Whether it’s Apple, Samsung, or others, we all deserve battery life that matches the way we actually use smartwatches.
It’s time for smartwatch buyers to demand a week of battery life
On a sufficiently long timeline, smartwatch battery drain seems inevitable. Personally, a watch has not been charged overnight just because it has come loose from the charger. Charging isn’t always possible on long journeys, whether that’s because you’re busy, there’s no power nearby, or you don’t have the right accessories on hand. It’s not difficult with a device that is effectively an extension of your arm.
These issues complicate the battery life of some watches. Samsung says the Galaxy Watch 4 can last 40 hours, but real-world demands like GPS and activity tracking reduce that number, which means it will likely be billed every day. Apple watches are even worse with an index of just 18 hours. Buyers may even need to recharge twice a day when tracking sleep or walking a long distance.
The more flawless and extensive the smartwatches, the longer the battery life. Devices, for example, tend to have an ever-growing list of health sensors, but that could backfire if you reduce the amount of time you can wear a device on your wrist.
The seven day goal
Why opt for a weekly battery? Firstly, assuming easy use in most cases, various smartwatches have already reached or surpassed this mark. Fitbit Sense can theoretically last six days or more, and some standard Garmin devices last up to two weeks. In the extreme, Garmin Enduro and Coros Vertix 2 have a rating of around two months or more, the former being a nearly impossible-to-kill solar model. All of these numbers are of course ideal scenarios, but seven days should be a minimum achievable.
From the owner’s perspective, a week creates a standard with room to breathe. It is possible to forget to recharge for a day or two and have time. It solves the problems not only for travelers but also for hikers who can be extremely dependent on GPS but try to avoid bulky batteries or solar panels. It really seems absurd to someone to need a watch charger for a weekend getaway when “dumb” clocks can run for months or years.
A week of casual clothes is also a few days of more sophisticated clothes. My bodybuilding sessions regularly exceed two hours; With some smartwatches with shorter lifespans, the energy evaporates before my eyes. However, if I have a Garmin, I can get by on battery power for a week. Even two or three days of continuous use is better than having to charge everything on those nights.
Why don’t connected watches have a longer battery life?
Various obstacles have come together to affect the battery life of the smart watch, especially the ergonomics. Technically, there is nothing to prevent companies from putting huge batteries on the wrist. But these devices can quickly become too heavy. Heavy or uncomfortable for everyday use. much less throwing and pivoting or lifting weights in the gym. Wearable device engineers are constantly striving to balance smartwatch battery life with other concerns.
One of them is software support. What makes smartwatches attractive is what they can do – for example, switch from Spotify to navigation or smart home app in seconds. to mention a high quality screen and a sleek user interface. The Apple Watch has appalling battery life precisely because it’s a polished cat for all trades, while vendors like Coros and Garmin make fitness-focused devices that can afford to forgo features like screen resolution and robust software on the device.
The dilemma is so big that companies come up with tips for reducing energy consumption. Mobvoi, for example, added a low-power secondary display to its TicWatch Proline, while Fossil decided to introduce custom battery modes for Wear OS and possibly disable some sensors. Newer devices with an “always” screen tend to decrease the brightness and refresh rate each time you lower your wrist.
There are also less practical interests involved, including aesthetics and profit margins. We know this because they regularly market smaller watches and trackers for women with stereotypical “feminine” ribbons and colors. Fashion often comes before utility, which is why even Garmin sells products like Lily.