Macbook Pro 15 - lengthening battery lifespan

[Teuthos]

I have a brand new retina Macbook Pro late 2013 15-inch high-end. I've been trying to research how to keep the battery lifespan as good as possible but have found several conflicting sources.

Before I started researching the issue, I thought that the best thing was to first charge until maximum, then use it on battery until 10% or so and then charge back for the first few days. However, some sources say that using the computer below 40% during the first 10 cycles is bad, while others say the opposite.

So what exactly should I do to maintain battery health? I'm a bit worried since I've only had the computer for two days and it already has 3 cycles.

Anyhow, I have to say that I've been impressed by the computer's battery life - at 91% charge while web-browsing, the battery life estimate was fluctuating between 7:43 and 8:31, and when I got down to 31% it was saying 2:50 left.

 

[Atomic Walrus]

Modern devices with lithium ion batteries have very smart charge management and you don't need to do anything specific to maintain battery health. Really the best option for longevity is to not add extraneous wear to the battery by trying to follow any of the various battery rituals you'll read about online.

Apple recently updated their battery info and removed any references to ideas like "exercising" the battery or "calibrating" the charge management system.

http://www.apple.com/batteries

The info is a little scattered now, but one line they added that I think is relevant is: "With lithium-ion batteries, the capacity diminishes slightly with each complete charge cycle."

A charge cycle is one drain from 100% to 0% charge. This could be in the form of 4 drains to 75%, 2 drains to 50%, etc. Using the device while plugged in when possible will minimize battery wear simply by keeping the number of charge cycles low.

The one bit of advice you probably read a lot which is accurate is related to storage. If you're going to store the machine for a significant period of time without using it then you want about a half charge. And of course lithium batteries shouldn't be allowed to get extremely hot or cold, whether in use or storage.

 

[Teuthos]

Thank you for answering; that clears things up.