MacBook Pro Battery

Apple's MacBook and MacBook Pro are touted for their exceptional laptop battery life. Their lithium-ion polymer batteries comprising internal processors that calculate battery time and maximize efficiency are touted quite a bit. However, several people have had disappointing experiences with Apple batteries. There are several factors that contribute to a battery's performance such as usage, calibration, environmental factors and overall load. We get all frantic, when our laptop battery fails to function. However, did you know as an owner of a MacBook you play a role in extending the life of your MacBook battery. Proper maintenance and calibration can help extend the batteries life.

MacBook Pro Battery Life and Replacement

In order to check how many times your battery has been charged, turn on your MacBook and click on the Apple icon at the top left corner of the screen. You will find an option 'About this Mac'. Click on it. Then click on 'more info'. Then will open Apple System Profiler. Now, click on power. The cycle count will be listed under the 'Battery Information' section.

The battery should work well within its first 300 cycles at least. In case of any battery problems occurring within the 300 charge cycle limit, one can get a replacement from Apple. With proper laptop battery care, an Apple notebook battery is designed to retain about 80% of its original capacity after 300 complete charge and discharge cycles.

Like any other consumable item, eventually even the Apple MacBook Pro battery will see its end. It then needs to be replaced and the replacement can be purchased directly from Apple. You will get a warranty against manufacturing defects for one year, from the date of purchase.

Calibrating MacBook Pro Battery

In order to keep the battery functioning to its fullest capacity, one should calibrate the battery once in two months. People who use their MacBook Pros not so frequently should calibrate their batteries every month. This will reduce the number of times you will have to replace the battery.

It's a simple procedure. Just plug in the MagSafe power adapter and have the battery completely charged, till you see a change in the light on the MagSafe connector. The light will change to green and the battery icon on the menu bar of the MacBook Pro will show battery charge is full.

Without removing the power adapter, allow this fully charged battery to rest in this full state for the next two hours. Then, disconnect the power adapter, leave the device on till the battery gets drained and it shows the 'battery low' sign. Continue to keep the MacBook Pro on until it goes into sleep mode on its own.

Leave the MacBook to be in this sleep state for the next 5 hours. You can check for a pulsing white light on the laptop. When this light stops flickering you know the battery has been completely drained. Once again connect the power adapter and charge the battery completely once again. Once the battery has been thoroughly charged, the calibration procedure is done. Calibration will minimize the number of battery life problems in the future.

Latest MacBook Pro Battery Features

Launched in April 2010, the 15 and 17 inch MacBook Pro batteries can run for 8 to 9 hours on a single charge. The 13 inch MacBook Pro runs for 10 hours straight on a single charge. Moreover, the battery can be charged for over 1000 times, which is thrice the lifespan of typical notebook batteries. Ingenious Apple engineers replaced removable batteries with inbuilt ones and developed an advanced form of chemistry and charging technique, which increased battery life to 1000 recharges.

This new advancement of the 'longest lasting MacBook Pro battery ever' gives Apple batteries a cutting edge over the others! With proper calibration and maintenance, one can extend precious battery life.