Apple Watch Series 4 Models Have Nearly 20% Less Battery Capacity Despite Same 'Up to 18 Hours' Battery Life

[gmarm]

It's kinda sad Apple doesn't prioritize battery life over other pointless features for most users (like ECG).

I'd much rather have an Apple Watch that can go 4 days than be able to take an ECG on.

(I guess that's how much space they could gain from not including the hardware for the ECG)

 

[bluecoast]

You know what, this is intented by apple, the AW4 is a in between upgrade, the AW5 will get the bigger battery life.

Why? because now you get the bigger screen, next year the increment would be too small as the screen will be the same size, more of the same features, the big thing will be increased battery life. That will be next years seller.

It is really simple math, the battery is physically smaller, you have a bigger screen, no way in hell the battery life can be the same as the S3. Yes the processor is now less power consuming but thats also to compensate for the larger screen.

I also wonder if the Taptic Engine and the touch layer on the OLED might shrink.

3D Touch is obviously on its way out for all Apple products so might next year find Apple simplifying the watch UI so hard presses are not needed.

In that way, the OLED screen is presumably going to be thinner without the 3D Touch later and the Taptic Engine won’t be needed to provide feedback so maybe that could shrink (though it’s used for alerts so maybe this won’t be possible).

 

[chucker23n1]

Agreed. At no point with my S3 have I thought "wow I sure wish they'd have made this thinner."

I don’t notice it while using it, but looking at my arm from the side, the thickness is slightly unattractive.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

I’ll be the first, why not keep the same size battery and increase the usage time even more? Never makes sense to me.

Because one of the major complaints about the watch case was its thickness. Unlike the iPhone, a reduction in thickness actually provides some usefulness for users in the form of better comfort. Not to mention the fact that if the battery life can't be extended to multiple days, there is little use in only extending it for a couple of hours since most users would end up charging it everyday anyways.

 

[Reason077]

There was a time when Watch batteries lasted months, or even years. We’re regressing as a species.

 

[Abazigal]

There was a time when Watch batteries lasted months, or even years. We’re regressing as a species.

The Apple Watch is more a wrist computer than a watch. Find me a laptop which lasts months, even years on a single charge?

 

[newellj]

You may not notice. In fact, s0 is the thinnest instead of otherwise.

s0: 10.5mm
s3: 11.4mm
s4: 10.7mm

So for a s0 user, there are all extra thickness and there is no way to keep the thickness of s0.

But is there anyone here who wants to go back to the functionality (or lack of functionality) of the S0 Watch? I loved my S3 but it felt like wearing a life preserver on my wrist.
[doublepost=1537951171][/doublepost]

I also wonder if the Taptic Engine and the touch layer on the OLED might shrink.

3D Touch is obviously on its way out for all Apple products so might next year find Apple simplifying the watch UI so hard presses are not needed.

In that way, the OLED screen is presumably going to be thinner without the 3D Touch later and the Taptic Engine won’t be needed to provide feedback so maybe that could shrink (though it’s used for alerts so maybe this won’t be possible).

The only product that lost 3D Touch is the XR iPhone. And the Taptic Engine is used for a lot more than 3D Touch functions in the Watch.

 

[newellj]

That battery life is too short. If apple wants me to ever upgrade my series 3 they’ll have to offer a watch that easily lasts 3 - 4 days.

In theory, that would be great. In real life, if you want reasonable size and a lot of functionality, it's just not going to happen with today's silicon and battery tech. After a few uneven days with the S4 I got this weekend, battery life is settling down and it's similar to what I got with my S3.
[doublepost=1537959616][/doublepost]

There was a time when Watch batteries lasted months, or even years. We’re regressing as a species.

Do you want a Timex, or an Apple Watch? You have to choose.

 

[unibility]

I’ll be the first, why not keep the same size battery and increase the usage time even more? Never makes sense to me.

...shhh... it’s all in the name of thinness.

 

[DrJR]

The biggest problem with my S0 is battery life. Why not keep the extra thickness and increase battery size?

If a phone's battery is too small; you can use it while its plugged in. A watch needs to last all day, and continue to last all day after a few years when the battery has degraded.

Wut? You are still using an SO? That is so 2015....

 

[chucker23n1]

Wut? You are still using an SO? That is so 2015....

Same here. Somewhat tempting to upgrade to the 4, but the 0 kind of gets the job done?

 

[G5isAlive]

The biggest problem with my S0 is battery life. Why not keep the extra thickness and increase battery size?

