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watchOS 9.4 to Recalibrate Battery Capacity on 44mm Apple Watch Series 6

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The watchOS 9.4 update that Apple is beta testing right now will include a battery recalibration process for the 44mm Apple Watch Series 6, Apple said today in an updated Apple Watch support document.

apple-watch-series-6-unboxing-image.jpg

After updating to watchOS 9.4, the 44mm Apple Watch Series 6 will be able to estimate maximum battery capacity more accurately following the recalibration process.

Apple recalibrated the batteries of the Apple Watch Series 4 and Apple Watch Series 5 models with the watchOS 9 update, and now the process is being extended to the 44mm Apple Watch Series 6.

Battery recalibration has also been done for some iPhone models in the past, including the iPhone 11. Recalibration is able to improve inaccurate estimates of battery health that some users may be seeing.

Article Link: watchOS 9.4 to Recalibrate Battery Capacity on 44mm Apple Watch Series 6
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/03/01/watchos-9-4-series-6-battery-recalibration/
My launch day 44mm 6’s battery health hung at 81-82% for months before my 2 year warranty ran out (even though it was needing to be recharged more and more frequently) and about a month after warranty ran out, it was around 77% (the batteries in my series 0 and 3 degraded much more slowly.)

Two other family members and a colleague with the same watch had better battery health, low 80’s, at the same time mine was in the mid 70’s.)

So I complained to Apple and they sent me a replacement.
 
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My launch day S6 is at 80% battery health… waiting for it to hit 79% so I can get a replacement under AppleCare+.
I wonder which direction the recalibration will change battery health %
 
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I got 44mm S6 in December 2020 and it now shows 83%. I almost upgraded to an S8 but it didn't seem to be that major of an improvement, plus I would have wanted Black (Space Gray), which was inexplicably omitted for the aluminum case!

Hopefully the S9 brings back Space Gray, and has better battery life, among other improvements.
 
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lazyrighteye said:
Sounds great. I love seeing support for older devices.

Randumb: seeing the red Watch featured in the OP, it seems offering Watch in multiple colors (think iMac), with matching bands, would be a big hit with the masses. People like colors.
Click to expand...
Support is good but this could be to prevent warranty coverage by changing the battery status.
 
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My Series 6, bought in October 2020, hovered annoyingly at 80% for about three months. Two weeks ago it fell to 79% and I was able to get a replacement for $79. Only took about 5 days without a watch, which surprised me. It was never clear to me how old the watch could have been to still get a replacement, but 2 years and 4 months is apparently within the limit. Curious if I'd have been locked out under the new calibration.
 
My Series 6 is at 80%, the original owner bought it on release. Hoping to replace the battery sometime soon, does anybody know if they switch it with a refurbished unit or actually change the battery in the one you bring in?
 
matthew28845 said:
My Series 6 is at 80%, the original owner bought it on release. Hoping to replace the battery sometime soon, does anybody know if they switch it with a refurbished unit or actually change the battery in the one you bring in?
Click to expand...
They don't change the battery. They replace the whole thing. The replacement I got just last week looks new.
 
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How about nice rumors about S9?. Same as S8 just in other colors?, remove the 45mm version so we have to buy the Ultra if we want a "large watch"?.
What do you want to see in S9?. (Besides the "eventual" glucose and pressure sensors).
 
macfacts said:
Support is good but this could be to prevent warranty coverage by changing the battery status.
Click to expand...
Call me a cynic, but that was my first thought too.

I mean, what good does this bring to S6 owners?

Edit: Fits right in with this:
www.macrumors.com

Apple Now Charging More for Out-of-Warranty Battery Replacements on iPhones, iPads and Macs

Out-of-warranty battery replacements on iPhones, iPads, and Macs are more expensive starting today, with Apple increasing prices as planned. The...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com
 
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Interesting to see how this works out. I feel like my S6 Watch has maybe been the only Apple product I've owned where the battery went to crap so fast (ok ok iPhone X lol) I had assumed it was because I had always on display turned on for the first couple-few months and it ravaged the battery. My battery was draining so fast, and I turned it off and checked my battery health and it was already in the 80s. I gave my old launch day S4 to my dad, and last I looked it has better battery health than my launch day S6.

I probably have my eye on a 2024 watch as thats the rumored big updates. So if this update doesn't make me feel better about my battery lasting long enough to make it until then...and it probably won't...I'll get a used S7/8 to hold me over. Probably at S9 launch as they'll be much cheaper. Probably an 8 if I wait until then.
 
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