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Battery concerns ...

davidgnomo

davidgnomo

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 16, 2012
597
17
Imola (BO) - Italy
I'm going finally going for a Watch, but I really wonder what will be the version with more battery life : 38 or 42 mm ? Is it really true the equation "bigger device" = "longer lasting battery" as it is for iPhone and iPhone Plus ? I'm also concerned about choosing Series 1 or 2 : gps and waterproofing is not really that important for me, plus I fear that the better screen and the gps can drain too much power, even if the battery is slightly bigger in series 2 ... the fact that Apple states "up to 18 hours" for both sizes and series isn't helping at all ! Any advice ?
 
davidgnomo said:
I'm going finally going for a Watch, but I really wonder what will be the version with more battery life : 38 or 42 mm ? Is it really true the equation "bigger device" = "longer lasting battery" as it is for iPhone and iPhone Plus ? I'm also concerned about choosing Series 1 or 2 : gps and waterproofing is not really that important for me, plus I fear that the better screen and the gps can drain too much power, even if the battery is slightly bigger in series 2 ... the fact that Apple states "up to 18 hours" for both sizes and series isn't helping at all ! Any advice ?
Click to expand...
I'd say - although some people claim differently - that the difference in terms of the battery is not even measurable. The bigger watch has a slightly bigger battery but also a slightly bigger screen.

I've read a lot of topics here related to the battery and for a lot of people it easily lasts much longer than 18 hours. That depends on your usage of course. If you make 4 hour workouts with the Workout app running the battery won't even last 5 hours.

But for me, with a medium to heavy usage and a couple of third party apps installed, the battery mostly has 40-50% capacity left in the evening/night. I'm usually wearing it from around 9 am - 1 am the next day which already equals 16 hours.

I've reached around 30 hours with a full charge a couple of times while wearing and using it constantly through that time window. Other than that, I usually charge it at night on my Spigen stand 90% of the time, though.

So as a résumé: the Watch battery is able to last a lot longer than the advertised 18 hours.
 
I'm in the same boat as Rok; I absolutely use the snot out of it at work and get hundreds of notifications a day (all my internal staff messages on slack, business and personal emails, and not to mention phone calls) and I always have 40% left when I get home. All my friends say they sit pretty between 50-60% so it's def not an issue.

Also just heard on a podcast that if you turn off the gps on the new one your battery life "significantly increases" over watch series 1
 
Last edited:
davidgnomo said:
I'm going finally going for a Watch, but I really wonder what will be the version with more battery life : 38 or 42 mm ? Is it really true the equation "bigger device" = "longer lasting battery" as it is for iPhone and iPhone Plus ? I'm also concerned about choosing Series 1 or 2 : gps and waterproofing is not really that important for me, plus I fear that the better screen and the gps can drain too much power, even if the battery is slightly bigger in series 2 ... the fact that Apple states "up to 18 hours" for both sizes and series isn't helping at all ! Any advice ?
Click to expand...

the device with the best battery life will be the 42mm if you can turn off the GPS. Otherwise there will be obvious difference. I could be wrong but I think I remember reading several people stating that the 38mm got less battery life and I assume that will be worse with GPS if we can't turn it off.
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brock2621 said:
I'm in the same boat as Rok; I absolutely use the snot out of it at work and get hundreds of notifications a day (all my internal staff messages on slack, business and personal emails, and not to mention phone calls) and I always have 40% left when I get home. All my friends say they sit pretty between 50-60% so it's def not an issue.

Also just heard on a podcast that if you turn off the gps on the new one your battery like "significantly increases" over watch series 1
Click to expand...

If you can turn it off which I don't think anyone knows for sure yet.
 
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I've never actually run an Apple Watch to 0 during all the time I've had one, regardless of what I've done. I don't actually think I've ever gotten sub-20%, and that's on days with an hour of workout mode in addition to regular use.
 
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Fynd said:
I've never actually run an Apple Watch to 0 during all the time I've had one, regardless of what I've done. I don't actually think I've ever gotten sub-20%, and that's on days with an hour of workout mode in addition to regular use.
Click to expand...

I have once or twice when I was camping and couldn't charge it at night but it lasted until just before I got home the next day (running time without power reserve approx 36 hours; no using it for phone calls though)

next time was me falling asleep drunk in my man cave and having a busy day the following morning unable to charge it till after lunch where i was at around 5%.

This watch has much more battery power than they lead us to believe. If we can turn off GPS this AW2 is going to be awesome with battery power.
 
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brock2621 said:
...
Also just heard on a podcast that if you turn off the gps on the new one your battery like "significantly increases" over watch series 1
Click to expand...

Geez ... that's exactly what I'd like to know : will it be really possible to turn off GPS as I really think it will be totally unuseful for me (can't stay far from my iPhone more than a couple of meters ...)
 
davidgnomo said:
Geez ... that's exactly what I'd like to know : will it be really possible to turn off GPS as I really think it will be totally unuseful for me (can't stay far from my iPhone more than a couple of meters ...)
Click to expand...

I think that it will be able to be toggled and if it isn't there will be so much outrage demanding it that it will come with 3.0.1 or whatever.
 
