Battery wear on new iPad 2018

[0906742]

I've been monitoring my new iPad 2018 battery health with free Battery Life app from App Store.
It shows that battery health has dropped from 100% to 95-96% within few days in very light use after second charge cycle.
It does not look normal to me that it deteriorates so fast.

Should I have it replaced with new one?
Anyone else having the same problem with their new iPad 2018?
Please post your results in this thread and/or vote.

 

[dantracht]

Sometimes this happens. They always say it takes a while to calibrate. A good idea is to let the battery run down completely and die, then charge the iPad back up. Should adjust itself after a few weeks.

 

[0906742]

Have you yourself witnessed situation where new iPad 2018 shows battery wear and it did go back to 100% after running it down completely and then charge back up? Anyone else having the same experience where battery wear gets fixed by itself?

 

[CreamEggBear]

My advice would be to monitor the battery performance for a week or so and if you’re still not happy, take it back to Apple for a diagnostic. If it’s faulty, they will replace.

 

[sparksd]

I thought that the necessary data for battery life was no longer available to apps (iOS 11?) and that life estimates now provided are dodgy.

 

[XT550]

The only way to fix battery wear is to have a new battery. It’s the readings that fluctuate and you might eventually see higher numbers after a week or so.
But whatever you do, do not let the battery die down. Actually, do not let the battery fall below 20% if you can.

 

[0906742]

I thought that the necessary data for battery life was no longer available to apps (iOS 11?) and that life estimates now provided are dodgy.

I've heard they should be still accurate but they show capacity in 100 mAh steps. Also battery was 100% health out of the box and for the first few days, so I don't see how it would lose its accuracy suddenly.

I found couple threads where is mentioned app vs coconut battery vs in-store diagnostics results and it looks that this app is quite accurate. I've been using it with my iPhones and it gives exactly the same results as IOS 11.3 build in battery health level information.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/battery-wear-on-brand-new-ipad-pro.2060259/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-pro-10-5-battery-wear-level.2065716/

The only way to fix battery wear is to have a new battery. It’s the readings that fluctuate and you might eventually see higher numbers after a week or so.
But whatever you do, do not let the battery die down. Actually, do not let the battery fall below 20% if you can.

I'm too afraid that only battery replacement with fix that. I've been trying to avoid draining the battery fully. I usually charge when battery goes to around 30-40% and never had any problems with battery wear so soon in other Apple devices except iPad.

Please vote so we see if mine is just broken, so I will get another.

 

[Langar]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921510714002657

 

[Falhófnir]

My advice is to just use the thing and not get hung up on this stuff. Life’s too short!

 

[Regime2008]

Apple has been offering replacement batteries on a frequent basis now. Might want to contact them just to check about it in case.

 

[joeblow7777]

Trust me, do not worry about battery wear on a device that’s less than a year old unless you notice a definite decline in battery life based on your own usage, not what some 3rd party app tells you.

In fact, same goes for if it’s more than a year old. Just use your new device and enjoy.

 

[steve62388]

I've heard they should be still accurate but they show capacity in 100 mAh steps. Also battery was 100% health out of the box and for the first few days, so I don't see how it would lose its accuracy suddenly.

I found couple threads where is mentioned app vs coconut battery vs in-store diagnostics results and it looks that this app is quite accurate. I've been using it with my iPhones and it gives exactly the same results as IOS 11.3 build in battery health level information.

And there are also plenty of threads showing these apps are not accurate.

 

[0906742]

And there are also plenty of threads showing these apps are not accurate.

Where?

I see someone voting 0% wear, so it looks like there are units with perfect batteries out there.
If that someone is reading this thread, it would be interesting to hear how many charge cycles in this unit has, and is the wear percentage staying at 0% all the time?
Like I mentioned mine also started at 0% wear but within first few days it increased a lot.

 

[Newtons Apple]

My advice would be to monitor the battery performance for a week or so and if you’re still not happy, take it back to Apple for a diagnostic. If it’s faulty, they will replace.

It may never again show 100% in you program. They are not famous for being accurate.

