Macbook pro battery health and longevity

[cool11]

I use to keep in operation my macbook pros for many years.
So I had some experience on this battery topic, but I decided to manage it better in a next time.

My previous macbook pro was a late 2013 15'.
It is still on some kind of use, with no serious problems, besides the fact that I had to change the battery.
This happened about 8 years after purchasing.
At that point, there was a battery swelling, in such degree that mbp chassis was slightly deformed!
To be honest, it was the first time that I kept a mbp for so long and I thought that deformation cause by an external case(not so good quality) that I used to protect mbp from scratches. Of course, at some point, I discovered that it was just the battery.
Unfortunately, 8 years after purchasing, apple did not offered an original battery on the market, for a replacement. I had done my search, as far as I remember I had no option from apple.
Fortunately, there were third party -apple authorized- service centers, that offered the choice to put a compatible battery for replacement in mbp. So, I got this option, my only option, and everything gone well.

Now, my main computer is a 2021 M1 Pro Macbook pro.
It is almost 3,5 years old, and of course I had no issues at all.
But, I want to know what I should expect, regarding battery.
The good thing, as far as I can understand, it is that these ARM models and with new versions of OS,
support 'Battery optimization'. So as you know, the whole charging procedure now is better controlled by the OS itself,
and this should help to battery longevity.
But, it remains to be seen in action, in reality.

I should also additionally say, that I rather use my mbp like a desktop,
I mean I am all the time in some kind of office, so I plug it in the wall,
and I do not use it on the move, so in real terms I do not really need battery,
but of course I care for battery to be 'healthy' because this affects the laptop in general terms.

So, I want to hear opinions here, about what age we expect in general in Macbook Pros,
and in particular in 'Apple Silicon' Macbook Pros,
regarding battery good condition.
My main concern, and my main question, it is when we expect to see this battery swelling.
After how many years? 5, 6 or more, or it totally depending on use? As said regarding my case, I use it in offices, I have 'optimized battery' enabled, and also I care to unplug it manually by myself everyday, to go on battery for a few hours.
So, when should I expect the bad moments of battery to come?

 

[arcite]

All mac batteries should last 1000 cycles at 80% capacity. Batteries wear out with time, that's just a fact of life.

 

[Noot]

The battery of my MacBook Pro from 2012 is still performing well:

 

[cool11]

Noot, did you ever had battery swelling on 2012 Macbook pro?

Is this still the original battery?

 

[Noot]

Noot, did you ever had battery swelling on 2012 Macbook pro?

Is this still the original battery?

As far as I know this is still the original battery. I bought this MacBook second hand in 2015. Never had any issues with the battery.

 

[cool11]

I recall a mistake, that I did, in my previous 2013 mbp.
I had it almost all the time plugged.
I think this can seriously accelerate deterioration of battery.

So now, as I previously told, in my 2021 model,
not only I have 'optimize battery' option enabled,
but also I unplugged mbp on a daily basis, though I work at an office.
I hope this helps.

 

[cool11]

As far as I know this is still the original battery. I bought this MacBook second hand in 2015. Never had any issues with the battery.

So, it seems that battery swelling is not a symptom that all macbook pros develop after some years.
This is a hopeful information.

 

[Nixir]

There's too many variables in battery manufacturing and usage patterns to arrive at a definitive answer for each individual user. I believe the commonly accepted, and backed up by research from battery university, hypothesis is extreme temperatures (especially the swings from one to the other) causes the most stress/damage to lithium ion batteries (much more so than keeping it charged to full etc).

My own 2015 MBP had fairly bad swelling after 4 years of usage (wobbly on a flat surface), during this entire period it travelled with me daily and experienced wild temperatures swings especially during winter months (I live in Canada). I did a battery replacement through Apple a couple of years ago before passing it onto my parents as their internet machine and so far so good, but it's too early to tell.

My older 2010 MBP mostly sat at home and was rarely taken out, it never swelled much (only detectable when I take off the back lid). It still works perfectly to this day connected to a charger 24/7 and running Linux.

