Magic Trackpad battery usage

Question

Level 1

2 points

Magic Trackpad battery usage

Hello Apple Discussions,
I am a brand new Magic Trackapd user (since 13th of August 2010), but I already noticed something strange. My battery power dropped from 100% to 89% for less than 4 days of continuous usage. My trackpad has been delivered with Energizer Alkaline batteries. I hope that situation will be better with Energizer Lithium batteries, but most of all should like to see a firmware update that is fixing the issue as soon as possible.
I also have Apple Wireless Keyboard (latest two battery release) which consumes less power. There are almost two months since I got the keyboard and battery dropped with only 1%. Hope to see the same with the Magic Trackpad as this tiny gadget is really working one of my favorite things having the Apple logo.

Anyone of you noticed the same higher consummation of power with the Magic Trackpad or it is just me?

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Aug 16, 2010 10:29 AM

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Answer 1

1206gene

Level 1

12 points

Jul 10, 2017 12:57 PM in response to HenryS

All this is very interesting, but the trouble I have been having is a bit different. My iMac keeps telling me that my track pad batteries are very low, but when I take them out and test them, they are fine and running at maybe 755 or so. This is weird. I may need to talk with Apple about this.

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Answer 2

Aug 17, 2010 3:43 AM in response to chillvisio

Hello c:

WElcome to Apple discussions.

Battery usage is a direct function of your own usage. I fee lreasonably confident that no firmware release would address battery usage.

The battery usage on your KB is suspect. I cannot imagine that the drain would be that insignificant if you have used it for two months.

In my own case, I use rechargeable batteries (2650 mAh Duracells) and a 15 minute charger (also Duracell). I obtained all of those new on eBay at a reasonable price.

Barry

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Answer 3

chillvisio Author

Level 1

2 points

Aug 17, 2010 6:31 AM in response to Barry Hemphill

1% down for my keyboard for almost two months (using Lithium batteries) and 13% for less than five days (using Alkaline batteries) for my Magic Trackpad these are the facts. Maybe I was playing to much with the trackpad for the last few days. However it looks very weird the batteries to get drained so fast. For example my last Logitech V550 mouse batteries lasted for up to 14 months without the need of being recharged.
Maybe I am going to get some Energizer or Duracell rechargeable batteries as my current NiMH batteries are being used by my digital camera.

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Answer 4

NYCdrone

Level 1

0 points

Sep 1, 2010 5:45 AM in response to chillvisio

I bought the trackpad on the first day of release along with the Apple Battery Charger (which comes with 6 rechargeables). The trackpad also comes with 2 Energizer batteries. Those lasted me about 4 weeks. I had changed the batteries and used the Apple rechargeables in place of the dead Energizers. The battery power indicator said it was 83 % capacity for the rechargeable batteries at installation. After just 3 days, the power has dwindled down to 34 %. I have not done anything differently than before with the disposable batteries. I am going to test the other 4 batteries and see what happens. Hope the batteries are not lemons.

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Answer 5

derek87

Level 1

1 points

Sep 15, 2010 11:32 AM in response to chillvisio

i too have had odd battery behavior...i like other users bought the NiMH batteries and charger and started off using them (used the alkalines for something else)...they showed up at either 83-85% out of the box and dropped quickly. i've been hovering at 10-11% for several days now...so i'm guessing the battery gage is off and perhaps calibrated for alkaline cells?

hopefully apple can comment on this and maybe do some sort of calibration based on cell types?

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Answer 6

Sep 15, 2010 1:19 PM in response to derek87

Hello Derek:

Apple will not comment in these forums - they are user-to-user. Apple employees (I am not one) moderate the forums. Apple employees do read posts for information at times (so I understand).

I have some odd battery feedback information at times myself. Frankly, when the usage drops to 20% or so, I just charge up some batteries and insert them.

For sure, the battery charge is an indicator and not, IMHO, very accurate.

Barry

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Answer 7

derek87

Level 1

1 points

Sep 16, 2010 12:52 PM in response to Barry Hemphill

thanks, Barry.

still at 10% for at least the past week. i'm going to continue to see how far i can run it down. i'm guessing the ultimate fix is to have two calibration curves like most devices i've seen have to accurately model Nimh vs alkaline discharge curves.

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Answer 8

chillvisio Author

Level 1

2 points

Sep 19, 2010 5:38 PM in response to derek87

It is me again. I had my first pair of two Energizer Alkaline batteries swapped with a new pair of Energizer Alkaline batteries about a week ago. My first batteries lasted only 4 weeks. Yes, I do use the MT very intensively, but I think that I got what the problem was. When I got 0% low battery at Trackpad pane I've pulled the batteries out and tested them on a cheap German battery tester which showed me that batteries were still charged at 40%, but as probably most of you know - the voltage decreases/degrades when batteries get discharged and when it is only 1.0 V you will get 0% battery warning from MacOS X. If you pull out the batteries and put them in another device like for example a digital cam - they will still work for a while.

Here comes the case with the NiMH batteries - as you know all of them are supplying 1.2 V of current to the device using them. However most NiMH batteries self-discharge themselves even if they are not being used. When you fully charge your NiMH batteries and put them in - they are at 1.2 V power and this looks like the reason that MacOS X reports you that they are not fully charged. It needs to have 1.5 V AA batteries supplied to show you 100% capacity 🙂 And then you will start using your NiMH batteries and while using them, they will self-descharge and their voltage will drop faster.