If a phone's battery is too small; you can use it while its plugged in. A watch needs to last all day, and continue to last all day after a few years when the battery has degraded.

No. The biggest problem with your 4 year old SO is that its CPU is woefully underpowered for today's OS and having to work much harder than ever before, hence draining your battery faster. And its also a matter of physics that batteries degrade. If you don't want to upgrade, then its likely time to replace your battery. Batteries are consumables, 4 years is a reasonable lifetime.
[doublepost=1537966694][/doublepost]

Same here. Somewhat tempting to upgrade to the 4, but the 0 kind of gets the job done?

The SO is no doubt great at still telling time and displaying messages... for me it was never great at too much more, but then I am not the most patient. Your responses tend to be very analytical and precise (thats a compliment), so I think you will appreciate just how many more jobs the S4 seems capable of doing in a timely fashion. And the bigger screen? You really can not appreciate that until you wear it. It really is night and day different for an analytical junkie that loves more info.
[doublepost=1537966865][/doublepost]

It's kinda sad Apple doesn't prioritize battery life over other pointless features for most users (like ECG).

I'd much rather have an Apple Watch that can go 4 days than be able to take an ECG on.

(I guess that's how much space they could gain from not including the hardware for the ECG)

Different people like different things.. isn't diversity great? Being older, I REALLY appreciate the ECG capability and wouldn't trade it for a week of battery life.. maybe, maybe a month. My watch goes fine for two days if I forget to charge it overnight, but my normal routine no matter where I am (and I travel a LOT) is to put the watch on its charger when I go to sleep, so four days of battery life buy me nothing but bragging rights.

 

[Return Zero]

To be honest, I'm sure people would have preferred a slightly larger battery vs the 1mm reduction in thickness.

Maybe some people would. Not me. Also, people who need more charge can always buy a portable charger. People who want a thinner watch wouldn't have a similar option.

 

[chucker23n1]

I think you will appreciate just how many more jobs the S4 seems capable of doing in a timely fashion. And the bigger screen? You really can not appreciate that until you wear it. It really is night and day different for an analytical junkie that loves more info.

The big screen wouldn't hurt, and heart rate tracking is also much improved (series 0 has no resting/walking heart rate, no notifications, and less frequent measurements, AIUI).

So it's definitely better. Is it $400 better? Not for an impulse-buy for me right now.

The ECG stuff and other heartrate improvements may be enough for a relative of mine to make the jump, though; he doesn't have a watch yet.

I'd also use more apps if the device were faster and apps were available. But even a series 4 won't buy me useful apps. WatchKit has gotten better in OS 5, but is still limited enough that Apple doesn't dogfood it. Not great.

On the Watch and on Apple TV, Apple hasn't yet managed to create a thriving app market. That's kind of a bummer.

(This sounds far more negative than I feel about it — the Series 4 is definitely quite a valuable upgrade. It's just that, depending on how you use it or don't use it, its usefulness varies wildly.)

 

[katanna]

My Series 4 (GPS) is my first Apple Watch. I got it on launch day. Each day since then (four days, Saturday through Tuesday) it has been right around 65% when I went to bed and put it an the charger. Maybe I am not using it to its full potential because I am new, but I am using less than 50% of the battery each day, so I have no complaints!

 

[Reason077]

The Apple Watch is more a wrist computer than a watch. Find me a laptop which lasts months, even years on a single charge?

I don't want a laptop on my wrist. I want a watch, with the cool design and *some* of the nice features that the Apple Watch has. But most of the Apple Watch features, I don't need.
[doublepost=1537968892][/doublepost]

Do you want a Timex, or an Apple Watch? You have to choose.

That's the problem. Surely there is a viable middle ground? Decent features and, say, 1 week battery life?

 

[Fidgetyrat]

I don't want a laptop on my wrist. I want a watch, with the cool design and *some* of the nice features that the Apple Watch has. But most of the Apple Watch features, I don't need.
[doublepost=1537968892][/doublepost]

That's the problem. Surely there is a viable middle ground? Decent features and, say, 1 week battery life?

That's your problem IMHO. There is one Apple Watch with one set of features designed to address the needs of millions of people in many countries. This is not a custom product suited to just your needs whether you want it to be or not.

 

[gmarm]

Different people like different things.. isn't diversity great? Being older, I REALLY appreciate the ECG capability and wouldn't trade it for a week of battery life.. maybe, maybe a month. My watch goes fine for two days if I forget to charge it overnight, but my normal routine no matter where I am (and I travel a LOT) is to put the watch on its charger when I go to sleep, so four days of battery life buy me nothing but bragging rights.

