Battery life for 13" and 15" Macbook Pro

[RobinInOR]

I haven't been in this thread in ages - back then I was getting 6-7 hours or more on a charge. My MBP died at the end of January (logic board died), and I just received my new replacement on Friday.

So I'm setting it up and of course checking the battery on this new machine to see if it's any different. I've only had it on battery for 2 hours, but wow, what a difference. It's only lost 13%, much better than before. Discharge rate hasn't been more than 5W with Safari, Twitter, some YouTube, the usual light work, no heavy graphics.

This is a 13" touch/3.3/i7/16G/1T - coconut battery shows the build date of the battery is 2/1/2017 and the build of the machine is 2/7/2017. Not sure how that manufacture date gets set, but this is a fresh guy! This machine is also on 10.12.3 where my old one was on 10.12.2.

Just another point of information I guess.

 

[xapp]

Not sure if this has already been mentioned, but there is an app to disable Turbo Boost http://www.rugarciap.com/turbo-boost-switcher-for-os-x/

Unless you are working in some heavy app, which requires a lot CPU power, MBP will behave completely the same for everyday tasks without Turbo Boost, but will eat less energy and be much cooler.

It's not magic, but it can cut 0.5-1.0w+ and few degrees of heat for browsing and email stuff.

 

[Sanpete]

Not sure if this has already been mentioned, but there is an app to disable Turbo Boost http://www.rugarciap.com/turbo-boost-switcher-for-os-x/

Unless you are working in some heavy app, which requires a lot CPU power, MBP will behave completely the same for everyday tasks without Turbo Boost, but will eat less energy and be much cooler.

It's not magic, but it can cut 0.5-1.0w+ and few degrees of heat for browsing and email stuff.

Yes, there's some speculation that the latest Sierra update has reduced the use of turbo, maybe for power use reasons.

 

[- rob -]

Could try that. I don't think a very clear picture of where your battery power is going ever emerged here, so it's hard to say if there's a hardware issue with your machine or if your use will get the same results on a replacement.

I think it is Safari. Activity Monitor currently shows its average usage at 6.67. Recall I've tried switching from chrome to accommodate power. Most of the time during work sessions I'm tabbing between a browser, terminal, slack and Pycharm.

I don't recall if you tried some of the common things that work for some people, such as an SMC reset. There's no strong evidence there's any problem with your SMC, but it does control battery management. If you're thinking you're going to send it back anyway, then it may be worth it to try first:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295

I did this with the Apple Store tech when I first brought it in. I could give it another shot but I'm taking it back tomorrow.

For the sake of it, which battery manufacturer and how old, with respect to laptop? I have a Simplo make battery made on 23 October 2016, laptop manufactured 31 October 2016. Battery life is decent, 5 hours up, battery down 40-50%, maybe some times 60%. tbMBP 2016 13" base with 10.12.3 release version.

I have a Simplo, 1/16/2017, Laptop same day. Battery life has never exceeded 6 hours. Commonly gets 4.5. tbMPB 2016 13" 16GB, 1TB, i5 3.1Ghz. Upgraded from 10.12.1 to 10.12.3 immediately after first setup.

 

[Sanpete]

I think it is Safari. Activity Monitor currently shows its average usage at 6.67. Recall I've tried switching from chrome to accommodate power. Most of the time during work sessions I'm tabbing between a browser, terminal, slack and Pycharm.

That's not a lot of energy for Safari, really. I don't know about Pycharm.

Have you decided your next move, then, after the return? Whatever it is, hope it works!

 

[- rob -]

That's not a lot of energy for Safari, really. I don't know about Pycharm.

Have you decided your next move, then, after the return? Whatever it is, hope it works!

I'm looking again after an hour of work and it is averaging 13.79. Is Activity Monitor set by session, or since the last time it was plugged in?

Pycharm is a code editor, it is not a power hog.

I am considering maxing the 13" non-touchbar. If that gave me 7-9 hours on normal work I'd be good for now.

