Apple Watch dying?

[maflynn]

So I’m out on a hike this morning and about 5 miles into my hike. I stop to write my name in the snow, as the call of nature hits

I check the status of my exercise (I started a hike exercise) only to see my watch rebooting. I wait a few minutes but it’s still stuck at the apple logo

It’s cold so I start moving, periodically checking my watch and it’s just showing the logo. Eventually it shuts off, not sure when but it was off when I got back to my truck. I’m guessing what ever was happening killed what was a fully charged battery - as charged as it could be after 5 miles of hiking presumably because the battery died

Not sure what’s going on but it’s 6 years old so maybe it’s just failing. I never had this occur before

I’ve done longer hikes and the watch never exhibited this before

 

[Ifti]

How charged with the battery before you started? Could it have been a low battery to start with, since the cold conditions will deplete the battery faster........on the other hand, it was against your wrist which you would assume would have kept it somewhat warm regardless......

 

[jz0309]

So I’m out on a hike this morning and about 5 miles into my hike. I stop to write my name in the snow, as the call of nature hits

I check the status of my exercise (I started a hike exercise) only to see my watch rebooting. I wait a few minutes but it’s still stuck at the apple logo

It’s cold so I start moving, periodically checking my watch and it’s just showing the logo. Eventually it shuts off, not sure when but it was off when I got back to my truck. I’m guessing what ever was happening killed what was a fully charged battery - as charged as it could be after 5 miles of hiking presumably because the battery died

Not sure what’s going on but it’s 6 years old so maybe it’s just failing. I never had this occur before

I’ve done longer hikes and the watch never exhibited this before

What's the battery health?
I'm guessing but likely below 80% so with a degraded battery this seems "normal" behavior, and cold temps don't help either.

 

[maflynn]

What's the battery health?
I'm guessing but likely below 80% so with a degraded battery this seems "normal" behavior, and cold temps don't help either.

Thanks for replying. It’s at 73%

So a dying battery will force it into what I can only describe a boot loop? Normally I’m notified when the capacity hits 10% and goes into low power mode. This didn’t happen

 

[jz0309]

Thanks for replying. It’s at 73%

So a dying battery will force it into what I can only describe a boot loop? Normally I’m notified when the capacity hits 10% and goes into low power mode. This didn’t happen

I have no first hand experience with batteries at such health, but what I've gathered from various posts here is that people see very erratic behavior with devices of such poor battery health, like going down from 60% battery to basically shutting down within minutes.
And I also don't know of the accuracy of battery health at that level of 73%.

Have you been tracking workouts recently?
How long has your battery lasted during an average day?
At 73% you're pushing it, might be time for an update

 

[maflynn]

Have you been tracking workouts recently?
How long has your battery lasted during an average day?

I’ve been tracking my workouts for years and I exercise daily

My watch’s battery lasts all day and this includes 40 minutes up to multiple hours of workouts

 

[jz0309]

I’ve been tracking my workouts for years and I exercise daily

My watch’s battery lasts all day and this includes 40 minutes up to multiple hours of workouts

so nothing unusual today other than hiking, and 5 miles is probably ~ 2hrs, and 2 hrs of GPS could have drained the battery.
Does it take a charge now?assuming it was drainedrit's be interesting to see what battery health says now and also look at the battery graph whether that looks unusual, eg sudden drops.

if it were me, I wouldn't trust that watch to survive another 6 months till new watches are released, and right now, they're on sale almost constantly it seems, I'd get a new one. I think getting 6 years out of your was a good run.

 

[maflynn]

Does it take a charge now?

Yep it charged up and in fact lasted the evening

 

[XboxEvolved]

So I’m out on a hike this morning and about 5 miles into my hike. I stop to write my name in the snow, as the call of nature hits

I check the status of my exercise (I started a hike exercise) only to see my watch rebooting. I wait a few minutes but it’s still stuck at the apple logo

It’s cold so I start moving, periodically checking my watch and it’s just showing the logo. Eventually it shuts off, not sure when but it was off when I got back to my truck. I’m guessing what ever was happening killed what was a fully charged battery - as charged as it could be after 5 miles of hiking presumably because the battery died

Not sure what’s going on but it’s 6 years old so maybe it’s just failing. I never had this occur before

I’ve done longer hikes and the watch never exhibited this before

You have a similar experience that I have. It will do this especially in the cold, extreme heat, and even just when I start an exercise. The watch could be at say 30-50% and it will just die. This is due to the battery being older I suppose and mine is about to be 6 years old later this year so thats likely what is happening with you. It's pretty frustrating but I guess that just goes to show how the battery is.

I'm likely going to get the latest Ultra when it hits and when it comes to battery bigger is better and that definitely has a bigger battery than my current watch and I assume I will not notice degradation as quickly. My Pro Max so far I have to say for example has the most impressive battery I've ever seen out of any device I've ever own not just for the longevity but the fact that its still at 100% battery health just blows my mind. Id guess the tech will be similar with an Ultra watch....

 

[MacCheetah3]

It’s cold so I start moving, periodically checking my watch and it’s just showing the logo. Eventually it shuts off, not sure when but it was off when I got back to my truck. I’m guessing what ever was happening killed what was a fully charged battery - as charged as it could be after 5 miles of hiking presumably because the battery died

Not sure what’s going on but it’s 6 years old so maybe it’s just failing. I never had this occur before

I can’t recall experiencing such an action on my watch, even doing walks (not hikes but street) in freezing temps — watch occasionally exposed.

I still have my first Apple Watch, a first-generation SE (circa October 2020), that I use as a “work” watch, activities I know it’s more likely to be banged up a little.

What's the battery health?
I'm guessing but likely below 80% so with a degraded battery this seems "normal” behavior [...]

Today for example…9 hour work shift and a walk to the super market.

So a dying battery will force it into what I can only describe a boot loop?

Yep it charged up and in fact lasted the evening

[...] and cold temps don't help either.

In only a couple, very rare instances, I have witnessed an unexpected shut down and even a reboot. And yes, on devices with quite aged batteries. However, it should not be a common/typical occurrence.

This could be and hopefully is isolated.

Have you performed a battery (re)calibration any time (recently — other than the somewhat forced one you speak of? It’s the same as any other device:

1. Use the device until it automatically turns off/shuts down due to very low battery charge
2. Connect to charger and allow the device to recharge fully
— Allowing the charge to continue up to a couple hours after 100% reported can be helpful though is not necessary.
3. Preferably repeat 1 and 2 in an immediately consecutive cycle, especially for more severe troubleshooting.

Battery Calibration

All newly-installed smart batteries should be calibrated as soon as possible. This helps your phone or laptop get an accurate reading on the battery’s state of charge.

www.ifixit.com

How to Calibrate the Apple Watch Battery for Troubleshooting

On many occasions we tend to think that a device needs repair because it shows some kind of problem apparently caused by its hardware. However, it is not always necessary to go to technical service and this is the case of some Apple Watch with battery problems, since perhaps it only needs to be...

itigic.com

Do not worry about the 2/6-hour waiting recommendations. You can, but again, not required. A repeat calibration cycle is going to do much more ‘resetting’ the power management system than the extra time put into a single recalibration cycle.