Is 14 battery cycles possible after 2 days?

Question

Is 14 battery cycles possible after 2 days?

I am a complete newcomer to anything Apple having bought a used Macbook Air which I received today and I have to say it is absolutely beautiful and a lovely piece of machinery. However, when I bought the Air I was told by the seller that it had been used for 1 day only and indeed it's first year of warranty finishes on 4 January 2014. However I was surprised to see that the battery has gone through 14 cycles and presume that this means that either it is refurbished or presumably used non-stop since being purchased? Or could it have been purchased but not registered? I have emailed the previous owner and he has said he will refund my money if I wish to return the Air. I'd just be grateful for any thoughts from experienced owners please. Many thanks.

MacBook Air

Posted on Jan 15, 2013 12:45 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 15, 2013 12:50 PM in response to adamandeve101

It is possible for a battery to be new out of the box with a few cycles indicating on it (but only a few, like 3 or less) - the batteries get tested at the OEM factory, then again when assembled into the computer, so some discharge/charging does go on before a consumer gets it.

14 cycles seems a bit high, but then again, was this machine open in a store as a demo for a short time, perhaps? Since you are buying used, you do not really now the true history of the machine.

If you got it for a good price, and everything seems to be working fine and you are otherwise happy with it, I don't think I would let it bother me.

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Answer 2

Jan 16, 2013 7:33 AM in response to Michael Black

As a matter of interest, I read about Coconutbattery and so downloaded it - it says the laptop is 7 weeks old. I wonder if there is a way of checking from the serial number, the age of the laptop?

Anyway, many thanks for your reply Michael.

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Answer 3

Jan 16, 2013 2:31 PM in response to adamandeve101

As a final comment in case it is of assistance to others in the future, I rang Apple customer support - or rather they rang me. They were extremely helpful and were able to tell me from the serial number that the Air was bought new on 4 Jan and wasn't a refurbished machine. They thought it had probably be used to play videos/games a lot of time since purchase which had caused the 14 cycles. I shall now enjoy my beautiful, beautiful Air without worry! 🙂

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Answer 4

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Jan 16, 2013 4:34 PM in response to adamandeve101

That 7 week figure is from date of Manufacturer. Not from when it was turned on for the first time.

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Answer 5

Jan 16, 2013 4:40 PM in response to Shootist007

Yes, it did occur to me that that might be the case. I've been having fun getting to know the Air this evening - so pleased with it! 🙂

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