[GGJstudios]

thanks, so this isn't terrible yet. Do people change batteries at 1000 cycles usually? And do anyone do it before then?

You can replace the battery at any time that it fails to hold sufficient charge to meet your needs. That may occur at more or less than 80%. Just because a battery drops below 80% health doesn't mean it's no longer usable.

It is perfectly normal if your battery health (maximum capacity) is more or less than 100%, even when brand new, or if it fluctuates up or down over time. The gradual decline is not in a straight line downward, and it may decline more rapidly at some times and slower at others. For further details, read the CHECKING STATUS AND HEALTH section of the following link.

​

The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[Peter Franks]

in your case: it is "really" terrible...

guessing that's sarcasm right?

You change the battery when you feel battery life is no longer acceptable for your uses. It's not by the number of cycles - it's by how long it runs on a charge.

thanks, it's not been great from day one, but if a couple of hours is acceptable? 90 mins flash, watching a match will usually wear down the whole MBP.

You can replace the battery at any time that it fails to hold sufficient charge to meet your needs. That may occur at more or less than 80%. Just because a battery drops below 80% health doesn't mean it's no longer usable.

It is perfectly normal if your battery health (maximum capacity) is more or less than 100%, even when brand new, or if it fluctuates up or down over time. The gradual decline is not in a straight line downward, and it may decline more rapidly at some times and slower at others. For further details, read the CHECKING STATUS AND HEALTH section of the following link.

​

The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

thanks GGJ, is there an average in years for MBP users to change battery, Can it be done at home or is it an Apple job? I don't leave plugged in a lot, do you think if you do it wears more on the battery?

 

[dirtnnasty]

Yes it's a little bit sarcasm...

But I had a similar problem with my iPhone... I lost too much capacity...
Instead of my normal 16h a day I had just 12h and this was "disgusting" because I am dependent on my phone and I don't like to make any compromises like turn off wifi or kill all apps just because my battery is nearly dead...


So it depends on you how necessary 20% capacity are for you...

 

[Peter Franks]

I've never had an iPhone that got me through the day.

I love the MBP, I love my iPhones, but the basic most annoying problem is they don't make batteries that last long enough. I remember years ago someone telling me they got 10 plus hours from their MBP, and that was the main reason I went for one. I can only assume they switched it on and didn't use anything on it.....

It would do Apple good to find a better battery life for their products than faster processor, finger print recognition and a lawnmower app! Not that it seems to hurt their business in any way. We still all buy the products. Just spend our whole lives charging them!

 

[chown33]

It would do Apple good to find a better battery life for their products than faster processor, finger print recognition and a lawnmower app! Not that it seems to hurt their business in any way. We still all buy the products. Just spend our whole lives charging them!

First, battery capacity is mainly determined by size (volume), for a given battery technology (e.g. lithium polymer). So until there's a big change in battery technology, longer battery life means larger size, and there's no way around it. There may be incremental improvements, but those are, well, incremental.

Second, faster processors that use the same power as slower ones will yield better battery lifetime. This is because they finish their work faster, and are thus quicker to go into low-power sleep. Low-power operation is largely a "race to sleep", so the faster one can get to sleep, the longer the battery lasts.

 

[GGJstudios]

thanks GGJ, is there an average in years for MBP users to change battery,

It really depends on how the battery is used. One user may get only a couple years out of a battery, while another may get 4 or more.

Can it be done at home or is it an Apple job?

For Mac notebooks with built-in batteries, you should take it to Apple to have the battery replaced when needed. For older Mac notebooks with user-removable batteries, it's simple to do at home.

I don't leave plugged in a lot, do you think if you do it wears more on the battery?

Run on battery whenever you need to and plug it in whenever you can. You can plug or unplug any time you need to, regardless of the charged percentage, and you never need to completely drain your battery. Just make sure you don't run on AC power exclusively, as your battery needs to be used regularly to stay healthy.

 

[dirtnnasty]

I've never had an iPhone that got me through the day.

I love the MBP, I love my iPhones, but the basic most annoying problem is they don't make batteries that last long enough. I remember years ago someone telling me they got 10 plus hours from their MBP, and that was the main reason I went for one. I can only assume they switched it on and didn't use anything on it.....

It would do Apple good to find a better battery life for their products than faster processor, finger print recognition and a lawnmower app! Not that it seems to hurt their business in any way. We still all buy the products. Just spend our whole lives charging them!

My battery lasts 8h+ while I am reading and writing all this...
It depends on you how long your battery lasts...

 

[Peter Franks]

First, battery capacity is mainly determined by size (volume), for a given battery technology (e.g. lithium polymer). So until there's a big change in battery technology, longer battery life means larger size, and there's no way around it. There may be incremental improvements, but those are, well, incremental.

Second, faster processors that use the same power as slower ones will yield better battery lifetime. This is because they finish their work faster, and are thus quicker to go into low-power sleep. Low-power operation is largely a "race to sleep", so the faster one can get to sleep, the longer the battery lasts.

Didn't know that... thanks

It really depends on how the battery is used. One user may get only a couple years out of a battery, while another may get 4 or more.

For Mac notebooks with built-in batteries, you should take it to Apple to have the battery replaced when needed. For older Mac notebooks with user-removable batteries, it's simple to do at home.

Run on battery whenever you need to and plug it in whenever you can. You can plug or unplug any time you need to, regardless of the charged percentage, and you never need to completely drain your battery. Just make sure you don't run on AC power exclusively, as your battery needs to be used regularly to stay healthy.

Thanks, I do plug in when it's low, as opposed to whenever I can, and do sometimes leave in for longer if doing intensive stuff, burning etc. I never know when or what, but whatever I've done I've never boosted battery performance whatever I've done. The keyboard lights certainly make no difference at all. I've had them off forever

My battery lasts 8h+ while I am reading and writing all this...
It depends on you how long your battery lasts...

I'm very jealous, I'd never get 4 let alone 8, just using net, emails, word etc. If I used film or flash etc. Then forget it. I don't even get an hour

 

[GGJstudios]

Thanks, I do plug in when it's low, as opposed to whenever I can, and do sometimes leave in for longer if doing intensive stuff, burning etc. I never know when or what, but whatever I've done I've never boosted battery performance whatever I've done.

If you're close to an AC outlet, there's no need to run on battery. You can run on AC 24/7 for days at a time. Just unplug and run on battery for a few hours every few days, to keep the battery exercised.

The keyboard lights certainly make no difference at all. I've had them off forever

Keyboard backlighting has very little impact on the battery. Turn it on and enjoy the benefit of that feature. Screen brightness, however, makes a big impact on battery life and can add an hour or more if dimmed. There are many factors that impact your battery life. See the BATTERY LIFE FROM A CHARGE section of the FAQ linked in post #6 for details, including tips on how to maximize your battery life.

 

[Peter Franks]

Battery Health?

Thanks. I'll turn them back on. It's been a while!

I do dim the brightness to what's comfortable but when it plugs in it always jumps up and doesn't always go back but I do dim as much as pos.

Thanks again