Mac Book (Max M3) Battery Life

I am having a similar issue with my 16" Pro Max that I got about a week ago. I haven't specifically measured and timed, but I think I have only used it about 2-3 hrs today and the battery went from 100% to 9%. Sure, I had word, a handful of safari tabs open, and played WoW for 30 minutes.. but that battery performance still does not add up to me.

Update. My new space black version came in 4 weeks later. Battery is working perfectly. Holding charge. Absolutely no issue with this unit. My assumption is the first versions were with batteries that may have been older perhaps or I had a bad one.

I have the same problem with my 14" M3 Pro MBP. I noticed it too late and missed the 30 days return period. Apple doesn't recognize the issue, just copy & paste replies(I have AppleCare+), they don't do anything if battery is not below 80%.

But i believe this is not a battery issue, some hardware is using more energy than its supposed to, and this is impossible to prove!

TLDR: if you notice this issue, don't spend time with apple support, just return the item immediately!

And this will be my last apple device!

Oh, get rid of all those VPNs, bit defenders, antivirus apps, and any modifier apps, if you have them. Also, have a look at System Settings > Login Items > disable and delete all that's there, so nothing will start at login and run in the background eating up energy.

My setup was almost exactly like yours and because of the battery I returned the laptop. Pre-ordered another in hopes it was a fluke. Unlike you though, all i had running was browser chrome. I'm getting my new one in Feb. Funny that your post was on the same day I ordered mine. Wonder if they sent out a bunch of bad batteries.

Completely agree with @chdsl. You may also want to review this excellent article written by a respected forum contributor:

Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community