Watch Battery Life 18 Hours, Do you Agree?

[HelloMikee]

Really happy with the battery life. At full brightness on I'm starting my day at 4am and ending my day at 10pm with 20% left.

This is with 1.5 hours of weight training in the morning using the heart rate monitor and another 1.5 hours of cardiovascular at lunch or after work. So that's a total of 3 hours using the sensors plus every day notifications.

 

[Cory Bauer]

Before this test, I had "Hey Siri" on and would typically have my watch at about 30-50% after 11 hours (but usage varies of course with maps/fitness/notifications/twitter/instagram)

Nice. I didnt know i could turn Hey Siri off - going to try that now.

With the 38mm model, turning off "Hey Siri" was the only way I could get the watch to last more than 14 hours on those days which included all of my typical workouts. In my tests, just having the "Hey Siri" feature on, whether you use it or not, seemed to consume 15-25% of the battery over the course of a day.

 

[Medicman67]

With the 38mm model, turning off "Hey Siri" was the only way I could get the watch to last more than 14 hours on those days which included all of my typical workouts. In my tests, just having the "Hey Siri" feature on, whether you use it or not, seemed to consume 15-25% of the battery over the course of a day.

How do you turn off Siri?

 

[TXCraig]

Does it get better after a few charges?

I'm on day one with my new watch after being fully charged overnight. I have not really used it for anything but looking to see what time it is. Started my day at 7:00AM and it's now 11:30AM and the watch is at 41%... don't think its even going to make it home tonight.

So could this just be because it's new?

 

[Crazy Matt]

I'm on day one with my new watch after being fully charged overnight. I have not really used it for anything but looking to see what time it is. Started my day at 7:00AM and it's now 11:30AM and the watch is at 41%... don't think its even going to make it home tonight.

So could this just be because it's new?

It might be, my first day wasn't great either. But now, I take off charge around 7am and put it back on around 11pm with 40-50% remaining.

Contrary to a lot of other people, I have Siri on, raise wrist on, heart rate on and brightness at full. I have tried with these all off and have found no difference. I have a 38 by the way.

I get numerous notifications per day, several text and 1 or 2 short phone calls. I'm disabled so I don't use any workout programs other than the standard activity tracker.

 

[sxc]

No - if I look at my iPhone's usage stats, the watch app has only been using 1% of battery usage.



I would do this, but this function is one of the reasons to have the watch. Not that I use it a lot (less than once a day) but it seems other people's watches are able to stand much heavier usage than mine and keep a much better charge. FYI my watch is a 42mm Sport.

I did an online chat with Apple, and they said based on my description, someone at the Apple store should take a look at it - it doesn't sound right to them.

And just an update for today - I took the watch off the charger 3 hours ago. Used the workout app for 18 minutes, and haven't done much else with the watch, except check about 8 notifications, and also the watch was on airplane mode for about an hour (including the workout period of 18 minutes) and I'm at 64% now.

Just an update on this. I took my watch into a store and they tried to do diagnostics on it. But it hung everytime so they weren't able to run any diagnostics on it. So I'm still in the dark about my watch's bad batttery life.

 

[Cory Bauer]

How do you turn off Siri?

You don't turn off Siri, but you turn off the "Hey Siri" feature by going to the Settings App on the Watch itself, then "general" then "siri".

For anyone wondering, turning off "Hey Siri" just means you can't talk to the watch without holding down the digital crown first.

 

[SixtyK]

I've had my watch (42mm) for a week now and typically wear it for 14-16 hours during the day. So far I have yet to drop below 40% and some how had one day where I was still at 64% when I took it off. I haven't looked at my usage stats but as of today I am extremely happy with the battery life I'm getting.

 

[sxc]

I've had my watch (42mm) for a week now and typically wear it for 14-16 hours during the day. So far I have yet to drop below 40% and some how had one day where I was still at 64% when I took it off. I haven't looked at my usage stats but as of today I am extremely happy with the battery life I'm getting.

What do you typically do on your watch in a day?

 

[ventmore]

After my battery seemed to be performing badly the other day, I unpaid/repaired with the phone to see if that made a difference. I've also just done a full drain to forced power reserve at 1%, and it's now on the charger for a full charge. Will see how it goes after that.

As a little test, I timed how long it took to use 1 percent battery with the screen constantly on. I had the utility face on, and kept the screen on by tapping it every 5-10 seconds. It was using 1% every 4 mins or so. I'm using about 2% per hour with the watch just layed on my desk, and 3-4% per hour wearing the watch and receiving notifications, but not using apps. Using apps like mail etc. seem to burn brought the battery a lot quicker (yep...no surprise that constant data transfer will use more battery).

I have no idea if these figures are good or not, but it gives me something to compare against.

Edit: Forgot to say......after the unpaid/repair, I got about 44 hours of standby, and 4 hours of use, but as I'm working this week, and don't wear the watch for work......I only had the watch on my wrist for about 9 of those hours...so I'm not sure that's as impressive as it sounds

Just an update on this. I took my watch into a store and they tried to do diagnostics on it. But it hung everytime so they weren't able to run any diagnostics on it. So I'm still in the dark about my watch's bad batttery life.