I don't disagree with that. Personally, I would like multi-day battery life (for more seamless sleep tracking) or 24/7 heart rate monitoring. But the real question is what does the majority of people want? I'd bet on increased battery life.

 

[gcraig]

I have been testing this since activating Monday. Have been wearing all day and to bed at night after using all day. When checking in the morning I’m at between 30% and 50%. At least for my use pattern battery life seems about on par with my Watch 3 Edition and Watch 1. 44mm version. Recharge time seems about same too. Have not yet tested with a battery stressing fitness app.

 

[chrisbru]

The biggest problem with my S0 is battery life. Why not keep the extra thickness and increase battery size?

If a phone's battery is too small; you can use it while its plugged in. A watch needs to last all day, and continue to last all day after a few years when the battery has degraded.

The problem with your S0 is due to the age of the battery and a first gen product. My S0 would die around 7 or 8pm. I upgraded to a S3 in March, and my battery is still over 60% when I go to bed.

 

[ctdonath]

There was a time when Watch batteries lasted months, or even years. We’re regressing as a species.

There was a time when watches only told time, and that badly (not synchronized with other clocks, no automatic time zone adjustment). Battery life was the only thing they could improve.

Now a watch contains auto-sync clock, music player, email, texting, cell phone, optical/ECG heart monitor, fitness tracker, GPS, mapping, etc. - all for the price of a nice, yet dumb, watch. Something has to give, so instead of price it's battery (charge daily being acceptable).
[doublepost=1537975726][/doublepost]

the real question is what does the majority of people want? I'd bet on increased battery life.

I'd bet on Apple having deeply researched the question, and found increased battery life isn't it. People have been habituated into charging daily; if not daily, then charge need be increased to week+. Every 2-3 days disrupts the habit. Daily is a nice balance vs power-hungry features like cellular.

 

[imola.zhp]

I charge my S3 (non LTE) every morning for no more than an hour, it never fully charges, which I like, but I've been doing this for several months now. I wear it ~23 hours a day, I never have a dead battery.

My better half doesn't sleep with his S3 LTE on, but has never mentioned the battery not lasting a full day.

 

[Lotusman]

APPLE IS DOOMED.

They have the best selling watch in the world... doomed.... riiiiight.

 

[Mac 128]

It's kinda sad Apple doesn't prioritize battery life over other pointless features for most users (like ECG).

I'd much rather have an Apple Watch that can go 4 days than be able to take an ECG on.

(I guess that's how much space they could gain from not including the hardware for the ECG)

Talk about unecessary hardware — take a look at the iFixt tear down, the Digital Crown mechanism is huge. There’s no reason for the Digital Crown. There’s nothing it does that can’t be handled by a scroll bar along the edge of the bezel. It’s there because Jony wants it there.

I also wonder if the Taptic Engine and the touch layer on the OLED might shrink.

3D Touch is obviously on its way out for all Apple products so might next year find Apple simplifying the watch UI so hard presses are not needed.

In that way, the OLED screen is presumably going to be thinner without the 3D Touch later and the Taptic Engine won’t be needed to provide feedback so maybe that could shrink (though it’s used for alerts so maybe this won’t be possible).

The Taptic Engine is so large mainly to provide the wrist taps which are a a hallmark of the device. While I agree feedback for 3D Touch is unecessary, as it is for the Digital Crown, it’s likely necessary for a tap that regigisters on the arm as an alert tap.

 

[chucker23n1]

Talk about unecessary hardware — take a look at the iFixt tear down, the Digital Crown mechanism is huge. There’s no reason for the Digital Crown. There’s nothing it does that can’t be handled by a scroll bar along the edge of the bezel. It’s there because Jony wants it there.

Turning the crown feels much, much nicer to me than swiping on the screen does. That's in part because the screen is just fairly small, making any kind of interaction hard. It's also in part because scroll wheels feel satisfying. I miss that from the iPod mini / early nano (no, seriously): scrolling through music with a clickwheel just felt nice in a way swiping on a touch screen never quite did.

(It doesn't follow that I want a scroll wheel on an iPhone. But I can totally see it on the Watch, and it works well for me there.)
[doublepost=1537982610][/doublepost]

I don't want a laptop on my wrist. I want a watch, with the cool design and *some* of the nice features that the Apple Watch has. But most of the Apple Watch features, I don't need.
[doublepost=1537968892][/doublepost]

That's the problem. Surely there is a viable middle ground? Decent features and, say, 1 week battery life?

It sounds like you want something more like a Fitbit.