The battery as a consumable item on the example of the MacBook Pro

Hello.

Looking through the recommendations feed in Google Chrome, I came across an article about battery failure in the MacBook Air on M1.

Expected to actually see the story of marriagebut the article described the normal aging of the battery, which the author considered abnormal and was very worried about this. For two years of using a laptop, its capacity has decreased by 14%, the person considered this a terrible horror and started moaning. With 158 charge-discharge cycles, frequent battery operation, it seemed to him that this was very little. Moreover, Apple promises a drop in battery capacity up to 80% after 1000 charge-discharge cycles.

I decided to check my MacBook Pro, it's two years old, I use it every day, sometimes ten hours, sometimes much less. We go into the battery settings, look at the residual capacity.

I lost 8% capacity in two years, 142 cyclescharging-discharging, which are shown in the MacOS software. It is important to note here that Apple shows exactly full cycles, partial charging is ignored here. The DriveDX application shows a more accurate number of cycles (information is also taken from the system), there I have 223 cycles, at the same time you can see the total operating time.

The fact that Apple implemented such settings inMacOS, I'm glad, because you explicitly monitor the state of your battery, this is not enough on computers from other companies, as well as in most smartphones. It is important to understand the current capacity of your battery, as the operating time of the device depends on it. For example, I looked at my Fold3 in the service, where they could tell how I used it this year:

685 charge-discharge cycles;
Capacity 74% of nominal.

Such a large number of charge-discharge cyclesassociated with two features. The first is travel, when I use the device both in the tail and in the mane, I have a lot of calls, conferences. Secondly, in the car I’m used to throwing my smartphone on the charging mat, which contributes. In a word, I do not take care of the device's battery, as I consider it a consumable. Exactly the same attitude to any device, since the battery cannot be eternal and retain its characteristics when used.

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This does not mean at all that batteries in electronicsyou need to be thoughtless and not create the right operating conditions for them. Today, many manufacturers offer gentle charging, when your device quickly gains charge up to 80%, but then charging is slow.

I have no task to quickly charge the device,especially a computer, most of the time it is connected to the network. That's why I use this setting. When using the bundled charger, third-party devices can adversely affect both charging speed and battery life.

Briefly note that the life of the battery is negativetemperature extremes, both cold and hot. It is not worth charging the battery in such conditions, if you do not have a vital need, focus on room temperature, where the battery feels best.

Battery wear depends on many factors:from the heating of the device, from how you use it, dozens of factors, if not hundreds. For one person, for a hundred cycles, the deterioration of the battery can be 2%, for another, 10%. It is impossible to find a common denominator, in addition to charge-discharge cycles, other parameters also affect the situation.

The main thing to remember:The battery is a consumable item and should be treated as such. It's okay that she loses her charge level, no. It's scary if the battery is defective and swells, this can be a problem. Such a battery needs to be replaced urgently, it is better to have it done at an authorized service center, especially since battery replacement is usually relatively inexpensive.

I am very embarrassed that people who buy expensiveMacBook Pro, looking for a battery replacement in the basement near the house, it's cheaper there! When buying expensive equipment, you need to be ready to buy original spare parts, including a battery, this is definitely not worth saving on. For old laptops, this is not always possible, and then the choice of a copy of the battery from the Chinese is at least somehow justified. In other cases, this is not good. Do not save on a normal battery, when buying a Chinese battery, you will never be sure what you got. A kind of lottery, it can be good, or it can be very bad, and you will damage your device.

When we buy a car, we know that itneeds to be directed. With batteries in electronics, the story is about the same, but, among other things, their service life is limited, they are far from eternal. Believing marketing claims that the battery will last 1000 cycles and its capacity will drop by only 20% is not worth it. On the other hand, if during the first year this happened to the MacBook, then you will have the battery replaced under warranty. But this almost never happens.

In Europe, they want to pass a law that will obligesmartphone manufacturers to provide at least 500 battery charge cycles and a drop in its capacity to 83% or more. The beginning is good, but we do not have a single and independent meter for the number of cycles and capacity. Most manufacturers will simply begin to account for the number of cycles differently, which will avoid this law. And the consumer will be the loser, because he will not understand what is happening with his battery.

Either such a law will force manufacturers to putmore expensive, high-quality batteries, which, in turn, will lead to an increase in prices for smartphones (up to 3-5% on store shelves). But such a way of developing the situation looks unlikely, I do not believe in it.

Remember the simple truth:The battery is a consumable item. And then you will not be nervous that the battery capacity has dropped on your MacBook. On my previous MacBook Pro, the battery lasted almost seven years before asking for a replacement. Decent time, in my opinion. The ten-year-old Lenovo ThinkPad X1 still has a battery life, as my child doesn't use it very much. In a word, it all depends on the manufacturer, as well as on how you use the device. Don't be afraid to change batteries at service centers or yourself if you know what you're doing (for example, replacing batteries in a vacuum cleaner is not that difficult). But do not believe that batteries can last forever, this is self-deception.

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