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eelttam Author

Level 1

4 points

Optimized Battery Charging is a Placebo

My battery is dying a slow death because OBC is a Placebo. Does anyone know a solution?

The Facts: How long has this switch been in the OS? Catalina. When was that? October of 2019. How many weeks is that? 52 weeks x 3 years and 2 months is approximately 165 weeks. For TWO OF THOSE WEEKS this option worked for me. I've looked for this option to work on a 15" MBP retina 2015, a 13" MBP retina 2018, a 15" MBP retina 2019 and now, this 16" MBP retina 2019.

After I had the 2019 15" for a year, and not in conjunction with any update, rather CHANGING TO THE USE OF A NON-APPLE CHARGER the feature worked for me for 2 weeks, and inexplicably stopped after having the keyboard-gate Repair Extension Program performed on my faulty keyboard. That was last year, in the middle of Monterey, probably 12.5 or 6.

My Opinionated Conclusion: Since then I upgraded to this 16" monster, Core i9, which I do like, but the only consistent thing with this issue is that Optimized Battery Charging doesn't work. Goes across all my computers, goes across all my user profiles, whether I reinstall OS over itself, or completely format/reinstall, even T2 revive and/or restore doesn't make it work right. Effective battery replacement (the topcase replacement) flipping MADE IT STOP working.

You can't tell me Apple isn't an anti-competitive, anti-consumer company. I will not fanaticize this company any longer.

RIP Stevie Boy. Tim Apple only cares about shareholders. And I hold no shares.

Posted on Jan 3, 2023 10:14 AM

Top-ranking reply

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

133,195 points

Posted on Jan 3, 2023 10:37 AM

Batteries are a wear item, like the soles of your shoes and the tires on your car. Their expected lifetime depends on use (as reflected in Charge cycles) and also in the passage of time, used or not. After a while, you should expect to have to replace the battery.

Battery life also depends on two factors you may be able to control a bit better. Lithium polymer batteries deteriorate when they get too hot, and when they are subject to very deep discharge. These should be avoided when possible.

Despite using these batteries in millions of Apple devices, there is still an increased amount of of randomness in exactly which battery will fail when.

Apple SUGGESTS (but does not Warrant) that your battery MAY last as long as 1000 charge cycles, provided all other factors are well-controlled.

Apple uses the criterion that a battery that doesn't to hold 80 percent of its original charge capacity should be serviced, and likely replaced.

When designing systems, that 80 percent rule is intended so that, over a Very large sample of devices, almost all will be able to achieve their 'mission' -- still have at least 80 percent capacity at the three-year mark.

_______

When you present your Mac at the Genius Bar with a battery complaint, the technician will perform some diagnostic tests on the battery, looking for hidden faults. If your battery passes all those, the question the technician will ask is "is this battery still able to deliver 80 percent of its original capacity TODAY."

If it is, that battery is working as intended and will not be replaced.

When your battery can no longer can perform as expected, you will need to replace it. Batteries wear out. Their levels decrease with time.

Batteries - Maximizing Performance - Apple

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Optimized Battery Charging is a Placebo

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