Try to relax and enjoy you new iPad.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Try to realize that batteries are a chemistry - they are not consistent all the time. Only look at battery % design capacity from trusted programs like Apple's iOS and coconutBattery http://www.coconut-flavour.com/ - which are used by quite a few forum members here. The apps on the iOS App Store are doing an estimate at best and incredibly inaccurate.

That said, only check your design capacity when at 100% TRUE charge (note that when iOS says you hit 100%, often times, it can take 30 mins+ to get to true 100% charge). Use coconutBattery to figure this out.

I've had iPhones/iPads come from the factory anywhere between 96% design capacity - 110% design capacity. I've put calculations in an excel spreadsheet to show usage over 1-2 years taking 2-5 readings a month. Even after 240 cycles (1.7 years) my iPhone 6s+ showed almost no degradation even though it came 96% from the factory. My iPads fare even better depending on how I treat them.

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries - check this out. Keep your battery out of heat. Try to keep it >40% charge if you can. I don't go so far as to do 40-80, but I'll do 40-100.

There is no way that your battery will decrease in the first few days. In fact, according to Isidor's book http://batteryuniversity.com/buy/ - your capacity should increase within the first 100+ cycles - and I've seen this to be the case in my Macbook Air, iPads, and iPhones.

All depends on how you use it. Leave it out in the hot sun, drain it to 0% constantly, that's going to have a detrimental effect.

Apple guarantees these iPad batteries 1000 cycles >=80% design capacity.

 

[0906742]

It may never again show 100% in you program. They are not famous for being accurate.

Try to relax and enjoy you new iPad.

Works perfectly in iPhones and gives exactly the same results as IOS 11.3 build in battery health level meter and Coconut Battery. I don't see why it should not say 0% wear / 100% condition in iPad too, if battery really is perfectly health.

I know how to charge battery fully and I also know that charge level does not have anything to do what reported capacity is. Capacity should show full capacity even when battery is empty. Actual charge level and capacity are two different things!

I see just second vote for 0% wear appeared, so it definitely start to look like there are units with perfect batteries.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Works perfectly in iPhones and gives exactly the same results as IOS 11.3 build in battery health level meter. I don't see why it should not say 0% wear / 100% condition in iPad too, if battery really is perfectly health.

iOS blocks specific data from iOS apps. Before iOS 10 apps had access to this and you could actually run coconutBattery on your phone. After iOS 10, all this was hidden from the OS and applications in iOS - hence why they're inaccurate. Plugging your phone into your Macbook and using coconutBattery on your Mac gives you access to actual data coming from the phone - very much like what Apple does at the stores. This data cannot be read by apps in iOS - they estimate.

Apple's Battery Health in iOS 11.3 has access to this data for iPhones - but we're finding that it tends to err at a higher reading, even more than coconutBattery, which is quite interesting.

 

[0906742]

Then why these apps still give you the same result as Coconut Battery? Or are you saying it does not work either in IOS 11?

 

[joeblow7777]

All battery health readings are an estimate, with some margin of error, and some are worse than others.
Are you getting the advertised 10 hours of use from your device? If so, seriously, just relax and enjoy your new ipad.
If not, take it to Apple and let the professionals check your battery, not some 3rd party app.

 

[sracer]

I've been monitoring my new iPad 2018 battery health with free Battery Life app from App Store.
It shows that battery health has dropped from 100% to 95-96% within few days in very light use after second charge cycle.
It does not look normal to me that it deteriorates so fast.

Should I have it replaced with new one?
Anyone else having the same problem with their new iPad 2018?
Please post your results in this thread and/or vote.

I haven't seen any drop in battery health, but then again I don't trust these battery apps. Battery life has been terrific... far better than what I'm getting on my 12.9 Pro (whose battery life was ruined by installing iOS 11). I recommend that you return your 2018 iPad for a refund or exchange. Between this battery issue and the backlight bleeding you reported in another thread, it seems like the unit you bought is a clunker. If you are noticing issues so soon after purchasing it, it can only get worse over time.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Works perfectly in iPhones and gives exactly the same results as IOS 11.3 build in battery health level meter and Coconut Battery. I don't see why it should not say 0% wear / 100% condition in iPad too, if battery really is perfectly health.

