Should I call Apple, or is this a non-issue?

[PaulWog]

I charged my Apple Air (11-inch) up last night from 8% battery life and left it off all night (not on standby), and plugged in.

This morning I went to check on it. It's on its 12th charge cycle.

It's reading 99% battery life, and 99% battery health as well.

Speaking about the battery health: Is it normal to lose 1% battery health after only 12 charge cycles? If it were linear, then I'd be at 80% battery health after only 240 cycles. Is battery health loss much quicker at the start, and slows down around the 90% health mark or something?

Speaking about the battery life: Is it normal to lose 1% battery life over the period of 12 hours keeping the unit off? That would mean 60% battery life lost over 30 days.

 

[GGJstudios]

Speaking about the battery life: Is it normal to lose 1% battery life over the period of 12 hours keeping the unit off? That would mean 60% battery life lost over 30 days.

It's quite normal for your battery health to fluctuate up and down over time. It's also normal for it to not charge to 100% every time. This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[PaulWog]

It's quite normal for your battery health to fluctuate up and down over time. It's also normal for it to not charge to 100% every time. This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

Alright. Hopefully it's normal. I've never gotten it to be at 100% charge after leaving it charging at night though... I always come back to a 99% charge. So annoying. I mean 1% loss isn't so bad, but it's still annoying.

Should also ask: Can I use my Air throughout the day (say an hour here, put it to sleep, an hour there, put it to sleep) and then in the final hour I use it (say at 10 tonight) could I then decide to calibrate it? Or does calibration require non-stop use until it hits its automatic sleep mode at 3% or whatever it is?

 

[GGJstudios]

Alright. Hopefully it's normal. I've never gotten it to be at 100% charge after leaving it charging at night though... I always come back to a 99% charge. So annoying. I mean 1% loss isn't so bad, but it's still annoying.

Should also ask: Can I use my Air throughout the day (say an hour here, put it to sleep, an hour there, put it to sleep) and then in the final hour I use it (say at 10 tonight) could I then decide to calibrate it? Or does calibration require non-stop use until it hits its automatic sleep mode at 3% or whatever it is?

Read the FAQ for the exact steps in calibration. Also, read the CHARGING section for details on the 99% charge issue.

 

[PaulWog]

Read the FAQ for the exact steps in calibration. Also, read the CHARGING section for details on the 99% charge issue.

Yeh it doesn't mention whether I can allow it to go into sleep mode, or whether I have to discharge it 100%. It mentions I can use caffeine to keep it from going into sleep (I suppose so that I can discharge it as quickly as possible), but ya...

For example: I turned on my Air 30 minutes ago. I then put it to sleep and left it plugged in. Now I have it on and not plugged in. I have no idea if I can still calibrate it. I want to calibrate it but I don't know if I can given the fact that I allowed it to go into sleep mode once already during this charge cycle.

 

[GGJstudios]

Yeh it doesn't mention whether I can allow it to go into sleep mode, or whether I have to discharge it 100%. It mentions I can use caffeine to keep it from going into sleep (I suppose so that I can discharge it as quickly as possible), but ya...

Exactly. If you put it to sleep before it drains, it takes much longer to drain it, prolonging, but not disrupting, the calibration process.

 

[The Catalyst]

I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think I've ever purchased a mac w/o it coming out of the box with a 98-99% battery level.

edit: just looked at the battery in my brand new 2011 MBA I picked up last week, 98%

 

[PaulWog]

Ugh... it dropped to 98% battery health (health, not charge) just now. It was at 100% out of the box, 99% earlier today, and now 98% just now. 2% down in one day. Yikes.

 

[GGJstudios]

Ugh... it dropped to 98% battery health (health, not charge) just now. It was at 100% out of the box, 99% earlier today, and now 98% just now. 2% down in one day. Yikes.

Seriously, you shouldn't be concerned about this. It will drop over time, faster at first, then slower. It will also go up. Read the Battery FAQ and then relax and enjoy your Mac. There's nothing wrong with it.

 

[Apple OC]

Ugh... it dropped to 98% battery health (health, not charge) just now. It was at 100% out of the box, 99% earlier today, and now 98% just now. 2% down in one day. Yikes.

don't worry ... it is nothing to be alarmed with ... perfectly normal

 

[TheRealDamager]

Ugh... it dropped to 98% battery health (health, not charge) just now. It was at 100% out of the box, 99% earlier today, and now 98% just now. 2% down in one day. Yikes.

You really need to stop obsessing with the battery health readings.

 

[rchawla80]

Reviving this thread...

My late 2010 MBA 13' went from 98% battery health to 91% in two weeks... should I be concerned?

The MBA is barely 2 months old. I calibrated last night by draining and no change.

Please advise.

Thanks

 

[seepel]

I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think I've ever purchased a mac w/o it coming out of the box with a 98-99% battery level.

edit: just looked at the battery in my brand new 2011 MBA I picked up last week, 98%

My Macbbok Pro came with 102%. But in general everyone that is worried about this don't... Health fluctuation is totally normal, Don't worry until you are at like 80% or even less. Just remember that batteries suck, nothing you can do about it.

 

[GGJstudios]

My late 2010 MBA 13' went from 98% battery health to 91% in two weeks... should I be concerned?

No, you shouldn't. Read the Battery FAQ in post #2.