 

[Sanpete]

I'm looking again after an hour of work and it is averaging 13.79. Is Activity Monitor set by session, or since the last time it was plugged in?

Pycharm is a code editor, it is not a power hog.

I am considering maxing the 13" non-touchbar. If that gave me 7-9 hours on normal work I'd be good for now.

Don't know how much time the average for the Activity Monitor covers. Around 13 is in the normal range for Safari. Good luck with the next round.

 

[matram]

Don't know how much time the average for the Activity Monitor cover

8 hours.

 

[- rob -]

I took my tb 13" 3.1 / 16GB / 1TB back today. The biz person said while there had been a few issues here and there he did not think there was a problem with the line as a whole.

I showed them the logs I had, showing regularly only getting 4.5 hours.

They suggested so long as I had the patience for it, I should try again with the same settings if it was what I wanted.

Even though I'm not that enamored by the tb, this is the spec I was after in the first place. Regardless, I can't see holding on to this machine. If the shaped battery is added in the fall, I'll probably sell this immediately and upgrade again.

I will post results again here in this thread when I have a new machine set up again in a few weeks.

 

[maerz001]

If the shaped battery is added in the fall, I'll probably sell this immediately and upgrade again.

What kind of shaped battery are you talking about?

 

[skids929]

What kind of shaped battery are you talking about?

He/she is referring to the fact someone did a tear down and there was room around the battery in the 2016 MBPs. As in room for more battery size, valuable interior real estate directly around the battery. There were reports that the shaped battery would have delayed the MBP launch so they threw a regular (not form fitting to the available room) battery in this generation.

Personally, no one knows if this is true or not, so take for what it's worth, a Macrumor.

 

[matram]

As in room for more battery size

I did a rough estimate of the free space around the batteries from iFixit tear down pictures. I estimated battery volume could increase by 15 - 20% by using empty space around the current batteries.

That is still not a lot, if your current battery life is 4.5 hours, it would bring you to 5 - 5.5 hours.

 

[skids929]

I did a rough estimate of the free space around the batteries from iFixit tear down pictures. I estimated battery volume could increase by 15 - 20% by using empty space around the current batteries.

That is still not a lot, if your current battery life is 4.5 hours, it would bring you to 5 - 5.5 hours.

Yeah I can't imagine they would have fumbled that to the point it would have made a major improvement. My battery life on light use is a consistent 8-9 and I am happy with that. I am not super mobile with this thing, mainly around the house with it. I bought a second charger set up so I had charging capabilities on both levels of the house and now I don't even think about my battery life anymore and I am mostly using it untethered to power so it works out.

Battery life could be better in any machine I have ever owned so I can't say this one is that much different. Overall I love this laptop, I use almost every minute of every day alongside my work computer.

 

[MrGuder]

I know someone mentioned it before but I'm looking for an APP to download (preferably from the App Store) that tells me how much time I have been on my laptop from the time I charged it to the time the battery is up. I use activity monitor but that tells me how much time is remaining and if you have to restart your system for some reason like I had to do one time you lose all info from activity monitor on a restart.

So I'm looking for an app that will tell me how much time I've been on the laptop opened and using it productively. Also not interested how long it's been in standby or off, but how long I've been using the laptop from a full charge down to 1 or 2 % left.

There is a app called Battery Health, will that tell me?

 

[StlCards80]

I'm getting about 10 percent per hour. Does that sound right? I turn it off when I'm not using it, too, as I left it in sleep overnight and I lost about 16 percent. I just want to make sure I'm maximizing the lift of this thing.

 

[skids929]

I'm getting about 10 percent per hour. Does that sound right? I turn it off when I'm not using it, too, as I left it in sleep overnight and I lost about 16 percent. I just want to make sure I'm maximizing the lift of this thing.

Yes, thats about what I get as well. Light use.

 

[maerz001]

as I left it in sleep overnight and I lost about 16 percent. I just want to make sure I'm maximizing the lift of this thing.

