My MacBook Pro's battery capacity has fallen below 80% (currently says 77%) and it has only gone through 380 cycles. Apple's website previously stated that the battery would maintain at least 80% up to 1000 cycles. Why is my battery's capacity so low? Am I entitled to a replacement?
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3), 13 inch, Mid-2010
You don't say what vintage your MacBook is, but that all looks pretty good. If there is something wrong with the battery the condition will say something other than Normal. Voltage is typically in the range of 12 volts, so that is ok. The initial capacity varies for the different machines, some in the 4-5,ooo mAh range some in the 6-7,000 mAh range.
Also your use/charging habits play a part in the life of a battery.
Take a look at the information at the Battery University, an independent source of great info on Lithium-Ion batteries. They have shown that repeaded deep discharges, to 100% depletion, significantly reduce the cycle life of a battery. Optimum for life/portable use looks like the 50% discharge/charge area.
If you go to the apple menu, the apple in the upper left corner, About This Mac, More Info, System Report, Hardware, Power, what does it say about the battery Condition, Capacity, Charge Remaining, Voltage?
Number of charge cycles is not a guaranteed value, only a statistical projection of battery life. Some fail sooner, some later. A lot dempends on how they have been used.
Thanks for the link! I just read throught their suggestions and will start implementing some of them.
My laptop is a Mid-2010, 13inch, MacBook Pro.
The initial battery capacity was 5770 mAh, so as far as I can tell it has dropped dramatically - and I've only had this laptop for a little over a year! I was expecting the "new" type of battery to last quite a lot longer than my previous MacBook.
Hopefully, with the info from the Battery University, I can prolong the life of my battery.
Glad the link is useful for you. They do give some great tips. But it is important to remember that a battery is a consumable just like in a flashlight or anyother portable device. None of us like to replace them, but they do wear out even with the best of care.
If, at some point, you feel the battery is not behaving as it should, take the MacBook to an Apple genius bar and have the techs run diagnostics to see if there are any faults.
I don't feel like the battery is behaving as it should! 😀 However, I am in Iraq at the moment and will be here for a few years, so the chances of my being able to take it to an Apple store are effectively zero for the time being.
That certainly limits your options. If it says to service or replace the battery, contact Apple support about where/how to ship it for service. There is good info in the Support category in the upper right part of the top bar for this page. Don't hesitate to use that if you must send the computer for service.
Best regards during your stay in Iraq.
Condition: Normal
Capacity: 4457 mAh
Charge Remaining: 533 mAh
Voltage: 11779 mV
Battery capacity below 80%