Do you mean that their diagnostics failed to run, or that they don't have any diagnostics to run on the battery. If it's the former, then I'd have just insisted on a replacement

 

[sxc]

Do you mean that their diagnostics failed to run, or that they don't have any diagnostics to run on the battery. If it's the former, then I'd have just insisted on a replacement

They failed to run. They said it was the first time they had ever tried it and they think the problem was with the diagnostics and not with the watch.

 

[SixtyK]

What do you typically do on your watch in a day?

I'm answering texts, a phone call or two, email notifications, checking scores and weather, I just used the Workout app for the first time yesterday... nothing I would call heavy usage but still better than I expected from the battery.

 

[sxc]

I'm answering texts, a phone call or two, email notifications, checking scores and weather, I just used the Workout app for the first time yesterday... nothing I would call heavy usage but still better than I expected from the battery.

This is where I'm so confused. I'm using it less than what you describe and my battery life is just so much worse!

For me I'm only looking at notifications - rarely create texts on the watch, not even looking at emails, and maybe check weather and glances about 5 times a day.

 

[Crazy Matt]

This is where I'm so confused. I'm using it less than what you describe and my battery life is just so much worse!

For me I'm only looking at notifications - rarely create texts on the watch, not even looking at emails, and maybe check weather and glances about 5 times a day.

I think there is a problem with your battery and you should request a replacement.

 

[sxc]

I think there is a problem with your battery and you should request a replacement.

Yeah I'd like that - but they won't until they can run diagnostics on it. I will take it back to the store again and see if it will work again....

 

[Crazy Matt]

Yeah I'd like that - but they won't until they can run diagnostics on it. I will take it back to the store again and see if it will work again....

Gotcha. Sorry your having trouble. Hopefully they'll get it figured out soon for you.

 

[Daku93]

Mine just entered power reserve now 41 hours after i took it from the charger yesterday. So I'm pretty happy about the battery life. For me 2 days are easily possible.

 

[ventmore]

Yeah I'd like that - but they won't until they can run diagnostics on it. I will take it back to the store again and see if it will work again....

If they can't get the diagnostics to work, that's not your problem. I'd insist on a replacement.

 

[First Post G]

Today was my first full day with the watch, took it off the charger at 100% at 7:15 am and it is now 10:34 and I have 52% left. I have my work exchange account on my iPhone, so I probably got about 100 email taps or so just from that alone, plus a few texts and other app alerts. I also did a 15 minute "other" workout and a 35 minute run with the sensors running the whole time. I am extremely impressed with the battery...I don't see how it would be possible for me to run it down in a normal day, even if I were to throw in a 2 hour workout in, which I fully expect to do some days. I have a 42mm. Have all notifications on, hey Siri activated, half brightness, and strongest haptic setting. This thing is great.

 

[ventmore]

I'd love to know how anyone can finish the day with 90% left. I took my watch off charge at 5am, then put it on my desk and went to work. When I came back home at 11am, it was sitting at 91%.

 

[geoffm33]

I'd love to know how anyone can finish the day with 90% left. I took my watch off charge at 5am, then put it on my desk and went to work. When I came back home at 11am, it was sitting at 91%.

I took mine off the charger at 6:30a and as I sit here at work at 8:51a it's at 89%.

 

[ventmore]

I took mine off the charger at 6:30a and as I sit here at work at 8:51a it's at 89%.

I drop 3-4% per hour when I'm wearing it.

I'm think those that answered 90% in the poll are either lying...have a really short day......or just misunderstood the question.

 

[Cory Bauer]

I drop 3-4% per hour when I'm wearing it.

I'm think those that answered 90% in the poll are either lying...have a really short day......or just misunderstood the question.

In my experience, 3% per hour is the absolute best case scenario for the Watch, and that's during those hours where it's going unused. If you so much as touch the thing, then the battery drainage increases to 6% per hour. Running the Workout app increases battery drain to about 24% per hour. These figures are all with the 38mm model.

 

[ventmore]

In my experience, 3% per hour is the absolute best case scenario for the Watch, and that's during those hours where it's going unused. If you so much as touch the thing, then the battery drainage increases to 6% per hour. Running the Workout app increases battery drain to about 24% per hour. These figures are all with the 38mm model.

That doesn't sound right at all mate......I'd take it into Apple.

 

[Cory Bauer]

That doesn't sound right at all mate......I'd take it into Apple.

In fact I have. All they can do is test health of the battery itself, which their diagnostics report as fine. That of course doesn't tell the whole story, as you could have a healthy battery but still have excessive drain coming from a sensor or software bug - but they don't appear to have a way to pinpoint what exactly is using all that battery.

I'm returning my 38mm Watch tomorrow and will be waiting until July for a 42mm replacement to arrive...