Battery

Ugreen’s Magnetic Charger for Apple Watch is slim enough to keep in your pocket

Anthony Bouchard ∙ December 31, 2016

Most people experience all-day battery life with the Apple Watch, whether it’s the single core first generation model, or the dual core Series 1 or 2 versions that were launched just this year. While this is true for most people who use their Apple Watch regularly, new apps like Pokémon GO for the Apple Watch threaten to deplete your Apple Watch’s tiny battery much faster.

With that being the case, investing in some kind of portable power pack made specifically for the Apple Watch, like the Ugreen Magnetic Charger, is a good idea.

Consumer Reports reportedly stands by its controversial MacBook Pro battery findings

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 29, 2016

As you probably heard, the influential consumer organization Consumer Reports is not recommending Apple's new MacBook Pro due to inconsistent battery performance. Apple's marketing honcho Phill Schiller responded by saying that the product-testing magazine's test results don't match the company's own data. 9to5Mac reached out to Consumer Reports to learn more about their findings, here's what the magazine had to say.

Some early adopters of AirPods complain of battery drainage issues with charging case

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 28, 2016

An unknown portion of early AirPods adopters are faced with battery drain issues with the charging case, which was designed to extend AirPods' advertised five-hour run time to up to 24 hours while on the go.

According to a thread on Reddit, one customer's charging case went from a full 100 percent charge to just fifty percent after leaving his AirPods in the case overnight. “The other two days I used about five hours and the case was already down to thirty percent,” one poster wrote.

Schiller: Apple working with Consumer Reports to understand MacBook Pro battery results

Cody Lee ∙ December 23, 2016

Apple is working with Consumer Reports to better understand their MacBook Pro battery tests, according to Phil Schiller. The company's SVP of marketing sent out a tweet late Friday night, saying CR's test results don't match Apple's data.

Schiller's comments follow Consumer Reports' scathing review of Apple's new MacBook Pro, in which the product-testing magazine said, for the first time ever, that it could not recommend the laptop due to inconsistencies in battery life.

The NomadPlus turns your iPhone power adapter into a portable battery

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

For everyday charging of your iPhone, the supplied power adapter that comes in your Apple retail packaging will suffice, but if you go places a lot, then having an AC adapter that can not only charge your iPhone, but also store power for charging when away from the plug is a must.

Nomad comes the rescue in this department with an ingenious idea; a special type of AC adapter known as the NomadPlus that includes a built-in 1,800 mAh battery inside.

Consumer Reports won’t recommend new MacBook Pros over inconsistent battery life

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 22, 2016

Consumer Reports will not be recommending Apple's latest MacBook Pro models due to inconsistent battery performance, the magazine said Thursday. After conducting a battery of tests, Consumer Reports discovered that battery life across all new Pros varied “dramatically” from one test to another.

On the other hand (as I note in this article), the battery woes might be caused by a software issue in Safari for Mac because Chrome (a notorious battery hog) fared far better in the tests.

Be that as it may, Apple's latest notebooks received low rating and failed to earn Consumer Report’s recommendation “after battery life issues surfaced during testing”. As a result, the new MacBook Pro is the first Apple notebook that did not receive a Consumer Reports recommendation, said the magazine.

Apple took no specific steps to improve MacBook Pro battery life with macOS Sierra 10.12.2

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 16, 2016

The macOS Sierra 10.12.2 software update, released three days ago, removes your Mac battery's time remaining indicator but owners of the new MacBook Pro won't see any improvements to their notebook's battery life as a result of the update.

As ArsTechnica noted, the company “told us repeatedly and emphatically that it had taken no specific steps to improve MacBook Pro battery life” with macOS Sierra 10.12.2.

Now, some people have reported seeing improved battery performance after installing the update on their MacBook Pro, but there's a reasonable explanation for that.

Aukey’s 30,000 mAh battery pack stores lots of power and charges with Lightning

Anthony Bouchard ∙ December 15, 2016

There are a ton of battery packs out there, and we just showed you a couple of very stout options from Anker last month, but for those who need even more juice, Aukey has a versatile 30,000 mAh battery pack with handy unique features.

Because I was personally impressed with the build quality and features this battery pack had to offer, I’m excited to show you everything it can do.

Korean watchdog may launch investigation into iPhone 6s shutdowns

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 14, 2016

As Apple has admitted that unexpected iPhone 6s shutdowns are plaguing other models “outside the affected batch”, South Korea's Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) is considering launching an investigation into the issue. “The agency is well aware of recent iPhone issues and is taking a close look at it,” an official told the The Korea Herald.

Here’s why macOS Sierra 10.12.2 removes your battery’s estimated time remaining

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 13, 2016

Aside from a number of fixes, GPU improvements and a few new features in macOS Sierra 10.12.2, the update's introduced a significant change related to the Mac's Battery menu. Long story short, Macs with macOS Sierra 10.12.2 or later no longer display the battery's estimated time remaining in the Mac's menu bar.

Here's what prompted Apple to make this change, according to The Loop.

Apple warns customers to stay away from counterfeit chargers and batteries

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 13, 2016

Apple this morning updated its Support website with a notice cautioning customers to stay away from counterfeit and even some third-party chargers and batteries that it says could result in safety issues due to the fact that they may not be designed properly. “Beware of counterfeit parts,” says the notice. As for the batteries, the company is advising customers to visit an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider to ensure they receive a genuine Apple battery replacement.

NoATWAKEUP is a tweak that might help you save some extra battery life

Anthony Bouchard ∙ December 9, 2016

If you own an iPhone, then chances are your battery life is important to you. The importance of conserving battery life is probably increased even more when you're jailbroken and have lots of tweaks running on your device as you use it.

Fortunately, a new free jailbreak tweak called NoATWAKEUP is here to help, as the developer says it can have a positive impact on your battery life.