It looks like until Apple supplies an updated drivers you will need to be using pairs of batteries that do not drop their voltage faster - eg Lithium non-rechargable or SANYO Eneloop rechargable batteries in order to have more than 1.0 V for longer time.

I hope that this info was helpful to some of you.

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Answer 9

techt

Level 1

14 points

Sep 20, 2010 1:24 PM in response to chillvisio

I'll chime in here as well. With the included Energizer batteries, my TrackPad ran for a very long time before the gauge displayed much of a drop in percentage. I bought the new Apple Battery Charger shortly after the TrackPad and charged a set overnight. Since then, I'm charging and swapping a set of those batteries about once a week when the low indicator is displayed. I'm not sure if this is a false indication as someone has suggested - that the TrackPad isn't properly indicating the power level and that I could leave the batteries in longer, or there more than a vampire draw when not used during the night. I use my computer for hours every day, but don't power the TrackPad or BT Keyboard down at night.

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Answer 10

timewart

Level 1

5 points

Sep 27, 2010 8:51 AM in response to chillvisio

I am using the Apple rechargeable batteries - which are, I believe, Eneloops - and they are discharging just as rapidly. I'm finding myself having to recharge every three weeks or so.
All I can assume is that the trackpad is an energy monster!

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Answer 11

NYCdrone

Level 1

0 points

Sep 29, 2010 10:35 PM in response to timewart

I have tried the rechargeables and they do not last so long. They do however have a great output. I use them in my beard trimmer and bike light and they are excellent batteries. As far as the trackpad is concerned, If you will be at work all day, it is suggested that you press and hold the power button so it disconnects the bluetooth connection and conserve battery power. I don't think the batteries are bad.
On an other note, the charger seems to get very hot if you charge partially charged batteries. It also stays hot (along with the batteries) for a long time after the green charge indicator lights up. Hope this is not a safety/energy waste concern...

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Answer 12

HenryS

Level 2

318 points

Nov 7, 2010 7:47 AM in response to chillvisio

chillvisio wrote:
Hello Apple Discussions,
I am a brand new Magic Trackapd user (since 13th of August 2010), but I already noticed something strange. My battery power dropped from 100% to 89% for less than 4 days of continuous usage. My trackpad has been delivered with Energizer Alkaline batteries.

Here's my battery life story.

Obviously, days between battery changes depend on use. I started with Alkaline batteries (Duracell) when I got the MT (Magic Trackpad) working. Battery life was about a month on the first set. I use the trackpad exclusively (of my three different devices- Magic Trackpad, Wacom tablet, Logitech S530 wireless mouse+keyboard) now, on my desktop MacPro.

I am now trying the Sanyo brand Eneloop batteries to compare. I didn't even notice the battery warnings until the screen flashed a battery low indicator. I also have been using two Eneloop's in my Logitech keyboard, with I think, excellent results (about three months of constant use, and the charge indicator does gradually falls off in that time until blinking a warning).

When I first inserted the rechargeable batteries their charge level said 83%. So I don't know if the life expectancy of the rechargeables will be close to that of alkaline (which said 98% when first started). Certainly it's more economical to use rechargeables. I use the mouse a lot. I see in this thread that results vary from a week or two to months.

Questions:

Does turning off the Trackpad make a big difference compared with leaving it set unused?
Does a rechargeable give way lower life than an alkaline?
What is the comparable battery life between the types of power sources- Alkaline, Eneloop, NIMH, Lithium?
Is there an app for archiving battery life information on the MT? There is one for the laptop and there is history in Profiler, so it seems there could be a way to get the data. Has anyone done it?
Is the low battery indicator (1.0V??) a false indication?
Henry
about the battery indicator...Message was edited by: HenryS

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Answer 13

HenryS

Level 2

318 points

Nov 29, 2010 9:26 AM in response to HenryS

HenryS wrote:

chillvisio wrote:
Hello Apple Discussions,
I am a brand new Magic Trackapd user (since 13th of August 2010), but I already noticed something strange. My battery power dropped from 100% to 89% for less than 4 days of continuous usage. My trackpad has been delivered with Energizer Alkaline batteries.

Here's my battery life story.

I'm using Sanyo Eneloop batteries (similar, I'm told, to the Apple branded NIMh)- Nickel Metal Hydride pre charged batteries. The highest the indicator ever gets is 80% and the life with constant, exclusive Magic trackpad use that I've gotten is 2 weeks. Right now with a new set of recently charged batteries, the status is at 61%.

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Answer 14

timewart

Level 1

5 points

Dec 16, 2010 7:03 PM in response to chillvisio

Update on Trackpad battery usage...

Eneloops continue to apparently discharge rapidly. Apparently is the key word...
Trackpad battery has been below 10 % for two days now ie plenty of power in the batteries, its just being reported in an odd way.

Has Apple got any views about this?

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Answer 15

Jan 13, 2011 7:28 AM in response to timewart

I bought an Energizer Mini Charger, which came with two AA 2000mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries. I use these AA batteries in my Magic Trackpad.

On Tuesday the 4th of January 2011, my batteries were fully charged at 100%. However, today Thursday the 13th of January 2011, my batteries are down to 14%. So do you really have to recharge the batteries in your Magic Trackpad every 9 days? Or are these Energizer batteries no good?

!http://a01.cdn.a.pl/zdjecie-44466/ladowarka-energizer-mini-charger-Full.jpg!

Message was edited by: Reuben Feffer

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