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Apple changes default MacBook charging behavior to improve battery health

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Re: Apple changes default MacBook charging behavior to improve battery health

#231

Post by fiddlerwoaroof »

wrs wrote: post #42

I've noticed that on newer (past few years) MacBook Pros, if their battery runs down too far they refuse to start up, even when plugged into the charger. The battery has to charge for 10-15 minutes with the "dead battery" icon on the screen. It's exactly the same behavior as iPhone/iPad. In past MacBook models, the battery could be dead--or even completely removed--and the charger would power the laptop fine. Anyone…

I’ve had this experience on every MacBook Pro I’ve ever owned (starting with an ‘08 MacBook). On the older models, they’d run if you plugged them in and completely removed the battery, but it the battery was in, they wouldn’t boot until the battery had a certain minimal charge.

Re: Apple changes default MacBook charging behavior to improve battery health

#232

Post by wingworks »

kosievdmerwe wrote: post #210
aaron_m04 wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same here. When I started working from home, I set up an external monitor with an HDMI-to-USB-C adapter. Whenever it's plugged in, my battery goes down about 4% per hour with the AC adapter plugged in.

Are you sending your power via a USB C adapter too? If you use one of these[1] then your laptop will charge more slowly than if you just plugged in the power directly. [1] https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MUF82AM/A/usb-c-digital-a...

I've only ever seen my laptop's battery discharge while plugged in via one of those USB-C hubs which allow PD "pass-through". But have yet to find one that passes all the power through.

Re: Apple changes default MacBook charging behavior to improve battery health

#233

Post by jb775 »

leetcrew wrote: post #109
jb775 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

how is it that an ultrabook is not "possible" unless it has a battery that cannot be easily removed?

check out this teardown of the new 16" macbook pro: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+16-Inch+2019+Tea... everything inside the chassis that isnt pcb, heatpipe, or fan is part of the battery pack. it takes up almost all the otherwise unused space inside the device. how would you design a battery door for this chassis that doesn't decrease the size of the battery or make the whole thing much bigger?

I know it would never happen, but I'd be ok with the battery pack living outside of the laptop itself, almost like an external hard-drive you plug in via USB-C. Could probably install a mount on the back of the screen it could clip onto.

My main point is that I'd enjoy the ability to cut full power to my device at my discretion. I've never been a fan of all the Mac background activity when I close my screen (auto-downloading updates, wake for wifi, etc).

Re: Apple changes default MacBook charging behavior to improve battery health

#234

Post by p1necone »

ben-schaaf wrote: post #185
mjayhn wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it makes you feel any better I branched off to a XPS 13 2in1 4 months ago in between jobs (where I use the latest mbp) and used the thing for 2-3 months with no MBP as backup. I absolutely hate it. It throttles constantly even after undervolting it. I had to do a bunch of black magic to get it to sleep properly (which is evidently happening to every Dell) and eventually gave up on that and just set it to hibernate…

I've heard that most of the Xps lineup has cooling issues. On the other hand I've got an Aero 15 (2018 I think), fan noise is decent and after a small undervolt it can indefinitely sustain max single core turbo speeds (4.1GHz) with respectable all core turbo (3.7GHz), while sitting at 70C. There are laptops out there with adequate cooling solutions out there.

A lot of high end laptops have cooling issues because it's the kind of thing you have to buy the device and actually use it for a while to find out, but everyone sees "i9, ultra slim, 'pro'" straight away.

Re: Apple changes default MacBook charging behavior to improve battery health

#236

Post by yellow_postit »

wrs wrote: post #42

I've noticed that on newer (past few years) MacBook Pros, if their battery runs down too far they refuse to start up, even when plugged into the charger. The battery has to charge for 10-15 minutes with the "dead battery" icon on the screen. It's exactly the same behavior as iPhone/iPad. In past MacBook models, the battery could be dead--or even completely removed--and the charger would power the laptop fine. Anyone…

I run into a (to me) more annoying behavior on a 13” MacBoon Pro - the machine will start and let me login with < 3% displayed and then shut off within a few moments after login, presumably because startup actions pegged the battery and drained it back to a shutoff state. Would much prefer the machine not start until I can login and work.

Re: Apple changes default MacBook charging behavior to improve battery health

#237

Post by [deleted] »

derefr wrote: post #145
vpEfljFL wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Laptops isn't designed for serious workloads. It's a small portable devices to hash some errands at starbucks. You can't change physics laws unfortunately to make all the heat disappear somewhere. Keep in mind Intel marketing as well which advertises CPU with way less heat than they expose in real life. The way you have this machines is because apple is commercial company and they should follow market demands. "10 co…

In theory , laptop manufacturers that use aluminum in their chassis could just put the CPU die right up against the chassis, Remove the bottom feet, and then tell you to only ever use it sitting on top of a table designed to function as a top-down heat pipe (i.e. the kind they use to make “scraped” frozen yoghurt.) The table would become the CPU’s direct-contact heatsink. Not practical at all, of course, but this is…

[deleted]

Re: Apple changes default MacBook charging behavior to improve battery health

#239

Post by p1necone »

vpEfljFL wrote: post #140
rubber_duck wrote: post #53

I got a top spec 15 MBP a year ago and I have to say the experience is appalling - 4000$ device that goes full airplane takeoff levels of noise at any serious workload, no ability to control performance (I would gladly throttle the CPU sooner to avoid everyone in the office turning my way when I start an emulator or keep the fans at lower RPM but constantly instead of letting the CPU idle at 60-70 degrees with no fan…

Laptops isn't designed for serious workloads. It's a small portable devices to hash some errands at starbucks. You can't change physics laws unfortunately to make all the heat disappear somewhere. Keep in mind Intel marketing as well which advertises CPU with way less heat than they expose in real life. The way you have this machines is because apple is commercial company and they should follow market demands. "10 co…

You can add a centimeter or so of thickness and get perfectly adequate cooling for high power parts - look at all the gaming laptops for an example of this (if you can get past the godawful visual design).

This isn't a "laptops" issue, this is an "ultra thin" issue. Trouble is most people only want to buy ultra thin laptops and don't realize that that super powerful 8 core cpu isn't any faster than a much less expensive one when there isn't adequate cooling.

Re: Apple changes default MacBook charging behavior to improve battery health

#240

Post by bdcravens »

bdcravens wrote: post #114
frizkie wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just another datapoint here for a 2019 16" MBP bought at launch: 8542/8587 mAh for ~99.5%. I have 46 cycle count, I keep it at my desk plugged in at 100% the vast majority of the time.

I don't think that's how you calculate it. You measure the Full Charge Capacity against what it's originally rated at. (What I've seen online is that the original capacity is 8790) In your case, that'd be 8587/8790, or 97.7%.

To elaborate, you can install Coconut Battery and it will show the percentage I'm describing under "Design Capacity"
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