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Apple Removes the 'Time Remaining' Battery Indicator In New macOS Update (loopinsight.com)

Posted by msmash on from the it's-simple dept.

Apple has removed the "time remaining" battery life indicator with the new macOS Sierra update following complaints from several users of new MacBook Pro models. Apple says it stands by its 10-hour battery life claim in the new MacBook Pro models, and adds that the battery life indicator didn't show accurate information. From a report on The Loop: You can still see the image on the top of the screen, and you can see the percentage, but you will no longer be able to see how much time is remaining before your battery dies. [...] Apple said the percentage is accurate, but because of the dynamic ways we use the computer, the time remaining indicator couldn't accurately keep up with what users were doing. Everything we do on the MacBook affects battery life in different ways and not having an accurate indicator is confusing. Besides the apps we are working on all the time, there are a lot of things that are happening in the background that users may not be aware of that affects battery life.

6 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. They can't dynamically figure this out? by gameboyhippo · · Score: 2, Informative

    My Surface Pro 3 dynamically figures out the time left. It will show me how much time I have left if I continue to use the computer in the same way. Light work naturally will show more time left than playing a video game.

    1. Re:They can't dynamically figure this out? by tlhIngan · · Score: 3, Informative

      My Surface Pro 3 dynamically figures out the time left. It will show me how much time I have left if I continue to use the computer in the same way. Light work naturally will show more time left than playing a video game.

      Therein lies the rub. What is "the same way"? Browsing the web can be tricky - some websites are nice and static and use little CPU and give plenty of battery life. Other websites have videos and sound and take more CPU and reduce the time. So "browsing the web" isn't the same way - I may go to YouTube all of a sudden and the battery life will have to drop.

      And that's the issue - there's no point telling the user they have 5 hours of battery life because they'll think they have ... 5 hours of battery life. Then they launch Netflix and watch a 2 hour movie, and expect 3 hours of battery life left, but get awfully surprised when they're down to 1 hour or less.

      Time remaining works well for relatively constant loads - a camcorder recording video can display time remaining when recording because it's all it's going to do. If it says you can record for 2 hours, then it will last two hours regardless of what you're filming. It won't suddenly drop to 1 hour because a kid comes into frame and recording cuteness takes more power.

  2. huh? by fluffernutter · · Score: 4, Informative

    10 hour battery life doing what? I have a brand new macbook pro and it is more around 6-7 hours. It is undoubtedly the best battery life of any laptop I've had so far but not 10 hours.

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    1. Re:huh? by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 3, Informative

      10 hour battery life doing what? I have a brand new macbook pro and it is more around 6-7 hours. It is undoubtedly the best battery life of any laptop I've had so far but not 10 hours.

      Actually, Apple is pretty specific (e.g. "Brightness set to 12 clicks from the bottom, or 75%" (see below)) (unlike, say, Microsoft for the Surface Book, who only stated "Auto Brightness Disabled" for the biggest current-hog in the system...Right...) on their Product Page.

      Here are the "Tech Specs" for the 15" Touch Bar MacBook Pro. Scroll down to the "Battery and Power" section (and don't forget to read Footnote 8).

    2. Re:huh? by berj · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yet, instead of making it clear what background processes are draining your battery, and why that's killing your estimated time remaining, Apple goes it's usual "form over function" route and just hides all those nasty details.

      You'd be 100% right.. except for one nasty detail which makes you 0% right.

      There are multiple ways to find out precisely which applications/processes are draining your battery.

      Here's one:

      https://support.apple.com/en-c...

      Here's another:

      http://cdn.osxdaily.com/wp-con...

      That second one is right there in the battery menu.

      Nasty.. nasty details.

  3. Re:Courage! by Alan+Shutko · · Score: 3, Informative

    iStat Menus still has the widget. So does the energy tab of Activity Monitor.

    Agreed, this is stupid.