To clarify on the title, I just bought a Silver 15" 2018 MacBook Pro this week and it seems to be from the initial run in June. It arrived with the battery completely dead and it already had 4 cycles on it. From the serial number it was from first half of 2018. Should this be a problem? It is a bummer to see the battery at 96% health already (Battery Health 2). Seems like Best Buy hasn't sold through it's initial order of silver 15-inch 2.6/512gb models.
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Getting a 6-Month Old MacBook Pro as New
- Thread starter 16bitplus
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I would let it run on battery and then charge it without turning it on.
It's not really an issue, but it's not nice either.
It will happen eventually anyway.
This is why I only buy at Apple online to be able to return it.
If it would only be a few days after purchase I would probably explain the issue and ask for a discount.
But I'm not sure if you ordered it or bought it in person.
It's not really an issue, but it's not nice either.
It will happen eventually anyway.
This is why I only buy at Apple online to be able to return it.
If it would only be a few days after purchase I would probably explain the issue and ask for a discount.
But I'm not sure if you ordered it or bought it in person.
I ordered it online and got it shipped from BestBuy.com. I could return it and try to get a replacement, but no stores in the area have this model. Maybe they can return it and reorder one on their website or from the warehouse. Not sure. Might have to make a trip there today.
You have to consider it's a lottery regarding displays, keyboards, speakers etc.
If yours is really fine now, I would consider keeping it if it has no issues.
The battery health will fluctuate based on the charging firmware.
It will decay over time anyway.
Just a suggestion.
If yours is really fine now, I would consider keeping it if it has no issues.
The battery health will fluctuate based on the charging firmware.
It will decay over time anyway.
Just a suggestion.
I would give it a few charge cycles and see if it improves, it might. I bought a new 2015 model last month that was produced in early July, and have had no issues so I don't think you have much to worry about, assuming that battery health comes up a bit - the battery readings can be all over the place when the machine is new.
Yes
Seems to. Just arrived on Thursday. I don't think I remember hearing about issues with the first run of 2018 MBPs...
laptop can be easy resealed, it's not a big problem, you should check date of registration, by putting serial to Apple website, if it's match with yours first configuration you are safe
my MBP 15 2016 still has only 6 cycles and 100% battery life
my MBP 15 2016 still has only 6 cycles and 100% battery life
The 4 cycles is not really a problem, slightly more concerning is the battery health. It appears that the battery has completely discharged and it may have slightly effected its total capacity. A new battery should not be showing 96% health. My 15" MacPro is over 2 years old, 210 cycles and 94% battery health. I would consider getting it exchanged while you can.
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I got one from the Apple Store with 3. They said what others above have said, that it isn’t really a problem. But offered to book me an appointment with the Genius Bar if I was concerned.
I'll say it again, every device I have ordered from Apple has had Zero cycles. If your laptop had some, it was used/returned or used in the store and not sealed. My current 2018 MBP I just got a month ago has 2 cycles, and those two were done by me.
No, it absolutely wasn’t. For crying out loud. That’s just absurd. They brought it out from the back, it wasn’t used, it wasn’t opened, it wasn’t resealed. They don’t even sell refurbished/used ones out of the store like that smdh
Here is another thread talking about a similar cycle count
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...omes-with-3-cycles-of-battery-charge.2019064/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/battery-cycles-on-new-macbook-pro.1887769/
Apple Store at Park Meadows Mall in Denver didn’t seal up a used laptop in pristine condition or sell me refurbished one as new, that much is certain.
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I agree I don’t think it is unusual to see a new Mac with a few cycles on it. Most manufacturers will pull a few units as part of the manufacturing quality control process for extended tests, which I would imagine would include power drain and recharge cycles. This may explain the additional cycles. It would also explain why most ship with no cycles. However as I noted above the battery condition is slightly more concerning, as it appears the complete battery drain has caused a small amount of damage to the battery capacity.
I honestly can’t think of a time where I have actually had zero. Not to say I haven’t, but I can’t recall when I have. Most that I have purchased have had 1, which makes sense to me since the battery is charged and stored.
Why some have 2 or 3, I am not sure. I saw one post on the Apple Support forums that suggested 1-11 is normal. That doesn’t seem right to me.
But when it is a stock configuration from the Apple Store, I do wonder if sometimes when Apple has them pre-built and they upgrade the OS as they did with Mojave, it the drives are re-imaged prior to shipping adding another cycle.
