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Is it normal? MacBook Pro 2018 battery only lasts for 3 hours

Hi, Eight days ago, I purchased a brand-new Macbook Pro 2018 with 256GB SSD. I sensed there was a problem with the battery right away. It had three rounds of charging when I bought it. The battery now only lasts 3 to 4 hours after 6 cycles after 8 days. My use of the XD and Sketch apps. Usually between 50% and 60% bright. The battery state is normal, and I have the most recent software update. The apps I use are quite compact; unlike Photoshop and the other Adobe tools, they are not as large. I still have 14 days left in the refund period; should I return it? or what do I need to do? Noting that I don't have any antivirus or cleaning software loaded, the reseller assured me that it is typical for the battery to survive for 3 hours with my usage. I only work with Sketch and XD.

Best Answered by

Amanda Wong

Answered on Tuesday, August 27, 2024

It is said that on average, a single charge on a MacBook with the M1 and M2 CPUs lasts between 9 and 13 hours, but it only lasts 5-7 hours for Macs from before 2020. These figures are only estimates because your work habits and the applications you use on your Mac will affect how long the battery will last.

According to your description, it doesn't run any large CPU-intensive apps and runs the latest macOS version with a brightness usually 50 - 60%, but a single charge on your 2018 MacBook Pro only lasts for 3 hours. It seems that the MacBook battery drains fast.

Apply these solutions if your Mac battery runs out of charge quickly:

  • Save energy on your Mac with some system settings: Put your Mac to Sleep, set the display to turn off after a certain amount of inactivity, dim the display, and disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
  • Change battery settings on the Mac such as enabling Low Power Mode.
  • Close apps on Mac running in the background.
  • Remove any unnecessary accessories, such as external hard drives.