At the end of day all batteries are a consumable part. Not worth stressing over it. Just assume you'll have to replace the battery at least once during the machine's service life.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I rarely replaced MBP batteries. My M1 Max battery is going strong from launch day. Don’t really worry about it, I travel a lot. I would notice degradation if the charge runs out sooner.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I use to keep in operation my macbook pros for many years.
So I had some experience on this battery topic, but I decided to manage it better in a next time.

My previous macbook pro was a late 2013 15'.
It is still on some kind of use, with no serious problems, besides the fact that I had to change the battery.
This happened about 8 years after purchasing.
At that point, there was a battery swelling, in such degree that mbp chassis was slightly deformed!
To be honest, it was the first time that I kept a mbp for so long and I thought that deformation cause by an external case(not so good quality) that I used to protect mbp from scratches. Of course, at some point, I discovered that it was just the battery.
Unfortunately, 8 years after purchasing, apple did not offered an original battery on the market, for a replacement. I had done my search, as far as I remember I had no option from apple.
Fortunately, there were third party -apple authorized- service centers, that offered the choice to put a compatible battery for replacement in mbp. So, I got this option, my only option, and everything gone well.

Now, my main computer is a 2021 M1 Pro Macbook pro.
It is almost 3,5 years old, and of course I had no issues at all.
But, I want to know what I should expect, regarding battery.
The good thing, as far as I can understand, it is that these ARM models and with new versions of OS,
support 'Battery optimization'. So as you know, the whole charging procedure now is better controlled by the OS itself,
and this should help to battery longevity.
But, it remains to be seen in action, in reality.

I should also additionally say, that I rather use my mbp like a desktop,
I mean I am all the time in some kind of office, so I plug it in the wall,
and I do not use it on the move, so in real terms I do not really need battery,
but of course I care for battery to be 'healthy' because this affects the laptop in general terms.

So, I want to hear opinions here, about what age we expect in general in Macbook Pros,
and in particular in 'Apple Silicon' Macbook Pros,
regarding battery good condition.
My main concern, and my main question, it is when we expect to see this battery swelling.
After how many years? 5, 6 or more, or it totally depending on use? As said regarding my case, I use it in offices, I have 'optimized battery' enabled, and also I care to unplug it manually by myself everyday, to go on battery for a few hours.
So, when should I expect the bad moments of battery to come?

Per ancient Apple guidance I always used laptops "like a commuter," not leaving it always plugged in. My 2011 17" MBP had the HDD die at 7 years but the battery never did swell. My 2016 MBP battery still works fine. My M2 MBP battery easily lasts all day.

Long ago I had one of the old removable Macbook batteries dramatically swelling (>0.3") right in front of me as I went through an airport security conveyor running late for a flight. Fortunately the security cop did not notice and as I went to the gate I pulled the failed battery.

 

[mansplains]

I too wonder about the longevity of batteries in Apple Silicon MacBooks. My 14" M1 Pro is still chugging along, but it will go to my wife when I upgrade. I don't want her to have to bring a charger everywhere, but only time will tell. Hopefully my next machine will be a desktop where battery doesn't matter, and more importantly, I can compartmentalize work.

 

[cateye]

But, I want to know what I should expect, regarding battery.

There is no way for any of us to predict this. There are battery baselines and expected longevity (like arcite notes) but batteries are consumables and follow a life curve that are a result of how they are used (or abused). You and I could have two identical laptops, used identically, charged identically, but let's say I leave mine in a hot car frequently. The likelihood is my battery will die or exhibit symptoms of failure long before yours will.

I gifted my in laws a MacBook Air years ago. It's at least a decade old at this point and they still happily use it. Battery works fine, still holds a charge for several hours under light use. They know nothing of managing batteries. When it runs out, they charge it. When it's full they use it. End of story.

Meanwhile, I have an 2015 13" MacBook Pro I use as a Plex server among other minor background things. It has sat on a shelf for years with its charge cycles carefully managed using Al Dente. A couple months ago I had to swap out its battery when it swelled to such a degree that it was going to pop the bottom case panel off.

No one can predict how any one battery will last because none of us can control for how to use it or what external factors may affect it. Instead of worrying about how long it will last, better to use it as you need and when the time comes that it fails, answer the question then: Repair, Ignore, or Replace.

 

[julesme]

So, it seems that battery swelling is not a symptom that all macbook pros develop after some years.
This is a hopeful information.