In sleep it should not loose that much. Try deselect the options for power nap.

 

[StlCards80]

In sleep it should not loose that much. Try deselect the options for power nap.

I've just been turning it off. Fired it up when I came home. 100%

I'm running Spotify, web browsing, mail, and messenger, and I'm only losing 10 percent per hour, if that. The battery keeps getting better every day. This thing has been a dream to use. If you're not too hung up on this Baby processor go out and get you one!

 

[MrGuder]

Exactly, I'm very happy with results while in sleep mode. I've had my 2016 15" for about a week now and today I unplugged from a full charge at 7:30 am and never lifted the laptop, when I got home after work I looked at 6:15 pm and I only lost 2% battery in standby mode...for almost 12 hrs that is pretty good in my opinion.

 

[- rob -]

So I'm setting it up and of course checking the battery on this new machine to see if it's any different. I've only had it on battery for 2 hours, but wow, what a difference. It's only lost 13%, much better than before. Discharge rate hasn't been more than 5W with Safari, Twitter, some YouTube, the usual light work, no heavy graphics.

This is a 13" touch/3.3/i7/16G/1T - coconut battery shows the build date of the battery is 2/1/2017 and the build of the machine is 2/7/2017. Not sure how that manufacture date gets set, but this is a fresh guy! This machine is also on 10.12.3 where my old one was on 10.12.2.

Just another point of information I guess.

I missed this previously, but it gives me hope. This is almost the identical machine to what I returned recently. I am getting an identical replacement and am hopeful to see the same battery improvements.

Yeah I can't imagine they would have fumbled that to the point it would have made a major improvement. My battery life on light use is a consistent 8-9 and I am happy with that.

It is a very different design to use shaped battery, so much so Apple patented the process. If the Bloomberg sources were accurate, this was a substantial miss that was possible but not a part of this release.

In my view 15-20% is a substantial increase in potential battery power for a portable. Being able to say 12 hours is truly an 'all day' battery life, and I think if it was there it would have helped justify the steep price for this release.

 

[StlCards80]

I'll be happy if I get 8-10. I use it for 3-4 hours when I get home from work, and longer hours on the weekend. That will work for me.

 

[lobo1978]

I missed this previously, but it gives me hope. This is almost the identical machine to what I returned recently. I am getting an identical replacement and am hopeful to see the same battery improvements.

Did you exchange laptop because of software issue?? You will get the very same laptop with fresh system...

It is like exchanging car because of door mirrors were incorrectly set...

Power of OCD

 

[skids929]

I missed this previously, but it gives me hope. This is almost the identical machine to what I returned recently. I am getting an identical replacement and am hopeful to see the same battery improvements.


It is a very different design to use shaped battery, so much so Apple patented the process. If the Bloomberg sources were accurate, this was a substantial miss that was possible but not a part of this release.

In my view 15-20% is a substantial increase in potential battery power for a portable. Being able to say 12 hours is truly an 'all day' battery life, and I think if it was there it would have helped justify the steep price for this release.

I agree with some of what you said, I think 12 hours is a bit of a stretch. If for some reason the new version reaches those time frames you can easily sell what you have, take a small hit and go get the new one. Nice thing about Macs people like them in the resale market.

 

[- rob -]

I agree with some of what you said, I think 12 hours is a bit of a stretch. If for some reason the new version reaches those time frames you can easily sell what you have, take a small hit and go get the new one. Nice thing about Macs people like them in the resale market.

This is my plan, basically. My only bother with it is that for perhaps a similar delta, I could just get a 2015 MBA and keep it!

Would have been great if Apple had delayed the release and instead dropped them at WWDC with the upgrades expected from the recent sierra beta references.

 

[Sanpete]

Would have been great if Apple had delayed the release and instead dropped them at WWDC with the upgrades expected from the recent sierra beta references.

It had already been a year-and-a-half, longer for the 13", so they were no doubt worried about losing market share.