Apple's MacBook Pro got a soft blow last month when Consumer Reports decided it could not recommend the new laptop for having inconsistent battery life.
Apple naturally questioned the results and stood by on its advertised battery claim. Apple then began coordinating with the group to find out the discrepancy in their own findings and that of Consumer Reports.
According to Consumer Reports, they tested three MacBook Pro's namely: a 13-inch model with the new Touch Bar, a 13-inch model without the Touch Bar; and a 15-inch model. As all products tested and rated by Consumer Reports, the items were bought at retail from outlets consumers would normally purchase from. The results they got were inconsistent in all trials.
In exchange of diagnostics, reports, and details, Apple found the source of the inconsistency was due to a bug in Safari's code, and Consumer Reports confirmed. The bug reportedly is only present when Safari is activated in developer mode. The mode is used by Consumer Reports has to use to disable the local cache, Forbes reported.
Apple argues in a statement that customers in real-world situations do not normally use the setting. Apple stated that Consumer Reports testing was not appropriate and that they should have used 'real world' parameters. Asked to test the MacBook Pro in normal user settings, the laptops performed with its expected battery life consistently as confirmed by Consumer Reports.
To root out future problems, Apple will be releasing a software patch to stop the Safari bug from being activated. The patch is available for those in the Apple Beta Software program. Eventually, the patch will be incorporated into a broader update released in a few weeks.
For its part, Consumer Reports will be conducting a new round of battery life tests once the update has been rolled out and installed. The group then will issue its recommendation for the new MacBook Pros if the battery problem is resolved, according to GSM Arena.
