I am trying to find the best way to have battery health for the MacBook Pro.
For legacy older batteries I was told do not let it sit either fully charged or empty battery for long periods of time. Rather it was best to power cycle the battery periodically.
So with the newer battery technology, I am curious how do we have the best battery health on a new MacBook Pro (M1) and iPhones - iPads?
An Apple senior tech mentioned that most likely his guess was that power cycling once per month was about right. He also stated the general idea that using the MacBook battery “uses UP” the battery, so in his opinion it will have a longer life the less it is used.
Also: - the iOS battery technology seems to have something built in do only charge to 80% until right before you are ready to use it, I would think that the iOS batteries should not be left on the charger at 100% for long periods of time. Is that correct? And if so, then why would it be better to leave the MacBook Pro plugged in for long periods of time?
Batteries decline in health when they’re kept at a full charge. They decline in health when they’re empty. They also decline in health when they’re charged and discharged. And they decline in health as they age.
The iOS thing is a different animal than a MacBook, because nobody uses an iOS device with constant power. They therefore don’t have to worry about when to discharge / charge it - there’s a natural rhythm based on usage. I’ve heard that “optimal” is a battery being stored at about 40%, but that’s not useful - so the 80% thing is a compromise on Apple’s part that attempts to learn your natural charge/discharge rhythm and not wear your battery any more than necessary.
You’re not trying to solve for “optimal” here as much as you’re trying to solve for “practical”. That Apple tech’s advice sounds sane to me. Discharge occasionally, but don’t stress too much about it.