Apple Watch Battery Life Currently 'About a Day', but May Improve for 2015 Launch

[Fabio_gsilva]

Your opinion is correct, and it's one that I partially share depending on the perspective. A nice gold watch with interchangeable high-quality bands, and what we could describe as free advanced features, well not suddenly become obsolete next year.

However, because this product is designed more as a piece of technology with elements of traditional watchmaking, as opposed to the opposite approach, I'm speaking for the majority of people in saying they will covet the next generation. Apple will likely institute some upgrade mechanism where they open the watch and stick in new hardware, swap devices and melt down the gold on the old one, etc. So I'm sure they're tackling it, but until they clearly define the upgrade process, anyone who is stretching to buy this item will likely buy a base model or wait for v2.

Apple is probably differentiating themselves with the highest tier, as opposed to expecting a large profits from the gold watch. Let's be honest here though, and give Apple credit for designing an identical product which doesn't add complexity when all you're doing is swapping the case.

Yep...

Jus to add, I think the upgrade cycle for the watch, at least from the first to the second generation tends to be greater than we are used to in order to avoid this wait approach from possible buyers...

I think it is not unreasonable that they skip end of 2015 upgrades to some mid 2016...

Nevertheless... I am starting to like this watch more and more after reading and thinking about it.

 

[diamond.g]

You mean this watch?

Ummmm ok, if wearing a tablet on your wrist is your thing.

Each to there own


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I never said it was small
They probably could have made it smaller by not having the straps be touch aware as well.

 

[McCool71]

Bet you it gets thinner before they increase the battery life on it.

I think you are spot on.

The quest for devices being as thin as they can be is seriously counter productive for a lot of customers. I wouldn't mind if any of the cell phones I have had the last 10 years were 2-3mm thicker than they were if I got a significant increase in battery capacity from it.

 

[Tech198]

Maybe it's just the transition to "smart-watches" in general, but a day seems kinda sucky.. and does that mean a day on stand-by ?

Actually, how would it be on standby, unless u never worse it, or kept your arm still .

i guess take all of the "smart-ness" out and it would go for a week... but then it would be a smart-watch would it...

oh well....

its only 1st generation anyway... Apple can do better.

I would like to know how long in stand-by this could go for. Not really practical, since its on your wrist, but still.

 

[Verita]

Yep...

Jus to add, I think the upgrade cycle for the watch, at least from the first to the second generation tends to be greater than we are used to in order to avoid this wait approach from possible buyers...

I think it is not unreasonable that they skip end of 2015 upgrades to some mid 2016...

Nevertheless... I am starting to like this watch more and more after reading and thinking about it.

Same, but I need it on my wrist before I decide. Obviously battery life will be a major factor.

One thing Apple is doing right, as was highlighted in a few of the high-end watch website reviews, is attention to detail in the straps. If I'm sure the newer bodies will be compatible with the current strap mechanism, I'll buy into this hardware ecosystem.

 

[samcraig]

You're thinking you should make decisions based on how Apple (or anyone else) markets something? Sorry, but that's a bad idea all around.

When I make the decision about buying this, it will be based on me and my wants/needs and not on some marketing campaign. I expect it will go on my left wrist (should I get one) and my UP24 will still be on my right. I expect, like any other watch I'd wear, I'll take it off at night and before runs, when I'll swap it for my GPS watch. *shrugs*

I think it will eventually be the only watch I'll need, but it's not there yet, because the tech is not there yet. I don't see that as either a crisis or a let down.

No I'm not. I asked a question. That is all.

 

[Verita]

I think you are spot on.

The quest for devices being as thin as they can be is seriously counter productive for a lot of customers. I wouldn't mind if any of the cell phones I have had the last 10 years were 2-3mm thicker than they were if I got a significant increase in battery capacity from it.

I bet those happen simultaneously. There is some promising research coming out of academia, and major investment spearheaded by Tesla on batteries.

