Apple Watch Series 2 Review - Battery Life Review
Battery Life
Finally there's a reason to own a smartwatch
Sections
- Page 1 Apple Watch Series 2 Review
- Page 2 Screen and Speaker Review
- Page 3 Health and Fitness Review
- Page 4 Battery Life Review
Apple Watch 2 – Battery Life
Smartwatches don’t tend to last too long away from a plug socket. A day and a bit of use is what I’d become used to with the original Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch Series 2 betters that by quite some distance. I regularly strap it to my wrist on a Monday morning and find that it needs charging by Wednesday night – that’s three full days of use. It means I no longer curse the fact that the battery is on 10% when I wake up in the morning and have to leave the watch to charge at home as a result.
This changes if you use the Apple Watch 2’s GPS. GPS tends to uses greater power and the watch discharges noticeably more quickly. Go for a long walk with the GPS on and the battery will last around five hours. That’s quite low, but then it’s unlikely you’ll be away from your phone for that long.
When the Apple Watch 2 is paired to your phone the GPS turns off, and your phone provides the location information. 
It’s clever than that, though. The GPS doesn’t turn on if you’re just sitting at your desk, even if you’ve forgotten your phone at home. It starts working only when you’re actually exercising. I wish the iPhone 7 battery life was anywhere near as good as this.
Should I buy the Apple Watch 2?
I wasn’t sold on the original Apple Watch at first, but plenty of useful updates later and I understand its value. The Series 2 is much better, and one of the best smartwatches you can buy right now. There are a few things to consider before you part with your cash, however.
If you’re an iPhone user and like the idea of a small screen on your wrist with which you can easily respond to messages and read notifications then it’s worth considering the cheaper Apple Watch Series 1. This is just like the original Apple Watch, except it features a new dual-core processor.
For those who want a smartwatch that’s a good fitness tracker as well as a phone companion, the Apple Watch 2 is definitely the way to go. The screen is brighter, the battery life is better and the addition of GPS and water-resistance is a must for any serious runners or swimmers out there who want something they can wear to a formal meeting as well as the gym.
Verdict
The Apple Watch 2 might not look any different, but the refinements that Apple has made are all spot on. If you want a smartwatch that doubles as a solid fitness tracker then this is a fantastic option.
Trusted Score
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
