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[Study] Battery Life and best Charge technique

G

Grumps87

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 12, 2009
37
0
I have been reading posts about charge techniques and usage to preserve the battery life but its often inconclusive and comes with different opinion. Even Apple do not have a proper usage/charge guide to maintain battery lifespan.

Therefore, I have decided to conduct this study and perhaps produce a certain conclusion on what is the best charge technique to maintain the battery life of our Macs.

Please fill in the following template and a final conclusion will be produced once we've received enough inputs. Use software like Coconut Battery to retrieve the relevant information required by this study.

MacBook Model (type,year,unibody):

Charge Cycle:

Age of your Mac:

Battery capacity (current-original):

Health in %:

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?:

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly):

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?):

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no)

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: (most common practice)
-less than 70%
-less than 50%
-less than 10%
-When it is possible
-All the time (plugged at all time)

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily)

Do you think if you're applying any special technique that help you retain your battery life?
 
I guess I might as well be one of the first to do this.

MacBook Model (type,year,unibody): Macbook Pro (Late 2008, Unibody)

Charge Cycle: 62

Age of your Mac: 10 months

Battery capacity (current vs original): 4645 mAh / 4600 mAh

Health in %: 100%

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?: Don't remember

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): Every couple of weeks

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): Mixed, about 70% as a desktop though

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no) Almost always

When do you charge your MacBook: (one answer)
-All the time (meaning I keep it plugged in pretty much always), but when I do use it off of the charger, only when it has dropped to less than 5%

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily)
About 4-5 hours a day maybe? Although being the summer, I don't have school so it might be swayed. During the school year, I'd say 2-3 hours a day.
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody):2009 mid

Charge Cycle:10

Age of your Mac:month old

Battery capacity (current vs original):6642 vs 6500

Health in %: 100%

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?:yes

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): weekly

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): mixed

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? yes

When do you charge your MacBook: (one answer)
less than 10%

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: from 7 to 14
__________________
 
It might also help to post the battery manufacturer, found in system profiler->power.
My theory is that the Sony batteries in multibody MBPs are bad, but I don't know if there are any other brands.

I think leaving it plugged in all the time is bad for the battery. Mine (a Sony) is at 93% and falling after just 28 cycles. I use it on battery at least 3x a week during the school year, but over the summer it is almost always plugged in. I got this battery in March or April after the first one (also a Sony) went below 80% with around 70 cycles. I don't calibrate much, never more than once a month, but I don't think it does anything for the health of the battery, it just calibrates the time remaining.
 
m85476585 said:
It might also help to post the battery manufacturer, found in system profiler->power.
My theory is that the Sony batteries in multibody MBPs are bad, but I don't know if there are any other brands.

I think leaving it plugged in all the time is bad for the battery. Mine (a Sony) is at 93% and falling after just 28 cycles. I use it on battery at least 3x a week during the school year, but over the summer it is almost always plugged in. I got this battery in March or April after the first one (also a Sony) went below 80% with around 70 cycles. I don't calibrate much, never more than once a month, but I don't think it does anything for the health of the battery, it just calibrates the time remaining.
Click to expand...

My Unibody's battery manufacturer is SMP. I'm not exactly sure what that means... but I keep it plugged in almost all the time while using the battery about once a week and after 62 cycles, I'm still at 100%.
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody): 13" MBP

Charge Cycle: 10

Age of your Mac: 3 months

Battery capacity (current-original): 5431-5450

Health in %: 99%

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?: Yes

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): Monthly, or whenever iStat dips below %100.

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): Mixed

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no) Almost always plugged in when using.

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: (common practice)
-less than 70%
-less than 50%
-less than 10%
-When it is possible
-All the time (plugged at all time) This

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily) 2-3 hours per day.


Manufacturer = DP

Used coconut battery, I use iStat since the widget is convenient but it doesn't have age bit.
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody): PowerBook G4 12", late 2005

Charge Cycle: 0

Age of your Mac: 51 months

Battery capacity (current-original): 4160-4192

Health in %: 99%

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?: Yes

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): 1/yr

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): Mixed

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no) Yes

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: (common practice)
-less than 70%
-less than 50%
-less than 10%
-When it is possible
-All the time (plugged at all time) I do this or if I do run on battery I wait till less than 10%

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily) 4-14 hours


I get about 3-6 hours off power depending what im doing.

Coconut
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody): mbp 13 Summer 09

Charge Cycle: 20

Age of your Mac: 5 weeks

Battery capacity (current-original):5450, sitting at 5550 right now

Health in %: 100

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?: Yea, first or second

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): I do about weekly

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): I use it around my house so mixed

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no) I try to plug it in whenever possible

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: (most common practice)
-less than 70%
-less than 50%
-less than 10%
-When it is possible
-All the time (plugged at all time)

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily) two to three hours a day

Do you think if you're applying any special technique that help you retain your battery life? no
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody):
15" MBP 2.53, June 2009

Charge Cycle:
5

Age of your Mac:
2 Weeks

Battery capacity (current-original):
6658-6500

Health in %:
100%

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?:
Yes

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly):
Will Be Monthly

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?):
Mixed

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no)
Yes

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: (most common practice)
-less than 70%
-less than 50%
-less than 10%
-When it is possible
-All the time (plugged at all time)

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily)
3-4 Hours A Day
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody): 13" MBP Summer 09

Charge Cycle: 12

Age of your Mac: 2 months

Battery capacity (current-original):Current - 5559, Original - 5450

Health in %: 100

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?: Yes

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): No

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): Desktop Mostly

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no) Yes, always.

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: (most common practice)
-less than 70%
-less than 50%
-less than 10%
-When it is possible
-All the time (plugged at all time)

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily) 2-4 hrs.