But in any case the idea that the one I purchased with 3 cycles being used, refurbished, resealed, etc. Just no way. That’s a high volume Apple Store, not Joe’s Computers. There is no way they would do anything of the sort.
As for Best Buy, I can’t speak for what they do. But I would guess they aren’t doing that either. Something going on there beyond the norm, but it can always be returned and re-ordered, even through Best Buy.
I have never seen one with zero cycles and we have had dozens of MBPs. Given they test machines and batteries I would be surprised to get one with 0 cycles.
If it were me I would only keep it if I got a good discount.
Edit: Sorry scratch that I was thinking you should have received something more recent but I'm getting confused about the Vega 16 and 20 models released in November.
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I picked up a similar configuration from one of the local Apple stores a couple of weeks ago. It had 2 cycles on the battery and High Sierra. So even in high volume Apple stores you can pick up older units. I thought about exchanging, but the machine is perfect so I'm sticking with it.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they repackaged a returned unit as new, TBH. I’ve had that happen to me with Best Buy a couple times.
Most obvious of those two was when I bought an external WD 2TB drive. Got it home, plugged it in to format, and found it had already been wiped and connected/setup with a DVR device. It had a bunch of DVR-related files and directories on it. Double checked the serial number at WD’s website and found it had been registered 3 months prior.
I took it back and luckily the customer service rep that helped me with the return was the same person that dealt with the initial return the day before! Turns out they process the returns, and if it’s computers, it goes back to the Geek Squad area, where it then gets added back to the shelf for sale at a discount as “open box” (which, in my case, obviously did not happen.)
They apologized to me, asked if I wanted to exchange or refund (I refunded.) Apparently, the lady that returned it made up some sort of BS story about how it was originally bought as a gift, and was never opened for those three months.
Most obvious of those two was when I bought an external WD 2TB drive. Got it home, plugged it in to format, and found it had already been wiped and connected/setup with a DVR device. It had a bunch of DVR-related files and directories on it. Double checked the serial number at WD’s website and found it had been registered 3 months prior.
I took it back and luckily the customer service rep that helped me with the return was the same person that dealt with the initial return the day before! Turns out they process the returns, and if it’s computers, it goes back to the Geek Squad area, where it then gets added back to the shelf for sale at a discount as “open box” (which, in my case, obviously did not happen.)
They apologized to me, asked if I wanted to exchange or refund (I refunded.) Apparently, the lady that returned it made up some sort of BS story about how it was originally bought as a gift, and was never opened for those three months.
i can blow through 2 charge cycles in 4 days, its a battery that last up to 1000 charge cycle. i wouldn't waste gas money to go back to best buy over 4 charge cycles.
My brand new, 2018 Air had 3 cycles on it right out of the box from the Apple store in the mall by our house. Apple said that's completely normal as they always run 1 or 2 charges/discharges through the battery to make sure it's going to hold a charge and not expand in any way. Normal testing procedures, you know. Not once in 15 years of owning Apple products have I purchased a new Apple product that had zero cycles on the battery. But...that's not to say it doesn't happen. Just never happened to me.
OP, your computer is fine. It probably just sat in a BB warehouse for a while and lost its charge. Charge that sucker up and go to town on it. It will be a great machine for you.
Guess all the ones I have bought never had been tested then including my Vega 20.
Here is an interesting charting of 57 computers from a company where they logged cycle count when they take them out of the sealed containers. The majority had 1-3 cycles. A couple had 4. None of the 57 had 0. Odds are definitely for 1-3
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4479804
Why does this matter all that much? If the machine is in expected physical condition I'd keep rolling.
I am pretty confident my 2018 MBP had at least 1 cycle on the battery out of the box and it was also Brand New from Apple. I am absolutely sure Apple isn't passing off refurbished stock as new...
People make WAY too much about battery cycle counts here. Just like it OK (and perfectly normal!) to see a few miles on a brand new car freshly delivered from the factory it is also OK to see a few cycles on your new computer.
I am pretty confident my 2018 MBP had at least 1 cycle on the battery out of the box and it was also Brand New from Apple. I am absolutely sure Apple isn't passing off refurbished stock as new...
People make WAY too much about battery cycle counts here. Just like it OK (and perfectly normal!) to see a few miles on a brand new car freshly delivered from the factory it is also OK to see a few cycles on your new computer.