Can Someone Help Me Read My Battery Health Monitor? (Numbers Included in Post)

Amie

Amie

Mac Convert for Life
I installed an app called Battery Health Monitor, and I just got my replacement battery yesterday. It's all charged up and I just now opened my laptop and started using it. I pulled up BHM and this is what it says:

Current capacity: 88% (4,000 mAh)

Current charge: 93% (4,098 mAh)

Charge cycles: 1% (5)

Voltage: 12.098 V

I do know that it may take five charge cycles to get an accurate reading from a new battery that's been calibrated only once so far (that's what the documents say). Since this is my first calibration and first time using the battery, I'm guessing it's not entirely accurate. But could you please take a look at the BHM readings and let me know if anything looks extremely off?

Also: What does the 1-percent charge cycle mean? And what's the number "5" in parentheses mean?

Thanks so much!
 
OK, now that I've calibrated it and used it until my laptop went to sleep, then fully charged it again, I'm getting a different reading through BHM. Now it says:

Current capacity: 102% (5,096 mAh)

Can anyone tell me what the norm value of current capacity is for a new battery? Do the numbers look about right?
 
1% charge cycles likely means that you are at about 1% of the projected design life of the battery. The (5) would mean that the battery has had 5 full discharge-recharge cycles. The 1% may mean you might expect a projected life of about 500 charge cycles before battery depletion.
Your Apple original battery was nominally rated for 4400 mAh, so over 5,000 mAh should mean that you will get more time from one full charge than the original battery.

final note - those values show the relative condition of the battery as it is right now. Don't expect those values to predict the overall life of the battery. But, those numbers will allow you to monitor the battery, and you will know when the numbers begin a serious decline at the end of the battery's useful life.
 
Hmm, 500 cycles seems a bit low... Mine is almost on it's 450th cycle and its still kickin out just like when it was new, but I guess since on the batter app it is an estimation it doesn't really matter.
 
A new MacBook battery shows a full charge capacity of about 5500 mAh.
What does your battery with 450 recharge cycles show?

Projected life does not mean that YOUR battery will suddenly fail at EXACTLY 200, or 400, or 500 cycles - but only gives some guidelines on what you can expect. Apple says 300 cycles for a battery that may still retain about 80% of original charge. Batteries may not last that long, or some will last somewhat longer. I've seen PowerBook batteries with over 900 charge cycles that would still hold a charge. Not a very long charge, but could still be used for about 10 minutes. Most batteries won't get near that many charge cycles. Sometimes you get lucky.
The non-swappable batteries in the new MacBook Pros should expect 1,000 charge cycles.
 
DeltaMac said:
1% charge cycles likely means that you are at about 1% of the projected design life of the battery. The (5) would mean that the battery has had 5 full discharge-recharge cycles. The 1% may mean you might expect a projected life of about 500 charge cycles before battery depletion.
Your Apple original battery was nominally rated for 4400 mAh, so over 5,000 mAh should mean that you will get more time from one full charge than the original battery.

final note - those values show the relative condition of the battery as it is right now. Don't expect those values to predict the overall life of the battery. But, those numbers will allow you to monitor the battery, and you will know when the numbers begin a serious decline at the end of the battery's useful life.
Click to expand...

Thank you, DeltaMac! :)
 
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