If Apple doesn't fix my battery

[davyvfr]

Hello,

I posted a thread a while back about Apple saying they will replace my battery (a Genius Tech at my local Apple Store said this) for free since its under warranty even IF they don't find anything defective (it would be my choice if I wanted it replaced). Now, Apple, is saying they will not replace it unless there is a defect. There is nothing wrong with the battery and I agree with Apple 100% on this part, but, I want a higher capacity battery, one that has not been used and I want it for free since I have a one year warranty (As in higher capacity I mean one with 5,770mAh). A battery with 5,770mAh is the original capacity. It always seems like I am plugged into a wall outlet just to surf the web and use Word since I drop to 80% in around 50 minutes. Which means I get around 4-5 hours of battery. What should I do, pay a little over $100 for Apple to install a new battery or just do nothing?

 

[Dark Void]

They will replace it if it drops below 80% capacity within the first year of owning the laptop.

I would use your battery until you absolutely cannot anymore, unless you need as much battery power as possible when you are not near an outlet.

 

[rockyroad55]

Battery depletion is normal over time. This isn't a defect.

 

[charlieegan3]

Hello,

I posted a thread a while back about Apple saying they will replace my battery (a Genius Tech at my local Apple Store said this) for free since its under warranty even IF they don't find anything defective (it would be my choice if I wanted it replaced). Now, Apple, is saying they will not replace it unless there is a defect. There is nothing wrong with the battery and I agree with Apple 100% on this part, but, I want a higher capacity battery, one that has not been used and I want it for free since I have a one year warranty (As in higher capacity I mean one with 5,770mAh). A battery with 5,770mAh is the original capacity. It always seems like I am plugged into a wall outlet just to surf the web and use Word since I drop to 80% in around 50 minutes. Which means I get around 4-5 hours of battery. What should I do, pay a little over $100 for Apple to install a new battery or just do nothing?

so you wanted a free battery? nope not happening...

You should wait till the battery life is impractical, like 2hrs or so and then pay to get it replaced.

what is your battery health at, use istat or coconut battery

 

[GGJstudios]

here is nothing wrong with the battery and I agree with Apple 100% on this part, but, I want a higher capacity battery, one that has not been used and I want it for free since I have a one year warranty (As in higher capacity I mean one with 5,770mAh). A battery with 5,770mAh is the original capacity. It always seems like I am plugged into a wall outlet just to surf the web and use Word since I drop to 80% in around 50 minutes. Which means I get around 4-5 hours of battery. What should I do, pay a little over $100 for Apple to install a new battery or just do nothing?

There is nothing wrong with your battery and Apple warranty only covers defective batteries. Replacing it won't help, anyway, since your issue is with your battery life, not your capacity. There are many factors that impact your battery life. See the BATTERY LIFE FROM A CHARGE section of the following link for details, including tips on how to maximize your battery life.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[davyvfr]

They will replace it if it drops below 80% capacity within the first year of owning the laptop.

I would use your battery until you absolutely cannot anymore, unless you need as much battery power as possible when you are not near an outlet.

I need as much battery as possible. I use it for college and my rooms don't have outlets at all. Even a power extension cord does not good.

Battery depletion is normal and would be expected. It just seems my battery is depleting way to fast or came with a battery that only had a 90% charge capacity (according to CoconutBattery and iStat)

----------

There is nothing wrong with your battery and Apple warranty only covers defective batteries. Replacing it won't help, anyway, since your issue is with your battery life, not your capacity. There are many factors that impact your battery life. See the BATTERY LIFE FROM A CHARGE section of the following link for details, including tips on how to maximize your battery life.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

Wait, but lets say I have 90% charge capacity. This means my battery ONLY charges up to 90%, right? Would going from 90% to 100% capacity make a difference?

