Expected battery usage / drain

[Lee_Bo]

So over on one of the sub forums of Apple Watch, we were having a discussion about battery drain on the Apple Watch. This isn't specific to any series of watch, but I was wondering that your expectations are when it comes to the daily battery life of your AW.

I, personally, on an average day, lose about 25% every 5-ish hours. By that, my watch should be drained in about 20 hours. Now that's taking into consideration that I'm not constantly replying to emails and text messages, and using it for phone calls. But I get a few hundred notifications a day and that's really the only thing I use it for. During the week I take it off charge at 7am and don[t normally put it back on the charger until bed time, which is anywhere from 10-11pm, which can be around 15-16 hours and around 20-25% battery. I've had more battery remaining and less battery remaining on certain days, but average about 25% battery every 5 hours. I'm more than happy with that usage.

What are your expectations and what are you getting on your watch? I'm just curious to see what everyone else is getting.

 

[facecard]

I am new to the Apple Watch. I purchased the AW 3 gps model. Like you, I don't over use the Watch. I do get notifications on it but nothing that is banging on the battery. I wear the Watch from 7am to 10pm and I take it off and put it next to my bed. I don't charge it. I would expect a full day or two of usage before I have to charge it. That is my expectation. I know it has to be tethered to the phone so I expect some battery drainage to occur with Watch and Phone. It kind of sucks though. I would like to get two days or more out of the Watch before I have to charge it.

 

[Tartarus]

I charge my Watch Series 3 GPS up to 100% just before bed and go to bed with it around 11PM.
6:15 a workout of 10 minutes on bicycle.
For 10 hours delivering packages for the Dutch Postal services with walking and driving alternating. In the meantime I receive a load of notifications and sometimes I use dictation to reply to texts.
Around 6 pm when I’m finally home my watch is around 50%.
This is a huge difference with my first gen Watch that didn’t last me 10 hours on any given day.

One day I had this with 30% battery left

 

[edswife1970]

Here is what mine looks like now. I have 39% battery left and you can see how it has mostly been in standby mode! Am I missing something?? I just don’t understand why the battery is getting drain so quickly.

 

[Just_Me_D]

Depending on your use if it, you should be able to go at least two full days on a single charge. Again, it depends on your use of it.

 

[doogald]

When I read about battery issues, I always wonder if it is 38mm or 42mm - obviously the 38 will get less. And I also wonder about third party apps on the watch. In the case of @edswife1970, I'd suggest maybe uninstalling the HeartWatch app from the watch - you will still see all of the data on the iPhone app, so the watch app is redundant and may be using battery. I also wonder about those other apps - Monogram and Just Press Record. Necessary or just nice to have? Can you experiment with taking them off for a couple of days to see if they are contributing to battery loss?

 

[Just_Me_D]

When I read about battery issues, I always wonder if it is 38mm or 42mm - obviously the 38 will get less. ...

That’s debatable. My original series Watch was of the 42mm variety, but my Series 3 is of the 38mm variety, and my battery life is basically identical.

 

[Tartarus]

That’s debatable. My original series Watch was of the 42mm variety, but my Series 3 is of the 38mm variety, and my battery life is basically identical.

There is not much to debate in this case.
The Series 3 have larger batteries than their predecessors.
Your battery life being identical is only for that reason.

 

[Just_Me_D]

There is not much to debate in this case.
The Series 3 have larger batteries than their predecessors.
Your battery life being identical is only for that reason.

//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180203/336bbbb775e87d66aa8553e57f6379f4.jpg

Well that explains it. Thank you...

 

[Lee_Bo]

Got my new series 3 LTE yesterday (using wifi only for a few weeks) so I'm curious to see what my battery is at the end of the day today. We'll keep you all posted.

 

[Just_Me_D]

Got my new series 3 LTE yesterday (using wifi only for a few weeks) so I'm curious to see what my battery is at the end of the day today. We'll keep you all posted.

