Detailed Performance Analysis Of Apple Watch Battery

Apple frequently claims that its smartwatches offer “all-day battery life,” but what does that actually mean? To separate fact from marketing strategies, HotshotTek undertook a comprehensive battery life evaluation of each Apple Watch model, spanning from the original Series 0 to the newest Series 10 and Ultra versions. Additionally, they included leading competitors from Samsung and Google for a comparative analysis to assess performance.

The aim was straightforward yet ambitious: identify which smartwatch can genuinely boast the longest battery life on a single charge under uniform, controlled circumstances. By rigorously testing the devices with always-on displays set to a consistent brightness level, disconnected from phones, and without external distractions, the goal was to push their batteries to their limits.

Rigorous Testing Methodology

To ensure a fair comparison (pun entirely intended), a strict testing protocol was implemented:

• All watches were updated to their latest firmware versions
• Displays were configured to always-on mode at an established 20% brightness
• Airplane mode and focus mode were enabled to block any notifications or background processes that could affect battery consumption
• Each watch was set on specially crafted 3D-printed platforms equipped with “screen tappers” to keep the displays active
• while preventing entry into power reserve mode.
• Devices were fully charged and then continuously operated until their batteries were exhausted

A total of over a dozen smartwatches were evaluated, including the entire range of Apple devices alongside flagship models from competitors. The complete list comprised:

• Apple Watch Series 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10 (both 42mm and 46mm sizes of Series 10)
• Apple Watch SE (1st and 2nd generations)
• Apple Watch Ultra (1st and 2nd generations)
• Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
• Google Pixel Watch 3

Battery Life Test Results

So, which smartwatch emerged as the battery life champion? Here’s the complete ranking from shortest to longest runtime:

• Series 0: 4 hours 21 minutes
• Series 1: 6 hours 53 minutes
• Series 2: 7 hours 6 minutes
• Google Pixel Watch 3: 7 hours 33 minutes
• Series 3: 6 hours 54 minutes
• Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra: 8 hours 27 minutes
• Series 4: 8 hours 10 minutes
• Series 6: 10 hours 45 minutes
• SE (1st gen): 11 hours 16 minutes
• Series 5: 12 hours 20 minutes
• Series 7: 14 hours 10 minutes
• SE (2nd gen): 15 hours 22 minutes
• Series 10 (42mm): 15 hours 56 minutes
• Ultra (1st gen): ~20 hours
• Series 10 (46mm): 20 hours 14 minutes
• Ultra (2nd gen): 35 hours

As highlighted, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 stood out as the clear winner, achieving an outstanding 35 hours in our assessment—almost double the performance of the 46mm Series 10, which had the next best result. In contrast, the original Apple Watch ran out of power after just 4 hours and 21 minutes.

Throughout this evaluation, it was evident that battery life has progressively improved with each generation of Apple Watch. The Series 7 and SE 2 also demonstrated impressive performance, while the larger 46mm version of Series 10 significantly outperformed the smaller 42mm variant.

Interestingly, devices from Google and Samsung did not match the longevity of Apple’s latest models, each recording under 10 hours. However, they did surpass Apple’s older watches from the Series 0 to 4 range.

Caveats and Conclusions

While we aimed to maintain consistent testing conditions, factors such as adaptive brightness and potential overheating could have led to minor discrepancies in the findings. We intend to conduct additional tests in the future to validate these results.

Nevertheless, this assessment offers one of the most transparent, standardized evaluations of smartwatch battery life seen thus far. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is undoubtedly the battery champion, while the Series 10, 7, and SE 2 are also robust performers. For users prioritizing extended battery life, it’s evident that larger devices are the way to go among Apple’s latest offerings.

We hope this thorough testing provides you with a clearer perspective on what to expect from smartwatch battery life, moving beyond vague claims of “all-day” usage. Stay tuned for more real-world assessments to assist in your purchasing decisions.