Question about battery life.

[JSENNY25]

Over the last few weeks I have been struggling with purchasing a MacBook Pro or Air for a second computer. (For me)

In the mean time, we purchased a 2012 13" MacBook Pro for my wife. She likes it and it suits her needs, but I am concerned about battery life. We have let the battery cycle down fully and I think we have followed all of the proper steps, but iStat shows that the health of the battery after 16 cycles is 90%.

Is that normal? Should i be concerned?

I am not quite sure. We didn't buy apple care yet and the window for returning is closing.

Any suggestions or opinions are welcomed.


Thanks

 

[needfx]

Over the last few weeks I have been struggling with purchasing a MacBook Pro or Air for a second computer. (For me)

In the mean time, we purchased a 2012 13" MacBook Pro for my wife. She likes it and it suits her needs, but I am concerned about battery life. We have let the battery cycle down fully and I think we have followed all of the proper steps, but iStat shows that the health of the battery after 16 cycles is 90%.

Is that normal? Should i be concerned?

I am not quite sure. We didn't buy apple care yet and the window for returning is closing.

Any suggestions or opinions are welcomed.


Thanks

Hi,

Firstly, apple care does not cover batteries, so you can forget about that.
Secondly, you can download coconut battery (freeware) to compare results.
Thirdly, ask the apple store if 90% after 16 cycles is normal. To be honest, I am not really sure if it is normal or not, but I am leaning towards normal.

 

[Satori]

Over the last few weeks I have been struggling with purchasing a MacBook Pro or Air for a second computer. (For me)

In the mean time, we purchased a 2012 13" MacBook Pro for my wife. She likes it and it suits her needs, but I am concerned about battery life. We have let the battery cycle down fully and I think we have followed all of the proper steps, but iStat shows that the health of the battery after 16 cycles is 90%.

Is that normal? Should i be concerned?

I am not quite sure. We didn't buy apple care yet and the window for returning is closing.

Any suggestions or opinions are welcomed.


Thanks

Batteries differ a little in actual capacity. 90% is just about in the normal range and sometimes battery 'health' improves from the estimate for early cycles.

However, if you are not happy then exchange it. And also note that while Applecare does not cover batteries, a standard warranty should do for between 12 and 24 months (depending where you live).

 

[JSENNY25]

Thanks

Thanks for the heads up. I guess that the comment on Apple Care was more based on the idea that I have not put any more money into it.

My biggest concern is that the battery is functioning within the normal range of health. 90% seems low to me, but then again, I get a little OCD about Macs.

Anyone else with any suggestions?

Should I cycle the laptop down again? Reset the SMC?

Any insight it appreciated.

 

[snaky69]

Thanks for the heads up. I guess that the comment on Apple Care was more based on the idea that I have not put any more money into it.

My biggest concern is that the battery is functioning within the normal range of health. 90% seems low to me, but then again, I get a little OCD about Macs.

Anyone else with any suggestions?

Should I cycle the laptop down again? Reset the SMC?

Any insight it appreciated.

None of those things will affect battery health. And said battery health will fluctuate up and down a lot, especially in the early days. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[GGJstudios]

We have let the battery cycle down fully and I think we have followed all of the proper steps, but iStat shows that the health of the battery after 16 cycles is 90%.

You never need to fully drain your battery, unless you need to use your Mac and there's no AC power available. It is perfectly normal if your battery health (maximum capacity) is more or less than 100%, even when brand new, or if it fluctuates up or down over time. For further details, read the CHECKING STATUS AND HEALTH section of the following link.

Run on battery whenever you need to and plug it in whenever you can. You can plug or unplug any time you need to, regardless of the charged percentage, and you never need to completely drain your battery. Just make sure you don't run on AC power exclusively, as your battery needs to be used regularly to stay healthy. The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[JSENNY25]

Thanks for the information folks. I appreciate it.

 

[Blizzardman]

Unless Applecare changed in the last few years it DOES cover batteries. I had Applecare on my MBP and when the battery health declined with my battery being under a certain cycle count (I think 300) they replaced the battery free of charge under my Applecare warranty. This was on a previous gen MBP where the battery was easily replaceable so idk if that changed with these newer models.

 

[GGJstudios]

Unless Applecare changed in the last few years it DOES cover batteries. I had Applecare on my MBP and when the battery health declined with my battery being under a certain cycle count (I think 300) they replaced the battery free of charge under my Applecare warranty. This was on a previous gen MBP where the battery was easily replaceable so idk if that changed with these newer models.

As has always been the case, AppleCare only covers batteries if they are defective. They won't cover batteries that have been depleted through normal use. See the Battery FAQ for details.

 

[Blizzardman]

As has always been the case, AppleCare only covers batteries if they are defective. They won't cover batteries that have been depleted through normal use. See the Battery FAQ for details.

A battery level at 90% after only 16 cycles is certainly defective. That is assuming of course this is just a strange occurrence that will correct itself over time. The state above said apple care DOES NOT cover batteries which is untrue.

 

[GGJstudios]

A battery level at 90% after only 16 cycles is certainly defective. That is assuming of course this is just a strange occurrence that will correct itself over time.

While there are always exceptions, Apple doesn't usually consider a battery defective until it's below 80%.

