Thinking about an Apple Watch - battery life?

[martin2345uk]

So I'm contemplating thinking about considering an Apple Watch.. the SE looks good value, the Series 11 look very nice, but my question is about real world battery life.

I do shift work - sometimes I am up before 5am, and not going to bed till like 10pm. Realistically is any Apple Watch gonna make it that long? It would only be the GPS version if that makes any difference.

If I'm gonna end several days with a dead watch then I guess it's pretty much a non starter so just doing some research here 😆

Thanks all!

 

[Ifti]

My Series 7 used to last be almost 2 full days when new. I still have it now, and it still easily gets through an entire day - maybe even a day and a half. You'll fine with your hours, especially with a newer series watch.

 

[matzoek]

If that’s your concern, choose a model with fast charging. A shorter charge window yields more percentage, so you can use more chances to recharge. Personally I think with the Series 10/11 they did get a nice bump to the battery life, but I still charge it at least every morning while I’m in the shower.

 

[arc of the universe]

a new SE will be able to go from 5am to 10pm.

but it depends on what you want from the Watch.
it will not be able to go from 5am to 10pm without charging if you are using it for:
workouts and
track sleep at night and
use it for a lot of actual calling and talking.
those are the big three battery killers.
there are ways you can mitigate the impact of some of these but still these three have the heaviest toll on the battery.

also, remember that after a couple of years your battery will not last from 5am to 10pm.
maybe 5am to 7pm.

 

[martin2345uk]

Yeah... I think maybe I am just suffering from a need for something shiny and new and maybe a watch isn't the most useful thing for me, I wouldnt be doing workouts or anything like that and will probably just end up using it to.. tell the time 😂

 

[BigMcGuire]

Yeah... I think maybe I am just suffering from a need for something shiny and new and maybe a watch isn't the most useful thing for me, I wouldnt be doing workouts or anything like that and will probably just end up using it to.. tell the time 😂

I use my Apple Watch primarily for just telling time. It does this really well - always being incredibly accurate, even when you fly across the world (instantly updating via your phone).

I really like my Apple Watch Ultra 3. I use 25-30% of the battery per day on average so getting 3 days of battery life is pretty easy for me. I turn off most notifications (I want it to be a watch) and the always on display because I find raise to wake works just fine for me.

I wear the watch 24/7 and charge it while showering - which is enough for me. (My wife with her AW 11 is the same).

The health/sleep/exercise data, haptic alarm when I sleep (also people on my favorites list can call me in emergencies), one glance weather data, unlocking my Mac automatically, driving my car (Tesla), being able to leave my phone on silent all the time, quickly paying for things, opening my front door (Latch), ability to do Apple Fitness+ exercises on Apple TV better - all bonuses that help justify it for me.

I work late shifts at night sometimes and being able to raise my wrist and have a very clear visual of the time is very important to me.

 

[Chevyguy2021]

yes it will last you all day.

 

[Howard2k]

All day should be good for simple use.
If you're doing workouts or streaming music from the watch, that will significantly impact the life though.

 

[gwang73]

I have a series 10 Apple Watch and it uses between 40% to 60% per day (7am to midnight) with 1.5 hours workout with GPS and "normal" notifications. I don't use it for streaming or calls. I think you'll be fine with it.

 

[Ctrlos]

So I'm contemplating thinking about considering an Apple Watch.. the SE looks good value, the Series 11 look very nice, but my question is about real world battery life.

I do shift work - sometimes I am up before 5am, and not going to bed till like 10pm. Realistically is any Apple Watch gonna make it that long? It would only be the GPS version if that makes any difference.

If I'm gonna end several days with a dead watch then I guess it's pretty much a non starter so just doing some research here 😆

Thanks all!

Series 11 owner here. The battery gains are very real. Mine leaves the charger at 7am and gets back on it at 8pm with only 40% battery lost. I have the AOD turned on and track at least 2x 60 minute workouts during that time. I use Siri on it and other features during the workday.

I do not use it for sleep tracking, largely because evolution tells me when I’ve had a rough night and I find it uncomfortable to wear a watch at night. Yuck!

I also have the heart rate tracking turned off. I track my walks to work, not anything intense so as far as I’m concerned it’s just a waste of battery. Honestly it makes me anxious having it on too. Last time I kept it on it was spitting out warning signs of something. I checked with my Doc and everything was ok and he said that its readings were all over the place.

The battery gains on the S11 are very real and worth the money IMHO.

 

[Taco1933]

+1 on the ultra. It’ll do it if you’re willing to spend the money. I wear mine 23+ hours a day. One workout per day, sleep focus on at night. I could get 48 hours if I was willing to run it down to zero.

But I’d think a series 11 could go from 5 to 10. I used to wear my series 7 from 6 to 10. Towards the end of the 4 years that I wore it started to struggle to make it. I’d hope that 4 years of battery advancement would give you an extra two hours throughout the useful life of the watch.

 

[gummybear2026]

The Apple Watch is hella boring in my opinion. I'm switching to the Fit Bit Air. Apple has done nothing to make the watch a must have.

 

[mentaluproar]

I have an apple watch ultra 2. the mic on it doesnt always work. I got it through my phone carrier so its a monthly payment thing. its not even paid off yet. genius bar says theres something wrong with the mic, buy a new watch, they will not fix it they offer no discounts. It has been subjected to nothing damaging.
it worked fine before the new watchOS.

Dont buy an apple watch.

 

[Howard2k]

I have an apple watch ultra 2. the mic on it doesnt always work. I got it through my phone carrier so its a monthly payment thing. its not even paid off yet. genius bar says theres something wrong with the mic, buy a new watch, they will not fix it they offer no discounts. It has been subjected to nothing damaging.
it worked fine before the new watchOS.