I know how to charge battery fully and I also know that charge level does not have anything to do what reported capacity is. Capacity should show full capacity even when battery is empty. Actual charge level and capacity are two different things!

I see just second vote for 0% wear appeared, so it definitely start to look like there are units with perfect batteries.

Trusting these apps is a crazy as letting you poll make your choices. If you IPad is less than 14 days old, return it and you will find the replacement does the same. If it is past 14 days, Apple is not going to replace it or the battery with it current specs.

You can drive yourself crazy with worry, but in the end it will not change anything.

 

[0906742]

Are you getting the advertised 10 hours of use from your device?

I haven’t run battery empty so I cannot say for sure but I definitely get about one hour less than with my previous 2017 model at 30% mark.

I haven't seen any drop in battery health, but then again I don't trust these battery apps.

Are you saying that Battery Life reports 0% wear?

I recommend that you return your 2018 iPad for a refund or exchange. Between this battery issue and the backlight bleeding you reported in another thread, it seems like the unit you bought is a clunker. If you are noticing issues so soon after purchasing it, it can only get worse over time.

You may be right. I’ve been trying to learn to live with this display. It even healed partly - backlight bleed is better now and I find it acceptable. I’m sure it is well within manufacturers specs in other areas even I find them annoying. it is definitely much worse than my previous 2017 model screen was. Then again that was unrealistically good and much better than most ips-monitors on the market today. So it may be very hard to find another that good. It seems that book spine issue and tinted parts of the screen are very common.

Trusting these apps is a crazy as letting you poll make your choices. If you IPad is less than 14 days old, return it and you will find the replacement does the same. If it is past 14 days, Apple is not going to replace it or the battery with it current specs.

You can drive yourself crazy with worry, but in the end it will not change anything.

Poll is just for reference so that we see is this common problem. So far looks like 50% chance to get unit with perfect battery.

Regarding apps I haven’t found any reason not to trust them. All I’ve seen is that this app gives pretty much the same results as Coconut Battery and in-store diagnostics.

 

[joeblow7777]

I haven’t run battery empty so I cannot say for sure but I definitely get about one hour less than with my previous 2017 model at 30% mark.


Are you saying that Battery Life reports 0% wear?


You may be right. I’ve been trying to learn to live with this display. It even healed partly - backlight bleed is better now and I find it acceptable. I’m sure it is well within manufacturers specs in other areas even I find them annoying. it is definitely much worse than my previous 2017 model screen was. Then again that was unrealistically good and much better than most ips-monitors on the market today. So it may be very hard to find another that good. It seems that book spine issue and tinted parts of the screen are very common.


Poll is just for reference so that we see is this common problem. So far looks like 50% chance to get unit with perfect battery.

Regarding apps I haven’t found any reason not to trust them. All I’ve seen is that this app gives pretty much the same results as Coconut Battery and in-store diagnostics.

You haven’t even done a full rundown of your battery before giving in to fears that it’s defective? As I said, Apple advertises 10 hours of use. Your first action should be seeing if it lives up to that.

As for your assumption that you have a 50% chance of getting a good unit, you’re basing that on a pool of 7 respondents so far in a completely unscientific poll, which also doesn’t take into account the margin of error in any battery health reading. I don’t mean to make light of your concerns, but so far this thread has been worse than useless in actually addressing them.

If you think there is a problem, I say again, take it to an Apple Store. If they say there’s nothing wrong and you still don’t believe it, return it and buy a new unit if you still can. If you’re still not satisfied, this probably just isn’t the iPad for you.

 

[0906742]

You haven’t even done a full rundown of your battery before giving in to fears that it’s defective? As I said, Apple advertises 10 hours of use. Your first action should be seeing if it lives up to that.