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oftheheavens said:
I think that it will be able to be toggled and if it isn't there will be so much outrage demanding it that it will come with 3.0.1 or whatever.
Click to expand...

I really hope you are right,but it would make me more comfortable with my imminent order if someone who attended the Apple event or can get his hands on a new AW2 in a Store could verify and report ...
 
My Watch consistently lasts two full days with a one hour full run (workout app) every other day. I am usually at 10-20% battery at the end of day 2, but I cannot remember the last time I went into power saving mode. (Which used to happen a lot at the end of day 1)

My wife and I also walk for 30 minutes or more almost every evening using the workout App. I get a normal amount of text messages and occasional notifications from my cameras. I sometimes use it for taking calls when I am by myself. I use Fantastical Calendar and Carrot Weather on a regular basis for my appointments and local weather.

I will probably get a series 2 Nike edition and I would like to turn off the GPS except for my runs.

TxWatch
 
davidgnomo said:
I really hope you are right,but it would make me more comfortable with my imminent order if someone who attended the Apple event or can get his hands on a new AW2 in a Store could verify and report ...
Click to expand...

really am surprised it wasn't gone over by the peeps that got to hands on. I think that with the ability to turn it off we may actually get 2 days out of it, or close to it at least.

I wonder if no one discussed it because the GPS only comes on during workouts like after you select to start a run, the GPS activates to track it. Having a GPS on all day long is kinda scary now that I think about it.
 
oftheheavens said:
the device with the best battery life will be the 42mm if you can turn off the GPS. Otherwise there will be obvious difference. I could be wrong but I think I remember reading several people stating that the 38mm got less battery life and I assume that will be worse with GPS if we can't turn it off.
[doublepost=1473428236][/doublepost]

If you can turn it off which I don't think anyone knows for sure yet.
Click to expand...

It was Walt Mossberg that said it so I feel pretty confident
 
davidgnomo said:
You got the power to turn me down every time ...
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I don't get it??
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CVC said:
According to Apple the battery will last only 5 hours using GPS: http://www.apple.com/watch/battery.html So, GPS isn't on all the time.

The watch will use its GPS only if you start a workout that uses location tracking such as a run or hike AND don't have your phone with you.
Click to expand...

yeah that's what I was thinking. Bet if you rarely use it that the battery life is slightly better than AW1
 
CVC said:
According to Apple the battery will last only 5 hours using GPS: http://www.apple.com/watch/battery.html So, GPS isn't on all the time.

The watch will use its GPS only if you start a workout that uses location tracking such as a run or hike AND don't have your phone with you.
Click to expand...


This is interesting...

I still wonder, though, if there will be some toggle to truly disable the chip... and if the chip still draws power when it's not being used. The comment in the keynote that the apple watch will pick up gps much faster than other smart watches made me wonder if their technology was just that much better or there was some level that the chip was always on and aware of where it is.
 
davidgnomo said:
I fear that the better screen and the gps can drain too much power
Click to expand...
This is probably a total non-issue. GPS-enabled smart watches have been around for a very long time, and the market has a crapton of experience. The nut is that these watches turn off the GPS chip when not in use for a specific purpose (such as an outdoor workout), so the battery drain is not a factor for the other 95% of smart watch time. This is exactly how the iPhone has been working for years, so Apple is already doing this.

Realistically, if you never use the Workout app, then you may never even give the AWS2's GPS chip a watt.
 
exxxviii said:
This is probably a total non-issue. GPS-enabled smart watches have been around for a very long time, and the market has a crapton of experience. The nut is that these watches turn off the GPS chip when not in use for a specific purpose (such as an outdoor workout), so the battery drain is not a factor for the other 95% of smart watch time. This is exactly how the iPhone has been working for years, so Apple is already doing this.

Realistically, if you never use the Workout app, then you may never even give the AWS2's GPS chip a watt.
Click to expand...

If you're right, that fix the gps concern ... but what about the clearer screen ?
 
davidgnomo said:
If you're right, that fix the gps concern ... but what about the clearer screen ?
Click to expand...

I don't think that apple would have included this amazing new screen if it reduced the battery drastically. They have already been striving to improve battery life to at least get it closer to their competitors. IF I was a betting man, which I am not, I would bet that if you don't utilize GPS you may be almost 2 days of normal use and tracking on the AW2. Further, I am sure that there is a way to adjust the screen brightness and if you lower it significantly I am sure that the battery will respond in longer life.
 
davidgnomo said:
If you're right, that fix the gps concern ... but what about the clearer screen ?
Click to expand...
I think this is a moot question too... The key is to look at Apple's design intention for the watch, and how well they meet that intention. Apple intends that watch lasts a full day and the you charge it overnight while you sleep. Apple's standard for a day is 18 hours.

The original watch easily meets that design intention. The watch will probably not give you two full days. Some can get there, but you have to avoid using it. That is outside of scope for the intention of the watch.

The new watch has a battery 30% higher capacity than the prior watch. So, it will probably equal the same design intent.

If you are asking whether a watch will give you one full day, then all likely will. If you want more than a day, no one has enough information to answer, because there are too many variables.
 
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