should i replace my battery? (MBA 13", 2012)

[jetlagged]

I own a Macbook Air 2012 i5/8/256 13", which I bought in November 2012 brand new.

Just wondering if I should go and replace the battery. I have the service battery warning shown in the battery monitor. I mainly use my computer for facebook, youtube, streaming of tv shows online, photo and video editing, and traveling. I'm actually going to be traveling pretty soon for a few months. But I'll be using the macbook air mainly in my accommodation, and on the plane for light photo editing.

It hasn't really bothered me all too much to be honest, and I haven't gotten to the point where I wished I had the extra battery life. Even then, when I had my Macbook Air brand new, I was only getting 5 hours of battery life out of the 7 hours advertised. I used it on medium brightness settings for the most part. I did manage to squeeze in 3 episodes of the walking dead when I was on the airplane before the battery went out on me.

Just need thoughts and opinon. Battery replacment is $129 + Tax will round up to $140

 

[LSUtigers03]

I have the same Air as you and I recently replaced my battery. If the only option was paying Apple to do it I wouldn't have done it because the cost for me wouldn't have been worth it. If you want to do it yourself replacing the battery is very easy. All you have to do is remove a few screws and detach one ribbon. I paid $55 plus shipping for my battery which is the same model A1405 that came in my Air when I bought it new.

 

[jetlagged]

Thanks for the reply. Right now, my battery is only at 77% maximum capacity out of the 100% when I first had it.

I'll just stick with my current battery. Just can't justify a $140 battery replacement by apple at this time. and I don't have time to order a battery online and do it myself because I'm leaving the country.

anyways thanks.

 

[krishmk]

Where

I have the same Air as you and I recently replaced my battery. If the only option was paying Apple to do it I wouldn't have done it because the cost for me wouldn't have been worth it. If you want to do it yourself replacing the battery is very easy. All you have to do is remove a few screws and detach one ribbon. I paid $55 plus shipping for my battery which is the same model A1405 that came in my Air when I bought it new.

Where did you buy your battery from?

 

[LSUtigers03]

Where

Where did you buy your battery from?

http://www.laptop-battery-shop.com/apple-a1369-a1405-73v-6700mah-original-batteries-p-3637.html

 

[krishmk]

http://www.laptop-battery-shop.com/apple-a1369-a1405-73v-6700mah-original-batteries-p-3637.html

How is the charge holding up and how many cycles you have on it? Does the cycle count relate to your laptop usage on battery?

I guess I am little Leary to buy a battery from 3rd party when it comes to Apple Macs.

 

[LSUtigers03]

How is the charge holding up and how many cycles you have on it? Does the cycle count relate to your laptop usage on battery?

I guess I am little Leary to buy a battery from 3rd party when it comes to Apple Macs.

I haven't noticed a difference from the performance of the original battery. I usually get the same 5-6 hours that I was getting before with web browsing and stuff like that. I'm at 24 cycles and 6222 mAh of the original 6261 mAh.

 

[krishmk]

I haven't noticed a difference from the performance of the original battery. I usually get the same 5-6 hours that I was getting before with web browsing and stuff like that. I'm at 24 cycles and 6222 mAh of the original 6261 mAh.

My battery is doing so fast that I need to order it yesterday... It was 78% last week and now it is 65% and I do not use that much on battery either.

How many days it took to get to 24 cycle count?

 

[motrek]

My battery is doing so fast that I need to order it yesterday... It was 78% last week and now it is 65% and I do not use that much on battery either.

How many days it took to get to 24 cycle count?

That seems extremely unusual. What have you been doing with your laptop in the last week?? And where/how have you been storing it?

High temperatures are the enemy of batteries. Did you leave your laptop in direct sunlight, etc.?

 

[krishmk]

That seems extremely unusual. What have you been doing with your laptop in the last week?? And where/how have you been storing it?

High temperatures are the enemy of batteries. Did you leave your laptop in direct sunlight, etc.?

Battery is 4 yrs old. It is on charge most of the day, except an hour in the morning.

 

[Natzoo]

look at the cycles mine has much more than you and my battery has 92% left. you don't have to replace it, you can just keep it plugged in all the time and when your battery is about to die just replace it then

 

[motrek]

Battery is 4 yrs old. It is on charge most of the day, except an hour in the morning.

If you didn't do anything differently in the last week then I wouldn't worry about it now.

These charge capacity numbers are estimates, and I doubt that your capacity really fell by over 10% in one week. I would expect it to go back to "normal" next week.

Just keep using the laptop as you normally would and see what happens in the upcoming few weeks. Don't do anything weird like try to "recalibrate" the battery.

 

[gertruded]

Looks like there is a problem with the battery with this model air. I have the same machine, mid 2012 13"air, i5. CoconutBattery says I am at 80%, 123 load cycles, age 31months. Thanks for the information on where to get a new one without the very high Apple price. Still a great machine, though. I use it as my main computer.