Marc: you are right to be worried and it's difficult to follow all the talk over the last week or so.
My take on it is simple: different people are getting different results because of their individual software setup/configuration. Who knows what works or not with these new MBPs + Sierra ? It certainly feels like Apple is to blame for not testing enough. But I'm sure whatever it is will get fixed over the next few weeks.
I will do a clean re-install and only transfer my files. I will run down the battery twice from full. And then I will report back what kind of battery I am getting.
The nonTB version is getting very good reviews in terms of battery life and performance. I went with the touchbar because I am planning to keep this baby for a long time and I fully expect developers (some already are) to take full advantage of this new input.
Great to hear that Apple is working to fix the issue !
I hope you're right, but:
1. Apple can do only so much with changes to firmware or software. In the end, the energy capacities of the batteries in the 2016 MBPs are what they are.
2. Software fixes can theoretically reduce power consumption by some Apple apps, or they can change the way the OS reports energy usage and/or calculates time remaining.
3. In the end, it's the actual time on battery power that counts, not what the OS says should be left. I'll be interested to hear what you say about the latest beta.
4. Solutions will differ depending on the use case and computer. For example, anything that changes how the dGPU is used in the 15" MBP won't affect the 13" model. Also, I've always found that screen brightness has a major effect on battery life, but some people can tolerate lower settings than others, just as they have to run different apps.
After I pick up my 13" MBP with Touch Bar this weekend, I'm going to use it as is for awhile and wait to see if Apple releases a Sierra update that users report makes a difference—I certainly don't want to have to install two updates. Then I'll migrate my stuff as cleanly as I can and see how it goes. Ultimately, though, I'm not prepared to compromise on how I use my computer—it has to do what I need it to do with reasonable battery life, around 8 hours or so. If it doesn't, it'll go back to Apple and I'll probably exchange it for a non-TB MBP.