I of all people don't like bulky items in my pockets, but I will agree that Apple's obsession with iPhone thinness is a bit strange, especially given the protruding camera ring. Make the stupid thing flush and add a bigger battery so it doesn't rock around on flat surfaces.

When the S1 board gets smaller on Apple Watch 2, I'm hoping for a movement oscillator that powers an always-on watch face. Not sure the "turn up your wrist and it turns on" gimmick will always work.

 

[Mattsasa]

You should be able to get a "battery wrist strap" which would give you a week of charge.

but you can't have your watch charging while it is on your wrist

Battery life is not the biggest problem with the Apple Watch.

The biggest issue I see is that, for most functions, it must be tethered to your iPhone to work. Whats the point of being able to use Maps, Messages, etc when you could just pull your phone out of your pocket and get a better experience on a bigger screen? It has no GPS chip so you can't even use it to track your hiking/running route like most GPS watches.

Clearly, it's been designed with untethered use in mind. But current GPS chips and cellular radios couldn't fit in to the Watch without unacceptable battery drain.

Buying this version of the Apple Watch will be a bit like buying the first generation iPad: There's some cool technology there, and a lot of potential - but you know that in a year or so there'll be a second generation that's thinner, has better battery life, and has built-in cellular data and GPS.

The 2nd gen iWatch will not have built in cellular data, that is an incredibly unintelligent idea. Apple isn't magic, they can't break the laws of physics

Bet you it gets thinner before they increase the battery life on it.

you are probably right... I am definitely looking forward to a thinner iWatch however.

Maybe you can just spin the crown really fast and it'll charge.

haha!

 

[McCool71]

Sure, it's possible put GPS in a watch and market it. But not with anything close to what most would consider a reasonable battery life.

Well, there is always the option of not having the GPS running 24/7 of course - just enabling it when you start your run will not be a problem for most people.

But in a few weeks time we will know - the Samsung Gear S is set to launch in October, and it has both GPS and Sim Card support so you can do a lot of basic phone tasks directly from it without bringing your phone as well.

I think it looks decent, but then again I am one of those that see devices like these more as wrist worn mini computers than a watch substitute, so if it actually looks like an old-fashioned watch or not is not something that matters much to me.

 

[ErikGrim]

Yeah, round wheels are really inefficient, eh!

For displaying information, yes.

 

[SHNXX]

Well, there is always the option of not having the GPS running 24/7 of course - just enabling it when you start your run will not be a problem for most people.

But in a few weeks time we will know - the Samsung Gear S is set to launch in October, and it has both GPS and Sim Card support so you can do a lot of basic phone tasks directly from it without bringing your phone as well.

I think it looks decent, but then again I am one of those that see devices like these more as wrist worn mini computers than a watch substitute, so if it actually looks like an old-fashioned watch or not is not something that matters much to me.
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Oh god that's so ugly.
Please delete your post

Barfffff

 

[flur]

Not sure the "turn up your wrist and it turns on" gimmick will always work.

I'm wondering about folks (like me) who work at a computer. My wrist is already up more often than not, so will I need to swing my arm around to see the time?

 

[McCool71]

Oh god that's so ugly.
Please delete your post
Barfffff

Sorry, can't do that.

I can post real photos of the Apple Watch though to make up for it.

Looks quite different to the renders in the keynote, doesn't it? I will never understand why they went for a style that is close to how cheap watches looked in the 80s. But then again I have no problems with a piece of technology that looks like a piece of technology instead of being shoehorned into looking like something else.

 

[Medic311]

I think you are spot on.

The quest for devices being as thin as they can be is seriously counter productive for a lot of customers. I wouldn't mind if any of the cell phones I have had the last 10 years were 2-3mm thicker than they were if I got a significant increase in battery capacity from it.

definitely, give me an iPhone 4S thick phone and the screen of the iPhone 6 with a battery that could literally last 72 hrs of video watching and i'm sold