While all eyes were on the new iPhone 15 yesterday, the truth is that Apple announced another new generation of smartwatches: the Apple Watch Series 9 family, expected by some and desired by others.
This announcement makes many people wonder whether it is worth changing smartwatch, moving from generation 8 to generation 9. And the battery is one of the most crucial points when making the decision. So, does the Watch Series 9 have better battery life than its 2023 sibling? The answer will disappoint you.
The Apple Watch Series 9 still has a battery life of up to 18 hours (up to 36 hours when in low power mode). In other words, we stay where we were, there is no improvement.
What you should know about the battery of the Apple Watch Series 9
According to Apple, the Apple Watch Series 9 should have a big enough battery to last all day, up to 18 hours, which was the same number it gave the Watch Series 8.
This will be with normal use, meaning tasks like checking the time, getting your notifications and doing a one-hour workout. This has been tested against Apple’s own metrics using pre-production models with GPS and cellular from 2022, although we expect this to be the same as the 2023 models.
Other tests show that you can get up to 7 hours of outdoor exercise with GPS enabled and up to 11 hours of audio playback. You’ll also get up to 80% charge in 45 minutes and 100% in 75 minutes.
If you want, you can extend the battery life of your Apple Watch Series 9 by using the low power mode. Introduced in watchOS 9, this feature will help you preserve battery life by turning off certain unnecessary functions, such as WiFi, always-on display, heart rate notifications, etc.
Note that this means certain functions won’t work as well (for example, making a call might take longer), but if preserving your battery is the priority, this can be a big help.
We won’t have exact figures on battery life until we test the watch, but for now, you can expect the Series 9 to last as long on a charge as the Series 8. If you want more battery, you might be interested in the Apple Watch Ultra 2, with up to 36 hours of battery life. But of course, it’s worth 900 euros.
