I got a defective MacBook on M1. Battery is dying, warranty is over

Finally switched to Apple laptops in 2015. By evening, I had several 13-inch MacBook Pro models, as well as a couple of MacBook Airs. Today – a variant based on the M1 processor, which has served faithfully for a couple of years.

Spent over 7 years with Apple laptops. I had questions about the “butterfly” keyboard, which quickly came out of the design, broken screen cables and even “burnt” matter.

On a MacBook Air on M1 I was also able to find the problem. She touches the battery, which is slowly dying on its own.

1. Apple promises 1,000 recharge cycles for any MacBook

The MacBook Air on the M1 feels like a massive workspace for most laptops today, but it can still have nuances…

To begin with, it is important to understand what kind of battery life Apple itself promises to the MacBook buyer.

Like other conventional companies, laptops use modern lithium batteries. On the one hand, they load quickly and without problems, and they are also charger holders. on the other hand, flat die when charging.

Yes, lithium batteries are subject to chemical aging processes. After each recharge cycle When it drops to 80%, the battery does not only work less, but also does not produce full power.

By choice of Apple data, Each MacBook battery is rated for 1,000¹ recharge cycles. Moreover, under the terms of the warranty, the company undertakes to replace each battery that occurs due to the fact that this appears earlier.

Apple promises 1000 battery recharge cycles for any MacBook, it does not report any additional criteria for a laptop to leave the assembly

However, the battery in my MacBook Air on the M1 for some reason actually approaches critical performance much faster.

¹ – By the way, iPad batteries are also designed for 1000 recharge cycles. But the battery in the iPhone should die after 500 discharges and charges up to 100%. It is strange why there is such a difference, because 1000 cycles should even stretch the Apple Watch.

2. The battery in my MacBook Air on M1 dies much faster

The laptop is usually used for office tasks, as well as for simple web development – in short, there is no heavy load on it.

I got my MacBook Air on M1 two years ago, and in all that time I have never thought of changing it.

I did not like the company’s proprietary chipset from the Apple Silicon family only in terms of speed, and is also comparable. And to reach the maximum “revs”, he does not need a lot of power, which is important for portable solutions.

The officially required average battery life of the MacBook Air on the M1 is 18 hours. Of course, in real life, this time is less even with the most non-aggressive collection. However, up to 10 hours of work without recharging, my laptop survived repeatedly.

At first didn’t take the power supply with me at allwhen he left the house but things started to change.

👆 by the way, specifically, this laptop has always charged only with a complete 30 W power supply. Others are not used.

At the moment, the condition of the battery has already dropped to 86% – by and large, it is already necessary to think about replacing it.

It has now passed attention that my 2 year old MacBook Air on the M1 is draining faster than the previous one. Specific measurements were not made, because the same use of a computer as a year ago is required – a task from the realm of fantasy.

By and large, I just lost confidence in, that the laptop does not run out at the most inopportune moment. Now I work on battery power in a social hub not far from where I rented an apartment for the next month, and I have a power supply in my backpack.

The envelope went to such places only with a leather cover-envelope. But the power supply unit found in it will not fit.

So far my MacBook Air on M1 has only 158 full recharge cycles, which is extremely low for a very worn out battery.

it turned out, battery status my MacBook Air on M1 – 86%. And this after less than 160 full recharge cycles from zero to hundreds. At 80%, the battery is already dying, and I have little faith that it will pass the remaining 6% in 840 cycles.

👎 There is a question: Apple how so? Did I get a defective MacBook?! The battery is dying and the warranty is over…

3. Recent versions of macOS have a battery check

Apple added a battery health check to macOS with the release of one of the latest versions of the system assessment – exactly the same ability has long been in iOS

When the MacBook Air on M1 ceased to please with its phenomenal autonomy, I noticed that Apple added to “System Preferences” item with battery diagnostics, like on an iPhone. A couple more versions of macOS.

You can check the vitality of the batteries through the menu “Battery” → “Battery” → “Battery status”.

It also shows the status of the battery. Mine is doing absolutely fine so far, so it seems like you don’t need to change it. However, his independence has already fallen by 14%and this is just the beginning.

4. System check results from CocoBattery

A popular utility for checking the battery status of a Mac (as well as Apple mobile devices) reports even more sad news.

When the problem was discovered, I immediately remembered the generally accepted free utility for checking the battery of the MacBook, as well as the iPhone and iPad. It’s about coconut batterywhich was especially effective when iOS failed to test the battery.

The utility shows even more sad result. After 158 recharge cycles, the battery condition is 82%. 82% Carl!

Of course, he can calm himself, but so far I believe more in the data of the official system for checking the condition of the battery. Still 86% better 82%. However, the algorithms of the coconut battery are not disclosed, so the question is open.

5. I’m not the only one with a MacBook battery problem

There are plenty of questions online about MacBook battery life, and they don’t just apply to models based on Apple’s proprietary chipsets.

I started googling to understand if I was the only one who was “lucky” or not. It turned out that the network is also amazed at the state of affairs.

Herefor example, there was a case where the battery capacity of the MacBook Air on the M1 dropped to 92% after 130 charge cycles. Here discussed at 98% after a week of use. if you search, there are plenty on the net for everyone – it scares me.

Also, apparently, this applies, plus or minus, to all MacBooks released in 2020-2021. Nuances happen.

Representatives of representatives of service centers say that within warranty no problem can be changedif its usable capacity drops below 80%. In principle, if the battery is constantly running, this can be implemented.

6. I only have one description of a battery problem

Apparently, Apple has a planned battery aging over time – due to the explanation of the causes of the problem specifically, I just don’t have

When I bought a MacBook based on Apple Silicon, I was sure that I could use it without problems for at least five years in a row. Connector changed the company’s laptops every couple of years, so that it was pleasant to work, and not much to kill the old ones for resale.

In fact, everything is different. Why it all fits that way, I have no idea. However, I have some guesses: all Apple products have built-in aging. They die either morally or technically, and everyone buys something new.

I don’t have any other explanation yet. However, I still don’t see the point in changing the MacBook Air to M1. It’s better to replace the battery.

Everything you need to take away from the article, in short:

❶ Apple is “cunning” for 1000 recharge cycles. The company said that up to 80% of the battery capacity will fall only after so much time.

❷ The battery in a MacBook dies much faster. After 158 cycles of full recharge, the battery of your favorite laptop has already blown away to 86%.

❸ Just check the battery in your MacBook. You can in the menu “System settings” → “Battery” → “Battery” → “Battery status”.

❹ Checking through cocoBattery is deceiving. A popular utility shows an even sadder value – 82% of usable capacity.

❺ They talk about problems with the battery on the network. There is plenty of information on the forums with a high probability on the rapid exit of the battery from construction.

❻ I have only one consideration of the problem. Apple has scheduled the technical obsolescence of the laptop in order to replace it with a new one.

In principle, nothing fatal has happened yet. But when you hope that the battery in your MacBook Air on the M1 will last five years without problems, its death in transport is very upsetting. However, the battery can always be replaced. So right?