I recently updated my (Apple Series Zero) Apple Watch with Apple’s new OS 4.3 update. Immediately after the update my watch proceeded to have serious battery problems. The battery life before the 4.3 update would last all day with no issues at all. After the update my battery life would last only about 4 or 5 hours. I contacted Apple Technical Support and went through all the various diagnostics with Apple Support actually performing them. I also performed all the requested measures to see if it would resolved the issue that they suggested: unpair the watch from your iPhone and pair it again with the iPhone; remove all applications other than what was shipped with the watch; turn off notifications; turn off wake on wrist raise; disable background refresh; reboot the watch; etc… Nothing resolved the issue. Apple Technical Support even admitted that they could find no hardware issue with the watch from the diagnostics. I was then shuffled from the Apple technician to a Apple Support Manager (Lesley). Who went through everything again and was told that I would have to take the watch to BestBuy and pay BestBuy to fix the watch. I am not sure what BestBuy would fix since the watch worked perfectly 100% fine prior to the 4.3 update and terrible after the update. I was next shuffled to Apple Customer Relations (Denis). Every one was wonderfully polite but since there was no hardware failure and it was only a software issue there was nothing Apple could do for me. The only solution that was presented was that I could go to BestBuy and pay BestBuy to look at the watch and see if they could repair it. I find that solution absurd since Apple would not offer to have me send the watch back to Apple the manufacturer of the watch in the first place, who also broke the watch with their 4.3 update! The suggestion that BestBuy would know more than the Apple Support technicians who already performed diagnostics on the watch and agreed on the phone that the issue was related to the Apple 4.3 update. I am very disappointed in Apple. I have been a very loyal customer of Apple since the first iPod, iPhones, iPad and MacBooks were released. I have purchased numerous new models for myself and family of the various devices mentioned. I will have to reconsider my loyalty to Apple and continuation as a customer. If you have an Apple Series Zero Apple Watch DO NOT UPDATE TO 4.3, if you do your on your own. Apple will not support you unless they can diagnose a hardware issue, they will only recommend that you go to BestBuy and pay BestBuy to fix the watch that Apple broke.
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5/1/2018 (Apple Series Zero) Apple Watch Battery Drains After Installing Watch OS 4.3 update - POOR
- Thread starter Carneyv
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Updated mine the day the update went live, experienced no problems. If anything, battery life is perhaps ever so slightly better than it was with 4.0-4.2 (but still not as good as the versions prior to that.)
You experienced a fluke it would seem, that's disappointing and regrettable. Since it seems that you've already gone through the steps a user can perform (and the steps Apple can perform remotely), your next step would be to either seek out an Apple service center if any are available near you, or follow Apple's advice and take your watch to Best Buy.
As series 0 watches are out of warranty, and some also starting to go out of applecare range, so there isn't much else you can do really. It's doubtful anyone here's going to be able to help you.
My series 0 battery drops precipitously from time to time. I find that rebooting the watch and the iPhone rectifies it, until the problem repeats again after a few weeks.
I used my Series 0 to travel in Europe for a month in April and for the most part, I experienced good battery life lasting the whole day (minus a couple of days where the drain seemed excessive). It was definitely not as good as my Series 3 LTE, but it was better than I expected. I didn't travel with my Series 3 as I didn't need the LTE and I didn't want to risk losing the Series 3 while traveling alone.
It was a big difference going back to my Series 0 and noticed the battery life differences and the speed differences immediately, but for me to track steps and fitness while traveling, it was still functional
I'm definitely going to update to "series 4" whenever they announce it. The series 0 is essentially useless for anything other than built-in apps at this point (frankly that was more or less always the case) and things as simple as starting a workout are now troublesome and slow. Since my series 0 was the steel variety, I wanted to get my money's worth before updating. As for LTE, I haven't seen any compelling use case since I always have my phone around anyway, and if i really need to I can make calls from the apple watch as long as it's on wifi (thanks, verizon wi-fi calling!)
I owned the Series 0 SS, Series 2 SS, and now Series 3 SS. I got the LTE because when I go for runs or bike rides, I want to have calling option in case of emergency without having to take my phone with me
After initial update, the watch usually re-compiles most of the files and apps inside. Give it a day or two to normalize. That always happens to me on major point upgrades.
Still on S0 SS too. Apple Music + Workout is the only use now, with AirPods. Even then, battery life is dismal.
6AM-7AM Charge 95-100% left.
7-5PM 40% left
6-7PM Workout 5-10% left (With Apple Music and Airpods)
7-9PM Charge
10/11PM-6AM Sleep Tracking 75% left, DND and Theater Mode ON.
It's really important to keep a backup charging puck @ work.
Series 1 OTOH would fare better but not by much. Series 3 is battery life champ as evidenced by members here.
Still on S0 SS too. Apple Music + Workout is the only use now, with AirPods. Even then, battery life is dismal.
6AM-7AM Charge 95-100% left.
7-5PM 40% left
6-7PM Workout 5-10% left (With Apple Music and Airpods)
7-9PM Charge
10/11PM-6AM Sleep Tracking 75% left, DND and Theater Mode ON.
It's really important to keep a backup charging puck @ work.
Series 1 OTOH would fare better but not by much. Series 3 is battery life champ as evidenced by members here.
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