The state above said apple care DOES NOT cover batteries which is untrue.

I said AppleCare doesn't cover batteries unless they're defective. From the Battery FAQ:

BATTERIES ARE NOT COVERED

Batteries are not covered by warranty or AppleCare, except in the case of manufacturing defects.

Apple Limited Warranty:

This warranty does not apply:
(f) to consumable parts, such as batteries, unless damage has occurred due to a defect in materials or workmanship;

AppleCare Protection Plan:

b. Limitations. The Plan does not cover:
(ix) Consumable parts, such as batteries, except in respect of battery coverage under APP for iPod or unless failure has occurred due to a defect in materials and workmanship;

AppleCare WILL, however, extend the defective battery replacement period from 1 to 3 years:

Battery Replacement

Your one-year warranty includes replacement coverage for a defective battery. You can extend your replacement coverage for a defective battery to three years from the date of your notebook purchase with the AppleCare Protection Plan. However, the AppleCare Protection Plan for notebook computers does not cover batteries that have failed or are exhibiting diminished capacity except when the failure or diminished capacity is the result of a manufacturing defect.

​

 

[dusk007]

I would try to add a few cycles. 2-3 full.
Than calibrate again and check if it changed.

A bit of variation is normal but I would say that it should be +/- 3% maybe 5%.
10% down I think is too much and doubtful to be just a bit of temporary variation if it doesn't disappear soon. Replace it now while you can later they won't fix it because they call it healthy as long as it is over 80% in their 1 year battery warranty.

 

[GGJstudios]

The built-in batteries in the newer Mac unibody notebooks come pre-calibrated and do not require regular calibration like the removable batteries in older Apple notebooks.

 

[mofunk]

I've had two batteries replaced under AppleCare. As the person said above they were defective. The last battery was showing low cycles which meant that it was fairly new. But it could only keep a charge for under an hour.

My current battery I can get around 3-4hrs which is fine considering how my Apps I have open.

 

[Woodcrest64]

My retina Macbook Pro that I got back in July of this year has 53 charge cycles so far at 99-100% capacity.

My wife's classic 17" 2011 Macbook Pro from Feb of last year has 160 charge cycles is at 97-98% capacity.

 

[JSENNY25]

My retina Macbook Pro that I got back in July of this year has 53 charge cycles so far at 99-100% capacity.

My wife's classic 17" 2011 Macbook Pro from Feb of last year has 160 charge cycles is at 97-98% capacity.

So, according to your statistics, my battery is not as healthy with less cycles. Should I be worried?

To all of the people out there with a 2012 MBP/rMBP/MBA, if you would be so kind, please post your health and charge cycles for comparison.

If mine skews to the lowest end of the spectrum, should I :
1. return the MacBook Pro to Best Buy and get another one
2. Take the MBP to Apple and ask for a replacement battery

Opinions are welcomed...

 

[GGJstudios]

So, according to your statistics, my battery is not as healthy with less cycles. Should I be worried?

No, you shouldn't be worried. As already stated, battery health will fluctuate up and down over time. Yours is fine.

To all of the people out there with a 2012 MBP/rMBP/MBA, if you would be so kind, please post your health and charge cycles for comparison.

Comparing with others is meaningless, as everyone uses their batteries differently. That's like asking how many miles everyone puts on their cars each month. One may drive 3 miles a month; others may drive 2,000. That has no effect whatsoever on how many miles you may drive.

If mine skews to the lowest end of the spectrum, should I :
1. return the MacBook Pro to Best Buy and get another one
2. Take the MBP to Apple and ask for a replacement battery

If it drops below 80% before 1000 cycles while still under warranty/AppleCare, take it to Apple and have them check to see if it's defective. If it is, they'll replace it free. There's no need to return your MBP.

 

[Woodcrest64]

No, you shouldn't be worried. As already stated, battery health will fluctuate up and down over time. Yours is fine.

Comparing with others is meaningless, as everyone uses their batteries differently. That's like asking how many miles everyone puts on their cars each month. One may drive 3 miles a month; others may drive 2,000. That has no effect whatsoever on how many miles you may drive.

If it drops below 80% before 1000 cycles while still under warranty/AppleCare, take it to Apple and have them check to see if it's defective. If it is, they'll replace it free. There's no need to return your MBP.

GGJ is right. I use my computer on its battery a lot more than my wife so in time I will probably deplete my battery quicker than my wife's Macbook Pro.

I have seen people here with 30 charge cycles and their capacity is at 92%. Its normal. As long as it doesn't dip below 80% before 1000 cycles like GGJ said you're fine.

 

[foodle]

If you're really concerned, then you can take the computer in to an Apple store and ask them to run a battery diagnostic. They should be able to tell you if the capacity is within spec. What % of the calibrated max the battery is running at isn't that telling, because the calibration value could be off. Really you want to look at the energy storage (W*hr or A*hr at a known voltage) and compare that to the rated battery spec.

 

[GGJstudios]

What % of the calibrated max the battery is running at isn't that telling, because the calibration value could be off.

The built-in batteries in the newer Mac unibody notebooks come pre-calibrated and do not require regular calibration like the removable batteries in older Apple notebooks.