MacBook Pro battery life in 2011 vs 2026: how much has it really improved in 15 years? By Luke James Nov. 1, 2026 9:15 am EST Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Add Engadget on Google: Google Discover

In 2011, Nilay Patel's video rundown test showed the 15-inch MacBook Pro delivered seven hours of battery life, a result we called pretty impressive at the time in our MacBook Pro review (early 2011). Fifteen years later, our MacBook Pro M5 Max 16-inch review showed that the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max lasted 30 hours and 46 minutes, more than four times as long. Yet the battery itself has only grown by about 30% from 77.5 watt-hours to 99.6 watt-hours.