Dont buy an apple watch.

Yeah like pretty much any product the warranty is not lifetime. Apple does offer an extended warranty but if you choose not to take it then you roll the dice if things go wrong.

I don’t know of any smartwatches that do have lifetime warranties.

 

[throAU]

So I'm contemplating thinking about considering an Apple Watch.. the SE looks good value, the Series 11 look very nice, but my question is about real world battery life.

I do shift work - sometimes I am up before 5am, and not going to bed till like 10pm. Realistically is any Apple Watch gonna make it that long? It would only be the GPS version if that makes any difference.

If I'm gonna end several days with a dead watch then I guess it's pretty much a non starter so just doing some research here 😆

Thanks all!

Based on my purchase history....

When new:

• The regular non-ultra watches are good for a 12 hour day easily, and often can go 36 hours without too much hassle if you use low power mode.
• The ultra will double that.

My waking hours are similar to yours and the regular watches are fine for that. Just charge them while you sleep.

What does make the thing chew more battery is

• GPS directions
• Workout tracking

But if you're a "normal" person, a regular watch should cover what you're doing for a good 2-3 years before the battery starts getting tired.

Right now I am wearing my old S4 from when that was new as my "I am home" watch in the evening because it's light and I have a comfy band on it. Its battery is still plenty for sleep tracking at 72% health.

 

[Fr. Guido Sarducci]

My Series 11 -

Post in thread 'watchOS 26 Beta Thread'
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/watchos-26-beta-thread.2458443/post-34578672

 

[Dirk Pieters]

The Apple Watch is hella boring in my opinion. I'm switching to the Fit Bit Air. Apple has done nothing to make the watch a must have.

Beware of fitbit. Both my wife and I had one and they literally died after a few years. Googled it and found plenty or responses. Google also killed the web based dashboard of fitbit, which I liked.

I now have a Suunto watch. More than a week of battery life, even with activities.

 

[gummybear2026]

Beware of fitbit. Both my wife and I had one and they literally died after a few years. Googled it and found plenty or responses. Google also killed the web based dashboard of fitbit, which I liked.

I now have a Suunto watch. More than a week of battery life, even with activities.

The Fitbit Air is cheap and more likely to last longer than previous Fitbit devices. Apple should come out with a smaller option for customers but they don't want to cannibalize their Apple Watch sales.

 

[Dirk Pieters]

The Fitbit Air is cheap and more likely to last longer than previous Fitbit devices. Apple should come out with a smaller option for customers but they don't want to cannibalize their Apple Watch sales.

Avoid the Fitbit Charge. That’s what we had.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

So I'm contemplating thinking about considering an Apple Watch.. the SE looks good value, the Series 11 look very nice, but my question is about real world battery life.

I do shift work - sometimes I am up before 5am, and not going to bed till like 10pm. Realistically is any Apple Watch gonna make it that long? It would only be the GPS version if that makes any difference.

If I'm gonna end several days with a dead watch then I guess it's pretty much a non starter so just doing some research here 😆

Thanks all!

Do you shower daily? Charging during the time it takes to shower is plenty to run an AW 24/7 for years. I cannot overnight charge because I use sleep apps, so that is what I do.

I had multiple versions of the regular AW then shifted to the AW Ultra, which I really, really like. Never tried an SE however. Whichever model you choose, buy the latest if you want best battery life, because battery tech constantly improves.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Do you shower daily? Charging during the time it takes to shower is plenty to run an AW 24/7 for years. I cannot overnight charge because I use sleep apps, so that is what I do.

I had multiple versions of the regular AW then shifted to the AW Ultra, which I really, really like. Never tried an SE however. Whichever model you choose, buy the latest if you want best battery life, because battery tech constantly improves.

I've got an Ultra, my wife has an AW11, and my mother in law is sporting an SE.

Been working really well for us.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I have an apple watch ultra 2. the mic on it doesnt always work. I got it through my phone carrier so its a monthly payment thing. its not even paid off yet. genius bar says theres something wrong with the mic, buy a new watch, they will not fix it they offer no discounts. It has been subjected to nothing damaging.
it worked fine before the new watchOS.

Dont buy an apple watch.

Your one failed purchase/warranty decision does not mean "Dont buy an apple watch." My AW Ultra version 1 has been beaten on heavily for years and keeps on ticking (so to speak), just like the two AWs that I had before that. Bands wore out but the watches never did. All were auto-updated to the latest Watch OS versions.

Sure a watch can fail, but AWs do not have a general reputation for premature failure. And if they did, buyers could take care to buy extended warranties.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

The Apple Watch is hella boring in my opinion. I'm switching to the Fit Bit Air. Apple has done nothing to make the watch a must have.

Exactly what would you like them to do?
Yeah, just like every product ever Apple spent the first couple years experimenting with it… And then they landed on what works.
At this point the device does what it is advertised to do and it does it well.
Until Apple can get new health sensors small enough to put within the watch, it’s going to be pretty boring year after year. And that’s fine. That’s the trajectory for the majority of consumer electronics.

 

[ayephoner]

I charge my series 7 gps once daily. I typically charge it while I shower around 6:00 and put it on around 6:30, then wear it all day and all night. It makes it through that cycle the vast majority of the time. If it won't make it through my sleep, it tells me to charge before going to bed.

 

[gummybear2026]

Exactly what would you like them to do?
Yeah, just like every product ever Apple spent the first couple years experimenting with it… And then they landed on what works.
At this point the device does what it is advertised to do and it does it well.
Until Apple can get new health sensors small enough to put within the watch, it’s going to be pretty boring year after year. And that’s fine. That’s the trajectory for the majority of consumer electronics.

I want a smaller Apple Watch even without a possible display. I don't need a huge screen on my wrist.