 

[x86isslow]

Hello,

I posted a thread a while back about Apple saying they will replace my battery (a Genius Tech at my local Apple Store said this) for free since its under warranty even IF they don't find anything defective (it would be my choice if I wanted it replaced). Now, Apple, is saying they will not replace it unless there is a defect. There is nothing wrong with the battery and I agree with Apple 100% on this part, but, I want a higher capacity battery, one that has not been used and I want it for free since I have a one year warranty (As in higher capacity I mean one with 5,770mAh). A battery with 5,770mAh is the original capacity. It always seems like I am plugged into a wall outlet just to surf the web and use Word since I drop to 80% in around 50 minutes. Which means I get around 4-5 hours of battery. What should I do, pay a little over $100 for Apple to install a new battery or just do nothing?

The person who told you they would give you a battery under warranty even if there was no defect was wrong. I think you're being unreasonable. Batteries will slowly wear out over their intended life span. In the case of the new lithium polymer battery, it is about a five-year life span, which is double the lifespan of the old lithium ion (user replaceable) batteries.

Don't worry about the percentage indicator as it fluctuates depending on usage. You can improve it's guesses by calibrating your battery.

The percentage meter is like the "distance to empty" gauge on modern cars, it's not linear like a traditional fuel gauge.

 

[Dark Void]

I need as much battery as possible. I use it for college and my rooms don't have outlets at all. Even a power extension cord does not good.

I believe 4-5 hours on battery is completely reasonable, but if you need absolutely as much battery life as possible - perhaps the investment is one you will have to make in order to get a couple more hours out of your battery if it is in fact that vital.

 

[GGJstudios]

Wait, but lets say I have 90% charge capacity. This means my battery ONLY charges up to 90%, right? Would going from 90% to 100% capacity make a difference?

No, you can still charge to 100% (charge) with a battery that has 90% of the original capacity (health). Read the Battery FAQ as I recommended, to understand what affects your battery life.

 

[qpiqp]

That's pretty much the same battery life I get with my brand new retina..

 

[Dark Void]

Wait, but lets say I have 90% charge capacity. This means my battery ONLY charges up to 90%, right? Would going from 90% to 100% capacity make a difference?

It means that your battery will only hold 90% of the charge that it once held. For example, if your battery has 100% health and that charge is 1000 mAh (demonstrative purposes) - let's say that 1000 mAh charge gives you 1 hour of battery life. If your battery's health or charge capacity is then reduced to 90%, it only holds 900 mAh/1000 mAh as a new maxium - which would be less than the 1 hour that you once received, and that charge is also your new 100% (900 mAh/900 mAh) so to speak.

 

[heisenberg123]

I just got back from the apple store on my lunch and they replaced the battery my battery health was around 64% on a 11 month old machine so they sure will replace it if its defective, but to have it replaced just because you think a new one would be better, they would never be able to keep up with battery swaps

 

[davyvfr]

I see. So I should cancel my appointment and wait until it drops to a much lower capacity? Is it even worth their time to determine if it is defective? It doesn't appear to be.

 

[GGJstudios]

I see. So I should cancel my appointment and wait until it drops to a much lower capacity? Is it even worth their time to determine if it is defective? It doesn't appear to be.

They're not likely to even consider it defective until it's below 80% health in less than 1000 cycles.

 

[davyvfr]

Well, it looks like iStat and Coconut Battery aren't always accurate. It is reporting 93% battery now. I am going to spend my money on upgrading my RAM then and throw out the HDD for SSD

 

[GGJstudios]

Well, it looks like iStat and Coconut Battery aren't always accurate. It is reporting 93% battery now.

Battery readings, whether via 3rd party apps or directly from Mac OS X, are not completely accurate. They are estimates, and subject to fluctuation over time.

 

[Dark Void]

I see. So I should cancel my appointment and wait until it drops to a much lower capacity? Is it even worth their time to determine if it is defective? It doesn't appear to be.

Yes, you should cancel. From the information you've given, there is nothing wrong with your battery - continue to use it and replace it when it is on its last breath.