It is not wise to let battery run empty, so I won't do it just for test. Also it is just old wives tales that you need to run battery empty to get best perfomance. It should not apply to modern li-ion batteries. It is more than enough to run few normal cycles if you want to make sure something like battery meter accuracy. Also you must understand that battery capacity and battery charge level are two completely different things. Capacity is what the battery nominal capacity is, and charge level has no effect to it what so ever (but you can of course cause battery capacity to drop if you keep using it wrong, ie. running empty and store it empty, or keep it full all the time and so on). For example battery capacity in this iPad is 8827 mAh and when you test capacity it should show that what ever the actual charge level of the battery is at that time. So capacity should show 8827/8827 (apps may round it to 8820) and charge level can be what ever. In my unit that is not the case, it shows capacity 8400/8820 mAh and charge level when full 8400/8400 mAh. I hope this helps understand what the issue is.

which also doesn’t take into account the margin of error in any battery health reading.

What margin of error? You think battery health programs (apps, Coconut Battery, in-store diagnostics) work in some random way giving what ever the results from unit to unit? Not. If you read for example link I provided in my previous posts, you can see that they all give the comparable results.

I don’t mean to make light of your concerns, but so far this thread has been worse than useless in actually addressing them.

I agree, as long as we are not even talking about the same things.

If you think there is a problem, I say again, take it to an Apple Store. If they say there’s nothing wrong and you still don’t believe it, return it and buy a new unit if you still can. If you’re still not satisfied, this probably just isn’t the iPad for you.

If I understood correctly warranty terms say over 80% battery condition is considered good. If it is agreeable to buyer, it is up to each and everyone. To put this in perspective, I guess some peoples would accept that brand new car which have estimated life say 500000 miles, has already 100000 miles driven already and still pay the full price. I not one of them.

 

[joeblow7777]

It is not wise to let battery run empty, so I won't do it just for test. Also it is just old wives tales that you need to run battery empty to get best perfomance. It should not apply to modern li-ion batteries. It is more than enough to run few normal cycles if you want to make sure something like battery meter accuracy. Also you must understand that battery capacity and battery charge level are two completely different things. Capacity is what the battery nominal capacity is, and charge level has no effect to it what so ever (but you can of course cause battery capacity to drop if you keep using it wrong, ie. running empty and store it empty, or keep it full all the time and so on). For example battery capacity in this iPad is 8827 mAh and when you test capacity it should show that what ever the actual charge level of the battery is at that time. So capacity should show 8827/8827 (apps may round it to 8820) and charge level can be what ever. In my unit that is not the case, it shows capacity 8400/8820 mAh and charge level when full 8400/8400 mAh. I hope this helps understand what the issue is.


What margin of error? You think battery health programs (apps, Coconut Battery, in-store diagnostics) work in some random way giving what ever the results from unit to unit? Not. If you read for example link I provided in my previous posts, you can see that they all give the comparable results.


I agree, as long as we are not even talking about the same things.


If I understood correctly warranty terms say over 80% battery condition is considered good. If it is agreeable to buyer, it is up to each and everyone. To put this in perspective, I guess some peoples would accept that brand new car which have estimated life say 500000 miles, has already 100000 miles driven already and still pay the full price. I not one of them.

There is no harm in using your device until it runs out of power. It shuts down before the battery is actually totally empty. Just as the device protects itself from overcharging, it protects itself from truly “killing” the battery. But if you’re worried, run it down from 100 to say 5%. It should still get you about 10 hours of use.

I never said that you have to run your battery down to get the best performance. But there’s really no other way to know if you’re getting the usage that Apple promises per charge cycle without actually taking it through a full charge cycle. You can extrapolate, ie. see if you get 5 or more hours running it down 50%, but again, this will just be an estimate. I’ve seen devices that appear to be on pace for phenomenal battery life on the upper end of their charge, but then decline rapidly towards the end.

Finally, pointing out that battery tests have a margin of error does not suggest that the apps are “random”.

But the bottom line, as I’ve said many times, is that this thread is not helping you. It can’t help you. You’re just looking for validation of your fears. Why don’t you just take your device to Apple for proper testing, and/or return/exchange it if you are not satisfied? You’re like the guy who seeks medical advice online, insists that something is wrong with them, but refuses to just see a doctor.