# MacBook Pro web browsing endurance more than quadruples since 2011

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/macbook-pro-battery-life-in-2011-vs-2026-how-much-has-it-really-improved-in-15-years/
- Published: 2026-11-01T14:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-01T14:33:44+00:00
- Original publisher: Engadget
- Original article: https://www.engadget.com/2300274/macbook-pro-battery-life-comparison-2011-vs-2026/
- Topics: Gadgets

## Key points

- Battery life rose from seven to more than 30 hours.
- Capacity grew by about 30%; efficiency explains most of the gain.
- The newer model is thinner, lighter and charges faster.

## Summary

The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max lasted 30 hours and 46 minutes in a web-browsing test, compared with seven hours for a 15-inch model in 2011. That is more than four times the runtime over 15 years, while battery capacity rose by only about 30%, suggesting more efficient hardware drove most of the improvement.

The older battery was 77.5 watt-hours; the newer one is rated at 99.6 watt-hours, just below the FAA’s 100 watt-hour threshold for lithium-ion batteries that require airline approval. The 2026 model is also lighter and thinner, and its 140W adapter can charge it to 50% in about 30 minutes. The tests used similar website-browsing methods, but different screen brightness settings, so the results are not a perfect like-for-like comparison.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.