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macOS Sierra 10.12.2 Released; Brings Graphics Issue Fix, Removes Battery Life Indicator, and More

macOS Sierra 10.12.2 Released; Brings Graphics Issue Fix, Removes Battery Life Indicator, and More

By Tasneem Akolawala | Updated: 14 December 2016 11:01 IST

Highlights

macOS Sierra version bumped to 10.12.2
The update brings the much wanted graphics issue fix
It also removes the battery time estimate from the menu bar

Following the iOS 10.2, tvOS 10.1, and watchOS 3.1.1 updates, Apple has also released macOS Sierra 10.12.2 update for compatible Mac machines. The update brings along hundreds of new the Unicode 9.0 emojis including new professions, sports, animals, and food representation. Apple also claims to have fixed the graphics issue that plagued many MacBook Pro 2016 models recently. It notably also removes the battery life indicator, thought to be a reaction to widespread battery life complaints on the 2016 MacBook Pro laptops.

Earlier this month, many users started experiencing flickering and screen tearing on their new MacBook Pro laptops. Apple in an alleged email to customers later claimed that this issue would be fixed with the next update, and it seems to have kept its promise. Another significant change is the removal of battery time estimate - in what appears to be Apple's solution to the dismal battery life reported for the recently launched MacBook Pro laptops. Many users reported of battery life as low as just 3 hours on the new MacBook Pro, but it seems that those estimates were calculated based on the time remaining shown on screen, and not real-life tests.

TechCrunch reports that "Apple has actually examined the battery life data from installed systems, and found that battery life is behaving as expected". It is unclear whether all users' complaints were based on simply looking at the battery life indicator, or there are some who are genuinely experiencing these issues.

There's also a way to bring back the battery life indicator if you so prefer. Head to Finder or Other folder in Lauchpad -> Applications Folder -> Utilities folder -> Activity Monitor. After selecting Activity Monitor, click on the Energy Tab on top of the dialog box. This is where you'll find the 'time remaining' estimate of the battery. Even though this is buried into the system, it still is a solution for edgy users.

The macOS Sierra 10.12.2 update also brings four new wallpapers and many bug fixes and improvements. The update is available through the Mac App Store.

Here are the release notes:
The macOS Sierra 10.12.2 update improves the stability, compatibility, and performance of your Mac, and is recommended for all users.

This update:
Improves setup and reliability of Auto Unlock
Allows addition of a Chinese Trackpad Handwriting button to the Touch Bar Control Strip
Adds support for taking screenshots of the Touch Bar using the Grab app or Cmd-Shift-6 shortcut
Fixes an issue that caused the Touch Bar emoji picker to appear on the display
Resolves graphics issues on MacBook Pro (Late 2016) computers
Fixes an issue where System Integrity Protection was disabled on some MacBook Pro (Late 2016) computers
Improves setup and opt-out experience for iCloud Desktop and Documents
Fixes an issue with the delivery of Optimized Storage alerts
Improves audio quality when using Siri and FaceTime with Bluetooth headphones
Improves the stability of Photos when creating and ordering books
Fixes an issue where incoming Mail messages did not appear when using a Microsoft Exchange account
Fixes an issue that prevented installation of Safari Extensions downloaded outside the Safari Extensions Gallery
Adds support for new installations of Windows 8 and Windows 7 using Boot Camp on supported Macs

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