Apple crushed its introduction of the Apple Watch yesterday in Cupertino, but while Kevin Lynch and Jony were waxing poetic about the design of watch and its revolutionary UI, there was one feature everyone steered clear of: battery life.
Other than introducing the new inductive charging cable, Apple was mum on how long its timepiece will stay charged. According to a report from Recode, that’s because Apple is still trying to improve it ahead of the early 2015 release, but sources say Apple Watch battery life currently last about a day, and will require nightly charging.
Apple staff in the hands-on area after the show also wouldn’t provide battery life estimations either, but Apple PR spokeswoman Nat Kerris told Recode it should last you throughout the day.
“There’s a lot of new technology packed into Apple Watch and we think people will love using it throughout the day. We anticipate that people will charge nightly which is why we designed an innovative charging solution that combines our MagSafe technology and inductive charging.”
Barely squeaking out 24 hours of use will surely be a disappointment for some users, but it’s on par with most other smartwatches on the market. No word on if the two different sizes will have different battery life as well. The Apple Watch is expected to go on sale in early 2015 at an introductory price of $349, while the Sport and Edition models are expected to cost more.
Source: Recode
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
17 responses to “Apple Watch battery will require nightly charging”
I really don’t see a problem with nightly charging – especially when it’s so simple with the magsafe wireless charging. I take my watch off every night anyway so it really makes no difference.
And I charge my iphone nightly anyway, what should make this any different?
I mean, do people really intend to not charge it for days at a time?
What about people who work double shifts and possible no access to charge while working? A 24 hours battery. I’d be satisfied and happy with a 36 hours battery with STANDARD use, just for telling time.
As for my fitness, GPS, music and videos… 24 HOUR is fine.
I can see users charging it at their desk within 12 hours if you ask me. I’ve had Fitbit, Withings Pulse O2 (active display), and a few others and the weakest battery is the Withings O2 due to trying to sync and failing. If it syncs and fails, it drains the battery rapidly.
I’ve had to be sure I had the charging cables in every place I go to make sure I recharge my devices because the batteries rapidly drain from No Service or bad syncs.
Then that alone makes it not worth having. Inconvenience. :(
The one thing that irritates me about every day charging is that I can’t track sleep patterns if the device has to be charged at night. Other than that I don’t hate the idea of charging at night, I’m already doing that with my phone anyway. The real solution to the problem though, isn’t a bigger battery. It will eventually have to come off and some aspects won’t be tracked because of it. What they need is wireless charging! And not a mat I have to take my watch off and lay it on, but something that can keep it charged while its on my wrist!
You’ll live though if it’s not tracking you every waking moment of the day. I mean, it’s not tracking you now is it? You lived before it was even announced, you can live without it on your wrist while you sleep too!
Not a problem. You’re going to take the watch off at night anyway. Put it on the charger.
If you work a regular 8 hours shift, but some of us work double shifts and do not have time or a place to charge, unless driving to another job location. Think a bit, not everyone has a cushy one shift job. Or do on trips. A solar power source could help too. Possibly.
Think a bit: surely you go to bed at some point.
I do THINK and KNOW if you have a ‘care free’ schedule, it sounds great. If you forget to eat when you get home, you truly think ‘charging the watch’ is going to be a priority. And to be honest, I am not concerned. A friend who is an ‘Apple Fan’ brought that to me as he manages a warehouse.
My Apple Products were originally purchased for troubleshooting. So, charging from 2 am to 5:45 am was a must as my personal shifts were 7 am to 4 pm (tech) then 5 pm to 1 am (retail). The iPod Touch could easily handle that as I could charge at my desk or in my vehicle to and from work, in case I forgot.
So, yes, I do go to bed, too tired to eat, a watch with less than a 24 hour charge is less efficient. And that means, ‘No Sale’ and to wait for second or fourth gen as I did the iPod Touch.
You sure do spend a lot of time writing about stuff you don’t want.
If it’s not for you, don’t buy it. Problem solved.
I would love to ask “Do you have a brain?” and to read my original reply. I already tweeted Tim about it, but he is not taking ‘outside ideas’ as it is noise.
And I would love to assume you know what ‘copy and paste’ is. It’s where you take information (text or media files) stored elsewhere as my post was.
It was originated from a friend who is a manager at his company and he runs the warehouse. And at times he too works double shifts.
And so you know, I DO KNOW I know how to hang back and wait for products.
The problem is not ‘solved’.
What we have here is MY OPINION and I write about a LOT of things. This one of many.
You sound like Microsoft Win 8 Product, ‘once size fits all’.
In the real world, that is not true.
Microsoft? Hardly. I’ve been a Mac guy dating all the way back to the Quadra.
I never said one size fits all. I said if it doesn’t fit you, don’t buy it.
You sound so bitter. Are you really saying you go to bed so tired that you wouldn’t have the energy to place a watch on a charger? Do you sleep in your shoes too, or do you find the energy to take them off?
Life is too short for such anger and frustration about a 1st gen product that hasn’t even been released yet. If a product isn’t for you, don’t buy it. No worries.
I suspect that when the Apple Watch is released, there will be lots of really nice chargers made for it that will look more like watch-stands, so charging will really just mean taking the watch off when you go to bed, regardless of what time you go to bed.
1. Re-read this post.
2. Bitter over a device I can get the 4th Gen the appeals to my needs? Doesn’t sound very ‘Apple Like’ or common sense.
3. This is about working TWO SHIFTS, that’s 16 HOURS+ as my shifts were just that. If the watch ONLY keeps 8 hours of battery time per day, WHAT’S THE POINT? I guess you do not understand the situation at all.
4. Where is there anger? I’m not talking about the next gen video game consoles that are over $250 with NO backwards compatibility because corporate wants to financially rape the gamers? To that, yes, you could say I’m bitter, if you like. I know it upsets me, but ya know.. “If you love that gold-digging whore, when she leaves you for that other guy, please do not cry towards me. I alerted you.” In case you did not know, that is a metaphor.
Bitter over a product that is not released as I’m waiting for confirmation of the battery life on one charge. Really internet, please upgrade your intelligence. It either has what I need or it does not.
5. So, if Apple releases info that the Apple Watch holds 6 hours of life before it needs to be charged, you will buy it? Simple question. My personal answer is No. My friends are getting it regardless.
“Using the Apple Watch as a watch only, you get 32 hours+.”
It is a simple, yes.
I was there for the Timex Datalink. I wanted it BAAAAD, regretted not getting it. But my luck, I fell in love with the Casio AE-11W. Why? Because it has FIVE separate alarms and it looks cool to me. But that is a bit of a different story.
But seriously, you need to re-read this entire post – I’ve read some of your other posts too. [comments withheld]
It looks great but not sure I have need of one. I think this is something I’ll wait for the second generation, however Apple have really shown Samsung how it’s done. Again!
My thoughts exactly. I don’t need an Apple Watch, but it’s still a really neat product and I’ll be curious to see how it evolves. Think about how amazing the original iPhone looked, and how clunky that same original iPhone looks compared to what we have now.
This product isn’t for me, but I won’t be surprised at all if a lot of people really love it. Time will tell.
By the way, speaking of Samsung… I heard a rumor they’re going to have a U2 cover band for their next event. Not sure if that’s true though. /sarcasm