Phil Schiller: Apple Working With Consumer Reports to Understand MacBook Pro Battery Test

[amegicfox]

when will Apple learn

 

[bice]

...
The problem isn't that Apple's power saving features don't work. They work exceptionally well, that's where 16 hours is coming from. The problem is that they work too well and the battery is undersized. The moment you load the machine down, the battery % begins to drop through the floor because the machine quite literally was not designed for that kind of use.
...

-SC

This is sooooo much it.

Undersized battery, masked by extreme power saving features. When you need CPU/GPU there just is no way to save energy and the battery should have been designed for that use case. They didn't, because they wanted a thin machine more than they wanted the battery to last.

So their bizarre focus on thinness actually now makes the machine less portable, 'cause there isn't power enough to keep the machine running for very long. Funny how that worked out.

 

[dannyyankou]

But you don't trust Ars Technica and Notebookcheck tests that have shown more than the 10 promissed hours of battery life. Right?

Typical...

How about this, I don't like inconsistent results. Better?

 

[M2M]

It appears to be a Software issue with some debug and / or logging function of safari still enabled: http://m.heise.de/forum/Mac-i/News-...ach-mal-in-die-Konsole/posting-29691781/show/

 

[tubomac]

In the meantime, drop the price Phil!
you promised a Ferrari but you delivered a Toyota at the same price.
And be advice you and you buddy Tim, you are neglecting the Mac because
is not as much profitable as iOS devices, but you are making a huge mistake.
I have a lot and all sort of Apple devices because I like the ecosystem,
as soon I see that is not advantageous to buy a Mac, I stop buying everything is branded Apple.

 

[Count Blah]

I've owned the base model nTB 13" for about a month now and can tell you I almost consistently get 10+ hours per charge.

But people choose to believe the horror stories over the countless others who have no issues at all. People are aching to make this a huge scandal, just like antenna-gate. Apple has slowly cultivated the most ocd/fanatic/dramatic user base of any company I can think of, and the new MBP launch has showcased it at its ripest. Sad to see so many are disappointed. My experience with this new machine has been nothing short of excellent. But even though you say you trust users' feedback, it seems you (and many others) trust those who have negative experiences more than those who have positive ones.

Everyone report issues is lying.

Gotcha

 

[Rogifan]

The problem though is that guys like Rene Richie and Jim Darlymple are in no way shape or form objectionable. Richie takes the term "Blind Fanboyism" to a whole new low and can't admit that Apple may have faults.

That's not true at all. He just chooses not to overreact and join the herd mentality. And he's pretty much the only one out seeing Apple's POV. My tech Twitter feed is full of anti-Apple everything every day. So rather than pile on Ritchie questions why CR would publish these findings when the variation is so large (I don't think anyone else has come close to 18 hrs battery life). If that's being an Apple "fanboy" then people here have a very liberal definition of "fanboy".

 

[Judas1]

I'm thinking the battery quality is all over the place, meaning it's not consistent at all. Some people got good batteries, some people got crap batteries. We've had lithium ion batteries for a while now, and maunfacturers still can't get them right?

 

[Rogifan]

"Results do not match our extensive lab tests or field data."

That's funny, because they sure as hell match my real world use, Phil. Battery life and price have been my only real two complaints with the new MacBooks, but they are legitimate gripes and the main reason I'll most likely be keeping the max spec'd 2015 13" I bought at the same time to compare the two, and returning the 2016 MBP w/ TB next week.

Really? So you've been getting 16, 18 and 19 hours battery life?

 

[Idgit]

"C'mon guys! The check was in the mail! You couldn't have waited another day to post your review??"


(Also, lol @ Rene Ritchie. I can't go to iMore anymore. That guy has to be on Apple's PR team)

Haha! No kidding, Richie is probably the biggest Apple shill there is. And he certainly has the the most punchable face.

 

[deany]

I'm glad Phil Schiller has issued a statement, I hoped he would.
If there is a problem with the battery apple need to find a solution to the problem - these machines are far from inexpensive.

My take is that the 'Chrome test' makes no sense and further testing should have been carried out before the article was released.

ps
I have 'activity monitor' saved to my dock on 2015 rMBP so 'time remaining' - energy, is two clicks instead of one. No big deal for me.

 

[KohPhiPhi]

Unfortunately, I am one of those 2016 15" MBP users strugling to squeeze more than 5 hours of normal use (50% brightness, browsing internet, skype, Mail, YouTube, etc).

I love everything about this laptop except rhe battery and the touchbar (sorry Apple, but it is indeed a gimmick).

 

[patrickbarnes]

People... use Safari?

 

[AZ63]

In short, you would take random anecdotes of poor battery life from people on forums and social media at their word? Just like that?

Are you saying Consumer Reports is social media or are you choosing to ignore that part of the post?

 

[dilbert99]

In short, you would take random anecdotes of poor battery life from people on forums and social media at their word? Just like that?

I like how you restate what they said and completely change it. Ever heard of strawman?

They said they would trust consumer reports AND people complaining about battery life over Apples statement.

