YIKES !! MacBook exploding battery syndrome !!

[NRG]

The 1000 cycle charge life relates to full cycle charges not each time you plug it in. IE if the battery is 50% charged and you charge it to 100% that is half a charge cycle, repeat it again and you now have 1 full charge cycle. Apple state an 80% battery charge retention at 1000 cycles and give a one year warranty. It’s also worth adding that high temperatures will also shorten the life of the battery.

Reiterating what I said earlier lithium batteries can explode, in any device, it’s not just Apple devices that are affected.

[Len Co]

I'm sure the overwhelming majority of Apple device users are blissfully unaware of the battery care guide or whatever it is called, but of course Apple's vast posterior is well covered by it. I bet they could easily build in a feature that measured battery condition or number of charges to date and at least give a warning that things might take a drastic change for the worse if the battery wasn't checked out.

[montesquieu]

I'm sure the overwhelming majority of Apple device users are blissfully unaware of the battery care guide or whatever it is called, but of course Apple's vast posterior is well covered by it. I bet they could easily build in a feature that measured battery condition or number of charges to date and at least give a warning that things might take a drastic change for the worse if the battery wasn't checked out.

There is a clear message when battery needs replacement, in the battery menu visible at the top of the screen with every application ... indeed it's telling me now mine needs replacement even thought I'm still getting about 3-4 hours per charge and it's charging up nicely.




There are other third party utilities that show how many battery cycles - free or costing peanuts - that can be downloaded from the apple store, such as the one I use - you can see here that my battery has had over 1000 cycles, but actually is reasonably healthy by other measures. I go with this one rather than the overcautious Apple one.

[walpurgis]

Being realistic, the chances of your home being burnt down by a rogue incinerating battery are probably reasonably remote. However, if in doubt, bin it!

[Len Co]

Fair comment Tom, but these involve a certain degree of awareness and monitoring that many will not have. You could argue that it's irresponsible of them not to check but as has been said the dangerous consequences of battery failure are hardly highlighted in advertising or at point of sale so it's understandable that people will generally not worry or hope for the best rather than fork out for an expensive (perceived) precautionary measure. A more proactive approach on the part of the manufacturer wouldn't go amiss - maybe 'replace battery soon' could be changed to a more alarming system generated message on the home page.

[mikmas]

Being realistic, the chances of your home being burnt down by a rogue incinerating battery are probably reasonably remote. However, if in doubt, bin it!

This unfortunate chap didn't get time to get it in the bin ....

https://medium.com/@dourvaris/my-201...d-119ea5ea9d1f

[NRG]

And for the sake of balance: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v78U6xPGdB0

I’m sure Dell’s equally as large backside was adequately covered in this instance as well

[mikmas]

Fair comment Tom, but these involve a certain degree of awareness and monitoring that many will not have. You could argue that it's irresponsible of them not to check but as has been said the dangerous consequences of battery failure are hardly highlighted in advertising or at point of sale ...

Or not all in fact ... I am very much aware of Apple's Support pages and have used them regularly pretty much since getting my first Apple products (and the internet) back in the '90s but this is typical of their half hearted approach to key safety issues relating to Lithium battery use and repeated in other areas linked to at the bottom of the page I have quoted from (although to be fair it's actually better than most manufacturers I've encountered)

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201585

About battery cycles
"When you use your Mac notebook, its battery goes through charge cycles. A charge cycle happens when you use all of the battery’s power—but that doesn’t necessarily mean a single charge.
For example, you could use half of your notebook's charge in one day, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two. In this way, it might take several days to complete a cycle.
Batteries have a limited amount of charge cycles before they're considered to be consumed. Once consumed, a replacement battery is recommended.*You can use your battery after it reaches its maximum cycle count, but you might notice a reduction in your battery life.*
Knowing how many charge cycles your battery has and how many are left can help you determine when a battery replacement is required. For best performance, replace your battery when you reach its maximum cycle count."

(emphasis added)

[dave2010]

And for the sake of balance: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v78U6xPGdB0

I’m sure Dell’s equally as large backside was adequately covered in this instance as well

I'm sitting typing this with my 2013 MBP on my knee! Currently it's plugged in to the charger. I did have a replacement battery last year.

I don't think it's only Apple kit which has this kind of problem, but videos like the Lenovo one here show that things can go bad rather rapidly. I have noticed my MBP getting hot sometimes, and the suggestions in the video here make some sort of sense.

1. Don't charge a computer on a sofa or other fabric surface.

indeed preferably

1b. Don't leave a computer on a sofa or other fabric surface at all.

Always use a hard surface - as this allows air to get in to the case, and if necessary the fans can pull in more air.

I'm not sure about the charging cycles.

2. Don't leave the computer connected to the charger for long periods.

I'm not quite sure about this. I often have mine charging overnight (on a hard surface), and I use it quite frequently while connected to the charger to relieve the strain on the battery.

I am used to the heat issue - warms my legs, but exploding --- that's something I wouldn't want to happen.

Ouch!

So should we all go back to using desktop machines? I could, but I've gradually been shifting to laptops and tablets for everyday use.

[struth]

i usually use my laptops with battery out. my new one doesnt charge it if near full either so it just runs off the psu.