mid-2012 MBP battery life

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Level 1

94 points

mid-2012 MBP battery life

My mid-2012 Macbook Pro has really been suffering with short battery life and I'm looking for some guidance on whether it's from the old battery or if it's an OS/software issue due to the older and less efficient hardware.

When I first got my MBP it was a refurbished laptop from Apple.com in 2014. I would pretty regularly get about 7 hours of casual use per charge (word processing, web browsing, etc). I use gfxCardStatus to keep the computer running only the integrated graphics and switch to discrete when running things like Lightroom.

Right now, I can get about 3 hours of battery life under the same conditions, if I'm lucky.

According to the system report, my battery:

has max capacity of 5559 mAh
486 charge cycles
condition: normal

So, is it worth getting a new battery to get back to my old battery life? Or am I doomed to ever decreasing battery life as my system ages and should start saving for a new 16" MBP?

MacBook Pro 15", macOS 10.15

Posted on May 11, 2020 11:31 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

HWTech

Community+ 2026

Level 9

73,600 points

May 11, 2020 6:04 PM in response to Adam Payne

See if you can run the Apple Diagnostics.

The 13" non-Retina laptop is still supported by Apple. The 15" model and the Retina model are considered "Vintage", but it may still be possible for Apple to replace the battery in those systems. I highly recommend having Apple replace the battery since the quality of third party Lithium-ion batteries is extremely poor even when purchased from a reputable vendor such as OWC.

It is possible you have some software or configuration issue which is causing the battery to drain faster than expected. To check for possible software issues run EtreCheck and post the report here using the "Additional Text" icon which looks like a piece of paper.

Double-check the Energy Saver Settings.

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Answer 2

Johnb-one

Level 6

9,210 points

May 11, 2020 12:43 PM in response to Adam Payne

maybe I can help you, Adam Payne ?

Apple considers the battery in your MacBook Pro as a consumable product with a limited lifespan and finite number of charge cycles. It should be good for up to 1,000 charge cycles at least. you can do more than that, but with lesser battery life. You can try this which might help. Shut down your MacBook Pro, on your built in keyboard, hold down the following keys together: Shift (up arrow), Control on the left side of your keyboard, Option (Alt) also on the left side of your keyboard, and the power button at the same time. Hold 'em all down for a count of 15-20 , then let go of 'em all, then press the power button to turn your macbook pro back on. As for saving for a new 16" MBP, maybe, depending on your budget and what features/performance you're looking for in a MacBook Pro. I'd say try the keyboard combo thing first (it's an SMC reset) and see how that goes. Your battery is in no danger of expiring on you yet. Usually it'll say "Replace battery" or "Service now" or something like that. A new battery is roughly around $100, plus you'll need to buy a few tools to do so, including a Tri-Wing screwdriver, a spudger and a Phillips #00 screwdriver, or make arrangements and send in it. As to why your battery life is shortened, I'd hazard a guess at it being half the battery and half the hardware. You did get it refurbished after all.

anyways, here's something that may be of interest to you on this subject (link)

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/15-inch-macbook-pro-battery-recall

john b

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mid-2012 MBP battery life

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