There's no reason to unplug your MBP if you install an app like Aldente. You can just set the battery percentage to an optimal range (i.e., 80% or less), then leave it plugged in. For example, I usually have AlDente set to the low 70's % (right now it's set at 73% charge).

 

[LelandHendrix]

There is also a FANTASTIC battery management app called "AlDente - Charge Limiter" and it allowed me far more control of how my MacBook charged. You can specify a specific battery level and your Mac will stay there and only fully cycle as you wish. I'm using that on an M1 and M2 Air that stay plugged in and rarely leave their spot. Really enjoy the software.

 

[macsound1]

I think most laptop battery failures due to bulging are due to being plugged in most of the time. I've even had a couple iPhones that live plugged in as status screens where the battery bulges and delaminates the glass off the front.

If it just doesn't last anymore, that's more commonly associated with regular use and battery age.

The third type of failure is usually from super fast discharging constantly. My understanding is the chemical reaction that occurs during rapid discharge is whats aging the battery.

 

[cool11]

Nobody use 'optimize battery' option in System preferences?
Of course, it is available in latest os versions and also in apple silicon macbook pros.

 

[Flav]

Nobody use 'optimize battery' option in System preferences?

I used it years ago with my MacBook Air M1. The battery degraded like a falling rock, 85% after first year.

Then I started using Al Dente to block charging over 75% and it stabilized.

With my other computer, using Al Dente from day 1, a MacBook Pro 16 M1 Pro, the batter is still at 100% after 81 cycles and almost 3 years, so from my experience limiting charge works.

Also my iPhone 15 Pro, still at 100% after 1 year, charged over 100% only once or twice. at 171 cycles.

 

[GoodWheaties]

I believe it is just luck of the draw. I have a 2012 MacBook Pro that has 1078 cycles and 90% health. No battery management really at all but did try to not leave it plugged in for long periods. A 2009 MacBook Pro with about the same cycles had battery health about 70%.

 

[Timpetus]

Swelling happened to my 2016 MBP because I used it plugged in almost all the time and didn't know about AlDente yet. I keep my 2021 MBP limited to 60-80% charge unless I know I'm going to use it on battery for a while in the immediate future. So far, this strategy has been effective and I haven't had any issues, battery health is at 88.9% with 55 cycles. I think it would be even higher but I use the processor quite heavily for compute loads so it's pretty warm most of the time.

 

[surfzen21]

Swelling happened to my 2016 MBP because I used it plugged in almost all the time and didn't know about AlDente yet. I keep my 2021 MBP limited to 60-80% charge unless I know I'm going to use it on battery for a while in the immediate future. So far, this strategy has been effective and I haven't had any issues, battery health is at 88.9% with 55 cycles. I think it would be even higher but I use the processor quite heavily for compute loads so it's pretty warm most of the time.

You lost over 10% of the battery health on just 55 cycles?

Either that is a typo or a bad battery.

 

[LelandHendrix]

You lost over 10% of the battery health on just 55 cycles?

Either that is a typo or a bad battery.

I look forward to his response, but his number does not shock me considering said machine is 4 years old and chemistry ages.

 

[Timpetus]

I look forward to his response, but his number does not shock me considering said machine is 4 years old and chemistry ages.

I did in fact, though the health varies a lot depending on SOC. I checked it at 60% but I have seen numbers in the low 90s when I charge to 100% and check again.

 

[Bradenmikael]

There is also a FANTASTIC battery management app called "AlDente - Charge Limiter" and it allowed me far more control of how my MacBook charged. You can specify a specific battery level and your Mac will stay there and only fully cycle as you wish. I'm using that on an M1 and M2 Air that stay plugged in and rarely leave their spot. Really enjoy the software. View attachment 2477144

I use that utility as well on my new 14” M4 Pro MBP. I concur, it’s an awesome tool! I keep my battery around 75% and top off only if I’m going mobile for the day.

 

[sparkie7]

The third type of failure is usually from super fast discharging constantly. My understanding is the chemical reaction that occurs during rapid discharge is whats aging the battery.

How does fast discharging occur?

 

[macsound1]

How does fast discharging occur?

Processor intensive work. Like a video game, rendering content like animations or video effects, or for most people, a Zoom call.