Do you think if you're applying any special technique that help you retain your battery life? Only use the battery when I have to, and when I do have to use the battery, plug it back in around 15% left.
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody): 15 inch MacBook Pro Late 2008

Charge Cycle: 114

Age of your Mac: 8 months

Battery capacity (current-original): 4594 - 4600

Health in %: Damn Near 100%

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?: Nope

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): Whenever the battery dies

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): School, so moving quite a bit

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no) Usually I plug when I can, but it's not that often

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: (most common practice)
-less than 70%
-less than 50%
-less than 10%
-When it is possible Yes
-All the time (plugged at all time)

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily) Too much

Do you think if you're applying any special technique that help you retain your battery life? Just use it, your battery is going to die anyways
 
MacBook Model MacBook Pro 2009 unibody

Charge Cycle 5

Age 5 Weeks

Battery capacity (current-original): 5476-5460 (Idk why)

Health in %: 100

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?:no

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly):no

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): mixed

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no) When it is possible

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily) well it's summer so 8-9 hours of school 3-5
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody): Mid 2009 Unibody Macbook Pro

Charge Cycle:22

Age of your Mac: 5 Weeks

Battery capacity (current-original): 6366 / 6500

Health in %: 97%

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?: Yes

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): Daily

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): Mixed

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no) Yes

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: At 1%

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily) 5 hours

Do you think if you're applying any special technique that help you retain your battery life?

Guess not.
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody): Macbook Pro Late 2006

Charge Cycle: 343

Age of your Mac: 32 months

Battery capacity (current-original):1023 - 5500

Health in %: 18%

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?: no

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): yes

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): mixed

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no) yes

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: (most common practice)
-less than 70%
-less than 50%
-less than 10%
-When it is possible
-All the time (plugged at all time) less than 50%

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily) Its one almost all day every day

Do you think if you're applying any special technique that help you retain your battery life? no
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody): MB mid 2006

Charge Cycle: 419

Age of your Mac: 37 months

Battery capacity (current-original): 5231/5020

Health in %: 100

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?: Yes

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): Hardly ever

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): Mixed

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? Plugged in whenever possible

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: (most common practice)
-less than 70%
-less than 50%
-less than 10%
-When it is possible
-All the time (plugged at all time)

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily) 3-4 hours per day

Do you think if you're applying any special technique that help you retain your battery life? No
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody): MacBook Pro, Mid 2009, Unibody

Charge Cycle: 2

Age of your Mac: 5 Weeks

Battery capacity (current-original): 5313 vs 5450

Health in %: 97%

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?: Yes

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): Weekly

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): Mostly Desktop

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no) Yes

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: (most common practice)
-less than 70%
-less than 50%
-less than 10%
-When it is possible
-All the time (plugged at all time)

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily) 6 Hours

Do you think if you're applying any special technique that help you retain your battery life? No

Got a feeling that I'm getting a defect battery. Battery health don't look too good.
 
I have 32 charge cycles in 2 months!!??? Is that ridiculously high? I have read that its better to unplug ur computer and use it than it is to just use it while its plugged in all the time? should i stop running on battery power??
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody): 2009 Unibody MBP 15"

Charge Cycle:32

Age of your Mac:2 Months

Battery capacity (current-original): 6502-6500

Health in %: 100%

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?: Yes

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): Ive done it like 3 times iThink

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): Mixed

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no) Depends...

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: (most common practice)
-less than 70%
-less than 50%<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
-less than 10%
-When it is possible
-All the time (plugged at all time)

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily) 2-4 Hrs a day

Do you think if you're applying any special technique that help you retain your battery life? Well i usually dont keep it on the charger when im at my desk using it when i easily could....IDK if i should change that?
__________________
 
WarriorTi22 said:
I have 32 charge cycles in 2 months!!??? Is that ridiculously high? I have read that its better to unplug ur computer and use it than it is to just use it while its plugged in all the time? should i stop running on battery power??
Click to expand...

Hey Warrior, why don't you participate in the survey. It is the exact reason why we're conducting the study. To find out which charge method and best usage practice to prolong our device's battery life.
 
Grumps87 said:
Hey Warrior, why don't you participate in the survey. It is the exact reason why we're conducting the study. To find out which charge method and best usage practice to prolong our device's battery life.
Click to expand...

I just realized that it was stupid that I didnt...
 
WarriorTi22 said:
I just realized that it was stupid that I didnt...
Click to expand...

Opps just realize that you posted it awhile ago.

Anyway, frequently using your battery will definitely increase your charge cycle as you have to recharge it to the 100% capacity. Twice of 50% -> 100% is equivalent to one charge cycle. Meanwhile keeping your MBP on plug will only limit the use of your battery use.

However we're not conclusive on which of the above practice is better for your battery life span.
 
MacBook Model (type,year,unibody): mid 2008 MBP15" (pre unibody)

Charge Cycle: 232

Age of your Mac: 12

Battery capacity (current-original): 4902-5500

Health in %: 88%

Did you calibrate your battery on your first use?: cant remember, i dont think so

Do you calibrate your battery frequently? (daily/weekly/monthly): try to remember monthly

Do you use your MacBook as a (desktop/travel only/mixed?): mixed

Do you keep them on charge in any of the above usage? (yes/no) yes

Do you only charge your MacBook when the battery is: (most common practice)
-less than 70%
-less than 50%
-less than 10%
-When it is possible
-All the time (plugged at all time)

Do you use your MacBook heavily?: (average hours daily) 4-10

Do you think if you're applying any special technique that help you retain your battery life? nope not really, i used to not pay attention at all, i do get the impression my battery is a bit poorly, looking at the health of the other posters here though..

PTP
 
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