When Tim Cook unveiled the Apple Watch in September, the biggest question regarding the wearable device was how long it would last on a single charge. At the time, Cook said the watch would need to be charged every day, a statement backed by a new report.
According to a report by 9to5Mac"s Mark Gurman, who has a strong record for accuracy regarding Apple rumors, the company is shooting for up to four hours of "active application use" or 19 hours of "combined active/passive use," which would be closer to a regular usage scenario. Gurman writes that the fitness tracking software will run for roughly four hours of "straight exercise tracking on a single charge," if Apple"s estimates are correct.
The watch mode of the device actually doesn"t reach that threshold, Gurman notes, as tests indicated it will only run for three hours straight because of the display"s ticking animations.
According to Gurman, Cook"s estimated Apple Watch battery life of roughly a day should be met by the device, since the normal user wouldn"t be interacting with it for lengthy periods of time, unlike a smartphone. Gurman states that his sources indicate the battery life has been a concern for the company, however, and was a reason it pushed the Apple Watch"s release date from late 2014 to early 2015 – reportedly in March.
Gurman"s report puts the Apple Watch"s battery life roughly in line with competing smartwatches, such as Android Wear products.
Source: 9to5Mac