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Does the brand new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar have a battery problem?

Updated Dec 5th, 2016 8:44AM EST
MacBook Pro 2016 Battery Problems
Image: Apple

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The new MacBook Pro is objectively Apple’s best laptop ever, but it’s also getting plenty of criticism for its lack of notable improvements. Additionally, the new laptop has a graphics issue that Apple is currently investigating, and if that wasn’t enough, there also appears to be a potential battery problem affecting some units.

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According to some MacRumors readers, the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is experiencing shorter battery life than expected. Some users say they’re getting between three to six hours of battery life on a charge instead of the 10 hours advertised.

“Currently I’m powering a 1080p external monitor and casually browsing with Chrome. At full charge, I’m getting an estimate of 3 hours battery life. With gaming it’s even less,” one reader wrote.

“I bought a maxed out 13-inch Touch Bar model, and I’ve been using it for about a week,” a second user said. “With light use, I’ve been consistently getting around 5-6.5 hours when mainly browsing. Apple claims 10 hours wireless web but my battery has never lasted this long.”

A third user said that a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar got around three hours and 45 minutes of battery life on a single charge during “normal usage” that included web browsing, YouTube video watching, and software development.

A different user said battery life dropped by 5% in just 12 minutes.

Similar stories were also posted on Reddit, which suggests that there are quite a few users who’re seeing battery estimates well below what Apple is advertising. At the same time, this isn’t necessarily a widespread issue, as other users note that their machines are working properly.

“I’ve been working non-stop for the past 1.5 hours, back and forth between emails, Safari, Calendar, Messages, organizing files, editing some PDFs in Adobe Acrobat DC, and building a financial model in Excel,” a different user said on Reddit. “I started at 100% and am now at 92% battery, with an estimated 10 hours 35 minutes remaining. If you’re not getting this kind of battery life on your MBP, you should definitely get it checked out.”

Apple is yet to address the manner in an official capacity, as it did recently with the iPhone 6s. But if you’re experiencing lower-than-expected battery life on your brand new MacBook Pro, you should definitely have it inspected by an Apple Store genius as soon as possible.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.