I take it you are so much of a fan you would just dismiss the consumer report out of hand?

 

[m.x]

(Also, lol @ Rene Ritchie. I can't go to iMore anymore. That guy has to be on Apple's PR team)

This is sooooo true. I mean it's ok to be a fan, but you have to accept that sometimes (or in the last few years more and more often) Apple makes mistakes.

CR has a test scheme which they apply on any laptop they test, and yet only the MBP stands out with inconsistencies. What a surprise!

Apple could send Rene an empty box to review and he would write something like "the box opens in an amazing way", "the quality of the packaging is typically Apple" and so on, while shooting 6754 pictures with the box and various watch bands, of which he apparently owns every single one of them

 

[AZ63]

2016 was not a good year for batteries. First Samsung, now this.

Makes you wonder if companies need to stop rushing product out the door?

Yes, Apple needs to stop updating the MacBook Pro every 6 months along with the Mac Pro and the Mac Mini. Maybe then they can put out a well tested quality product. /s

 

[mydogeatsbeats]

I had also other annoying problems: Now replaced it 5 times and EVERYTIME there was something loose in the display. The unit at the apple store was rock solid. nothing loose. I am so disappointed. My old one got stolen and I really need a laptop...

the guy at the applestore said I should order online to get an other batch...

 

[Johnny907]

Really? So you've been getting 16, 18 and 19 hours battery life?

Nope, between 3-5.

 

[AZ63]

Imore does have a point. CR got 3 widely different battery life test results. Won't that suggest that something might be amiss with their battery testing methodology? Instead of ascertaining the reason behind this inconsistency, CR is opting to write it off as the MBP's problem.

Some people here are suggesting that the MBP was rushed. Seems the report by CR was rushed as well to meet a certain deadline and fit a certain narrative as well.

Hmmm…
From what I read CR ran their tests and one version with Safari gave inconsistent results and the one with Chrome did not.
It is not CR job to find out why Apple's product performed as it did, it is Apple's job. It sounds like that is what Schiller is attempting to do with more info from CR.
Don't blame CR for a product's poor performance.

 

[Johnny907]

In short, you would take random anecdotes of poor battery life from people on forums and social media at their word? Just like that?

Not for nothing, but my results aren't "anecdotal" as I've actually posted screen shots of my results, and I am far from the only one to do so. I have no particular beef with Apple, as made evident by the fact I have owned every version of the iPhone since the 3G (except the 5C) 6 MacBooks, 2 iMacs and 2 Apple Watches, but my brand loyalty doesn't excuse the less than stellar 2016 MBP.

 

[Col4bin]

Some people here are suggesting that the MBP was rushed. Seems the report by CR was rushed as well to meet a certain deadline and fit a certain narrative as well.

One would think that CR's laptop testing methodology and overall consistency in their evaluation is fairly well established here in 2016. I also can't imagine a scenario where CR would rush to judgement any results to make a deadline, or show any type of subjective bias to skew results in an attempt to fit a narrative. But who knows?

 

[BrianKonarsMac]

In short, you would take random anecdotes of poor battery life from people on forums and social media at their word? Just like that?

If everyone is saying the same thing, I would certainly believe the communities crowd sourced feedback based on real world usage over marketing text on the manufacturers site. At minimum all of the negative feedback should at least make you skeptical.

 

[icymountain]

Apple made the battery in the 2016 MacBook Pro 1/3 smaller than the 2015 without reducing power consumption by 1/3.

Can anyone really be surprise with the worse battery life?

I do not think that worse battery life is really the main problem. I have a 2015" 13" MBPr, and rarely come close to the end of its battery (one day, on light tasks, the remaining time left was stuck at 20 hours for a long while...). I could survive if it were a bit lower (let us say 20%, since the average I get based on my use is more like 10 hours, and 8 hours would still work).

The main problem is that battery life is, as shown in these tests, absolutely impossible to predict. You may get a lame battery life (3 or 4 hours would not cut it for me, and many people I think) or a great one (18 hours is good, really!), but you do not know. And Apple implicitly acknowledged this by removing the time left number: "it is problematic so let us hide it" seems to be the new way of fixing things. And the worst part is that, if I had one of these machines, I would really want to know at all times if the laptop is, for some reason draining the battery like crazy, or using it at a slow pace, which is why the battery life indicator should not have been removed.

I expect this line of computers to end up mature and nice, but it certainly is not at this time, the least we can say.

 

[bobob]

CR is the gold standard.

CR was the gold standard.

Actually, the organization used to be highly credible, but it's not so much anymore. A change of leadership a few years ago brought an end to the credibility of its recommendations, which today are sometimes based on political correctness or on what management wishes were so. In 2013 its entire editorial division was eliminated. By 2015, most real journalists had left, and experienced staff had been forced out. This is the outfit that highly recommended the Samsung top-loading HE washer -- the one that rips clothing to shreds, disgorges sheets that don't even get wet (to say nothing of clean), and explodes. If you're looking for assessments of consumer products, you're better off studying the user reviews on Amazon. http://www.alternet.org/media/... and https://www.quackwatch.org/03H...​