[m i k e]

My battery has 11 cycles on it at 96% health. Many people seemed to shoot up to 100% health after the 1.3 firmware update or at least a higher health percentage. Why didn't mine change? Does anyone know what I can do?

[ibook_steve]

96% is basically full. There's not really any place to go from there. No battery ever reads 100%. You don't need to worry. You're not losing out on anything.

Steve

[m i k e]

I appreciate the reply but from what I've read many batteries are reading 100% health after the firmware update 1.3. Take a look at this link: MacBook Pro Battery Update 1.3 is available - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

[Simon]

If your battery is at 96% it won't charge. The battery controls prevent this 'topping off' to preserve battery health.

Run your battery down to something like 50% and then let it charge w/o interruption. You'll see it will go beyond 96%.

Also, that percentage is not a measure of battery health. Battery health is best described by cycle count and full capacity in mAh.

[m i k e]

I'm talking about battery health. I derived the percentage from programs like coconutBattery and iStat Pro. My battery charges to 100%. That's not the issue.

[Simon]

As I said, both the full capacity and the cycle count are important. If you get 96% of your original capacity after 200 cycles, your battery is in awesome shape.

[ghporter]

My battery went from a consistent ~95% health to 100% after the update-with 34 cycles on it. Please note that the health number can change from day to day. I've had mine go from 97% to 99% from one class to the next. It helps to have the battery cycle now and then so the calibration remains current. My 34 cycles are over about a year of use.

[serranot]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

My battery went from a consistent ~95% health to 100% after the update-with 34 cycles on it. Please note that the health number can change from day to day. I've had mine go from 97% to 99% from one class to the next. It helps to have the battery cycle now and then so the calibration remains current. My 34 cycles are over about a year of use.

Wow. I have over 200 cycles in less than a year. Perhaps I need to leave the thing plugged in more when Im using it.

[m i k e]

Originally Posted by Simon 

As I said, both the full capacity and the cycle count are important. If you get 96% of your original capacity after 200 cycles, your battery is in awesome shape.

As I said earlier. I have 11 cycles. And I'm not asking you to tell me if my battery is in good shape. I'm asking why it's health didn't raise like it did for for most people such as ghporter after the 1.3 update released a few days ago. I appreciate your replies but please read my original questions.

[Simon]

But that's the point! Your battery is new - it has almost all it's charge so everything is fine. If your battery would only hold 50% of its charge by now or if it shows 50% left and suddenly your MBP shuts off, then you'd have a dud. No battery is equal. And the health figure is noisy. Yours is at 96%, mine's at 98% right now, and in a week form now both will be at another value. That's all quite normal and nothing to worry about.

[m i k e]

Simon my man. I am completely aware of that but again that wasn't my question. My question was only in relation to the battery update. I believe I have figured it out. It seems that because I got this battery very recently, it did not jump up in health with the battery update. It seems that only older batteries (meaning more than a few weeks old) are exhibiting this change. Maybe mine came updated.

[pheonixash]

Originally Posted by m i k e 

It seems that because I got this battery very recently, it did not jump up in health with the battery update. It seems that only older batteries (meaning more than a few weeks old) are exhibiting this change. Maybe mine came updated.

Originally Posted by Simon 

But that's the point! Your battery is new - it has almost all it's charge so everything is fine.
[...]That's all quite normal and nothing to worry about.

Which is exactly what he said.

[m i k e]

No. He was telling me that my battery was fine. That wasn't my question. My question yet again was why it did not move up in health after the recent battery update. Other people with less cycles (on older batteries) noticed increased battery health with the update.

[ibook_steve]

I guess people who are trying to answer your question (and who have quite well, I might add) are not sure what you are expecting. Were you expecting to see 100% and think "Wow, my battery now has amazing capacity! 4% higher than before!" That may or may not happen given the day of the week, the position of the sun, and how much or little you've charged or discharged. As already stated, 96% is fine and basically full.

Steve

[m i k e]

Already stated (and many times, I might add), I know. I was expecting for someone who may have experienced the same thing or known someone else who did explain to me why my battery health didn't increase after the update and what I could do (if anything) to increase my battery's health since the recent update seemed to do that for most people. I was not asking for an opinion on how well my battery was doing and yes people articulated some very nice answers but many not related to the specific question I was asking (ghporter did understand my question). It shouldn't matter if my battery was at 99% health and I was curious why didn't go to 100%. This was just out of curiosity and I thought I could bring it here to discuss. Isn't that what a forum is for? I will broaden my questions on here next time as the specificity seemed to confuse a lot of people. On another forum I posted the exact same thing and the first response was exactly what I had asked for.

[pcryan5]

I'm 98% before and 98% afterwards. (And 100% satisfied I might note...)

[Simon]

Originally Posted by m i k e 

No. He was telling me that my battery was fine. That wasn't my question. My question yet again was why it did not move up in health after the recent battery update. Other people with less cycles (on older batteries) noticed increased battery health with the update.

Mike, my man I answered that question right up there:

Originally Posted by Simon

No battery is equal. And the health figure is noisy. Yours is at 96%, mine's at 98% right now, and in a week form now both will be at another value.

I think you're trying too hard to understand a noisy process. The difference between a battery with 96% and 98% is zero. That figure carries at least a ±5% variation. I don't think there's much sense in trying to determine why you get 96% and not 100%. That's like flipping a coin ten times and trying to find out why you got heads six rather than five times. I understand you're being curious and I like understanding my Macs too, but in this case I think you're simply trying too hard. No offense, seriously.

[m i k e]

I appreciate everyones input but I have the information I need. I don't think I'm trying too hard to understand anything. It was pretty simple really but I respect your opinion. Have a wonderful evening everyone and thanks for your time.

[treday630]

My battery was sitting at around 91% health and now I'm back to 100%. I have the Jun MBP revision by the way.

[scaredpoet]

I think people are avoiding the obvious here: the 1.3 update isn't "reviving" the health of the battery. It's simply clearing out previous calibration data that measures the battery health. The health is still what it used to be, the updated firmware jsut hasn't had time to measure the state of the battery and its health yet.

Have those of you who had batteries shot back up to 100% done a battery calibration?

FWIW, My battery went from 96% health to 100% health afte the update too. Knowing something was up, I calibrated. I'm back at 96% health.

[m i k e]

Thanks. That was helpful.