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imagineadam

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 19, 2011
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I have had the Apple Watch Sport series 2 38mm for a couple months now and when I'm running without the iPhone I get about 25% drain per hour from the watch with everything on including listening to Bluetooth headphones. Does this sound about right for the 38mm?

I'm a rather average/slower marathoner and I usually finish in about 4hrs 30minutes. I'm wondering if the watch would last or if I would have to turn off the heart rate off or if it will even make it that long at all!?
 
Just ran 10.75 miles in 1hr 34m 12s.

Went from 91% to 51% with HR on and Bluetooth music playing the whole way and ocassionally checking the screen to see my pace.

So a 40% drop per 1.5 hrs with everything on. Maybe I couldn't squeak out a marathon with the HR on.

Anybody else care to post some battery results from their 38mm series 2?:)

I use just the standard workout app. I used to use Nike plus forever (on the phone)but it crashed TWICE within a week DURING a run (on the watch) so I said goodbye to it. Wish they would fix it.
 
If you ran with the iPhone in a pocket (or strapped to your arm) you'd save battery by using the phones GPS. If you use hr strap, you'd save even more battery.

Lastly, pair your headphones to your iPhone.

These three things may give you enough battery juice to make it through the whole marathon.
 
I just looked at this this morning. I have the 38mm apple Nike each and I lost 18% battery after a 55 minute run this morning, so a little lower than the OP, But in the same ballpark. I was using the watch to play music and track heart rate, no phone with me.
 
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I don't run but I left my iPhone in the car for several hours while at my job Saturday. Having recharged the battery Friday before I left for work, my battery was at 76% when I left for work Saturday. After leaving the phone in the car for a few hours, the battery was down to 46%. I went out to grab my phone to insure the battery would last the last five hours of my shift. I put the watch on the charger this morning at 20%.
 
I went for a tough elevated 30 km run Saturday in just under three hours playing music and everything else on (full brightness and HR on etc. ) and came back with about 17% power remaining.

I'm running the Copenhagen marathon late may and tested this out to see if it would be possible to run a full marathon with music but it doesn't look good. Without music it's no problem.

I might throw my phone in my FlipBelt - that way my wife can track me during the run as well
 
I went for a tough elevated 30 km run Saturday in just under three hours playing music and everything else on (full brightness and HR on etc. ) and came back with about 17% power remaining.

I'm running the Copenhagen marathon late may and tested this out to see if it would be possible to run a full marathon with music but it doesn't look good. Without music it's no problem.

I might throw my phone in my FlipBelt - that way my wife can track me during the run as well

Gotta love the FlipBelt, I could fit my iPhone 6 Plus in that lol
 
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If you ran with the iPhone in a pocket (or strapped to your arm) you'd save battery by using the phones GPS. If you use hr strap, you'd save even more battery.

Lastly, pair your headphones to your iPhone.

These three things may give you enough battery juice to make it through the whole marathon.
Thanks but the whole reason I bought the series 2 was to avoid strapping my phone to my arm like I have been all these years! And I've done some testing with the phone too. I got 12% drain on the watch with it using the gps over a 1hr and 12m run vs 30% drain on the watch with the same exact time and distance run.

I went for a tough elevated 30 km run Saturday in just under three hours playing music and everything else on (full brightness and HR on etc. ) and came back with about 17% power remaining.

I'm running the Copenhagen marathon late may and tested this out to see if it would be possible to run a full marathon with music but it doesn't look good. Without music it's no problem.

I might throw my phone in my FlipBelt - that way my wife can track me during the run as well
Thanks for the reply. I have a flip belt also that I stuff all my GU and clif bloks in. I've never put the phone in there though.

Hmm maybe if I turn off the HR I could make it through a marathon with just the watch and playing music. I'll have to do some more testing.

Oh and what do you mean so your wife can track you? What app can you use where she can see where you are running? Find my friends or something?
 
Thanks but the whole reason I bought the series 2 was to avoid strapping my phone to my arm like I have been all these years! And I've done some testing with the phone too. I got 12% drain on the watch with it using the gps over a 1hr and 12m run vs 30% drain on the watch with the same exact time and distance run.


Thanks for the reply. I have a flip belt also that I stuff all my GU and clif bloks in. I've never put the phone in there though.

Hmm maybe if I turn off the HR I could make it through a marathon with just the watch and playing music. I'll have to do some more testing.

Oh and what do you mean so your wife can track you? What app can you use where she can see where you are running? Find my friends or something?

Yes find my friends. She will have some energy gel and a high five ready for me so it's pretty practical

Keep me posted on the HR deactivation teat
 
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