Apple Watch Review Diary - Battery: First Full Week


Below is my remaining battery at the end of the day for during the first full week of using the Apple Watch. The battery was a major topic of discussion leading up to the product launch. Apple said the watch should last about 18 hours with typical use with the intent that it would be recharged nightly. During this week I wore the watch for about 16 hours each day.

Sat: 38%
Sun: 51%
Mon: 25%
Tue: 47%
Wed: 55%
Thur: 47%
Fri: 49%

In my first week the Apple Watch battery performed well. I had mixed use of playing and testing and it still held up well. Monday was the busiest day of both general notifications and extra activity and still came in at 25%. Of course, your mileage will vary depend on how you use your watch. For me, I received a lot of notification, did a bunch of texting, some phone calls, and an occasional Siri question and dictation. I also used the fitness features to track activities daily.

If I have a battery concern, it might actually be on my iPhone. It seems like the Apple Watch does draw some extra battery, and if you're running close to empty already, an Apple Watch might tip you over the edge. You may need to make some adjustments in iPhone usage to last a whole day without a charge. The difference isn't huge, but I'd estimate maybe 10-20% for me.

So, no issues or concerns with the battery for me. Likely as apps get more interesting I'll probably increase usage and I'm sure that will affect battery endurance. So far though it's fine with plenty to spare. Either way, just in case, I bought an extra charger for a mid-day boost if needed.