Macbook battery health over time

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Viva

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I hope those who have monitored the rate at which Macbook batteries age can comment on this.

A family member of mine started using a new Macbook Pro 13" Early 2015 earlier this year. I just checked the condition of the battery with coconut battery, and this is what I found.

Screen Shot 2015-07-20 at 11.38.39.png

Why is the battery at 93% capacity after 15 cycles?

My own Macbook Pro (same model) is a few months older, and I'm sitting at 97-98% capacity after 24 cycles.

I'm well aware of best practice/caring for for Lithium ion batteries. I don't believe either of these computers have been used outside of what would constitute normal day to day use. They are mostly plugged in, but the batteries get exercised every now and then during normal usage.

I'm wondering, at which point would one take a Macbook back to Digicape and ask for a battery replacement in case this is some kind of manufacturing error? I think the normal warranty lasts a year. I'm hoping these computers will last 5 years at the very least.
 
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16 degrees battery temp? Your family like working outside? That plus the capacity issue may point to a bad battery.
 
Doesnt look great.

Here's mine

Screen Shot 2015-07-20 at 2015•07•20 12.27.52 .jpg
 
Why is the warranty on such an expensive device so short?
 
DrJohnZoidberg said:
16 degrees battery temp? Your family like working outside? That plus the capacity issue may point to a bad battery.
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It's pretty cold in Cape Town! But seriously, I just turned the computer on to get the stats. It did not get time to warm up.

bwana said:
Doesnt look great.

Here's mine

View attachment 236446
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That look much more like what I was expecting when purchasing these. Either I'm doing something very wrong (doubt it - I've read up on batteries extensively), or Apple has some kind of manufacturing issue which is yet to come to light.

Do you think I should also be worried about my own Macbook, which currently shows 6395 mAh after 24 cycles (designed capacity = 6559mAh)?
 
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Not sure if this helps, but here is mine. It's a mid 2014 Pro 15".

Got it almost exactly a year ago. I pull out the cable once it's charged, and plug it back in at around 25%.

Screen Shot 2015-07-20 at 12.39.43 PM.jpg
 
Darko said:
Not sure if this helps, but here is mine. It's a mid 2014 Pro 15".

Got it almost exactly a year ago. I pull out the cable once it's charged, and plug it back in at around 25%.

View attachment 236449
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So you avoid using the Macbook while plugged in and fully charged. Won't this mean your cycles will reach 1000 in about a year? This is opposite to the strategy Bwana (and most others, I think) follow.
 
Viva said:
So you avoid using the Macbook while plugged in and fully charged. Won't this mean your cycles will reach 1000 in about a year?
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I use it, I just run the battery down. I charge about 2 - 3 times a day, depending on how long my day is, and if I use it at home in the evenings.

I am not sure about the impact of the number of cycles, but I read up about preserving the health of the battery, and the most popular consensus was to unplug when it's at 100%, then plug the charger back in before it gets to below 20%.
 
Sorry, I misunderstood you the first time I read it. I don't really avoid using it fully charged, but I've gotten used to unplugging if the light is green.
 
Darko said:
Not sure if this helps, but here is mine. It's a mid 2014 Pro 15".

Got it almost exactly a year ago. I pull out the cable once it's charged, and plug it back in at around 25%.
Click to expand...
That's pretty much the worst thing you can do to prolong battery life.

Let the laptop manage the battery. The fewer cycles the better.
 
bwana said:
That's pretty much the worst thing you can do to prolong battery life.

Let the laptop manage the battery. The fewer cycles the better.
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It's frustrating because I spent a bit of time reading up about it.

All the Macs you've owned, did you leave them plugged in? Did the battery last long?
 
bwana said:
That's pretty much the worst thing you can do to prolong battery life.

Let the laptop manage the battery. The fewer cycles the better.
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That's how I understood the consensus as well. But in spite of this, I'm sitting with the issue mentioned above.

I think I'll get in touch with Digicape to ask what they make of this.
 
I think people really worry too much about this stuff.

Across one Powerbook and two Macbooks over a number of years I have done the exact same thing by plugging it in when I get to my desk and leaving it plugged in all day. Midweek I leave the charger at the office and run it off battery at home and over weekends I take the charger with and use it when required.

I sadly no longer have a Macbook in front of me to get my stats for you, but in over 10 years with those 3 machines I have never had a warranty claim on a battery or a need for replacement.

Unlike every Dell and HP piece of **** that I worked with in between that required a battery replacement after < 2 years.
 
Darko said:
It's frustrating because I spent a bit of time reading up about it.

All the Macs you've owned, did you leave them plugged in? Did the battery last long?
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About battery cycles

Use of your Mac notebook battery accrues in the form of charge cycles. A charge cycle means using all of the battery’s power, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a single charge. For instance, you could use your notebook for an hour or more one day, using half its charge, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two, so it may take several days to complete a cycle.

Batteries have a limited amount of charge cycles before they are considered to be consumed. Once consumed, a replacement battery is recommended. You can use your battery after it reaches its maximum cycle count, but you may notice a reduction in your battery life. Knowing how many charge cycles are on your battery and how many are left can help you determine when a battery replacement is required. For optimal performance, replace your battery when you reach the maximum cycle count.
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https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201585

I leave mine plugged in whenever possible - load shedding and on the field usage give it more than enough "exercise" - more than I'd like in fact.
 
I think it depends on how frequently you charge it. My work machine has a better % than personal and only difference I can think of is that I charge work one almost daily unlike personal.
 
This depresses me. :mad:

I have the worst battery here, by a long shot. But to be honest, think it was borked from the outset. As for cycles... :whistle:

FruitJuice app has helped things, but will be ordering a OWC replacement in the next few months (quicker than getting it replaced at DigiCape/iStore).
 
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