Thank you, sir, and congratulations on getting your new Watch Series 3. I think you will find the battery life to be great. I typically take my watch off the charger around 7 AM and when I put t back in the charger around 10 PM, I have approximately 73% battery life remaining. I get work-related and personal notifications all friggin’ day long along with weather and sports alerts. I do not, however, stream music from it.

 

[Lee_Bo]

Thank you, sir, and congratulations on getting your new Watch Series 3. I think you will find the battery life to be great. I typically take my watch off the charger around 7 AM and when I put t back in the charger around 10 PM, I have approximately 73% battery life remaining. I get work-related and personal notifications all friggin’ day long along with weather and sports alerts. I do not, however, stream music from it.

Holy schnikes. Mines off the charger about that same amount of time but my old watch would end the day anywhere around 15-45% based on use. Can't wait to see how this one performs.

 

[wolfee48]

On average, my non-LTE S3 42mm. consumes around 30% each day. I have gone three days without charge. But I usually toss it on the charger every morning while I am getting ready for work.

I have my watch set to wake with wrist raise, notifications on for one VIP email address (20+ emails a day), and notifications on for work email account. I work outside so I easily (on a slow day) log 10,000+ steps in a 8 hour work day which in turn, my activity rings are collecting data constantly.

 

[Lee_Bo]

On average, my non-LTE S3 42mm. consumes around 30% each day. I have gone three days without charge. But I usually toss it on the charger every morning while I am getting ready for work.

I have my watch set to wake with wrist raise, notifications on for one VIP email address (20+ emails a day), and notifications on for work email account. I work outside so I easily (on a slow day) log 10,000+ steps in a 8 hour work day which in turn, my activity rings are collecting data constantly.

Nice. I also have mine to wake with rise and I probably get a few hundred notifications a day (email, text, alert). Depending on the day Im either on my feet (10000+ steps) or at my desk and I get up every time my watch reminds me to get up. I'm hoping to re-download a sleep app monitor or two and try those again.

 

[Lee_Bo]

Ok, I'm a little freaked out this morning.

10pm last night, 15 hours off charger and a typical day. Well, more than a typical day as I was pretty much fiddling with my new watch all day.......but 10 pm last night and at 75% battery. Now I know this is a brand new watch and may have a larger battery then my old one, but I still don't remember my old watch battery being that high at the end of the first day.

Yeah, newer technology, I know.

 

[ngc]

It depends entirely on usage, I've gotten anywhere from 2 days to one day at 11pm at 45%, I've never fully drained the battery in one day.

I get 100+ notifications a day, usually work out (walking GPS on) for about 30-40 minutes and then to work averyday, I almost never talk phone cals on the watch, but reply WhatsApp messages all day.

Mine is a Series 2 42mm

 

[EagleFox007]

I only charge my AW3 every other other day for 2 hours and I wear it 24 hours a day because I also use it to track my sleep. Sometimes I charge it on the 3rd day. I can say that my battery life has been really great.

 

[Anbaco]

About this I always have the question if is ok to put the Apple Watch to charge when is like 75% or more of battery. Because mine at the end of the day is like between 75% to 80% so sometimes I don’t know if is ok to put to charge or use it for another day and put to charge when the battery is more empty, cause I don’t want to ruin the battery life. What do you recomend? (Sorry for my inglish).

 

[doogald]

About this I always have the question if is ok to put the Apple Watch to charge when is like 75% or more of battery. Because mine at the end of the day is like between 75% to 80% so sometimes I don’t know if is ok to put to charge or use it for another day and put to charge when the battery is more empty, cause I don’t want to ruin the battery life. What do you recomend? (Sorry for my inglish).

Yes, it is better! It is much better to have a lot of small charges than fewer long ones. The Apple Watch, like the iPhone, iPad, etc., have lithium-polymer batteries that don't have the "memory effect" that older rechargeable Ni-Cad and Ni-MH batteries suffer from. But one thing that lithium batteries do not like is to be completely drained.

 

[grydlok]

I'm like you, I just charge mine even if it's at 70%. I may let it roll an extra day and see what happens.