Hey, tech fans! Smartwatches are awesome gadgets, but one key part makes or breaks them – the battery. As smartwatches evolve and pack in more advanced features, battery life has become one of the most critical factors for users.
In 2024, major brands are pushing the boundaries of battery technology, determined to keep these wearable devices running for longer stretches without compromising functionality. From improved chipsets to more energy-efficient displays, smartwatch manufacturers are exploring various avenues to extend battery life and meet the ever-growing demands of tech-savvy consumers.
Today we're diving into how smartwatch battery life is getting better.
The Big Players in Smartwatch Battery Life
In 2024, all the major brands are battling to have the longest-lasting smartwatch battery. Here's how they stack up:
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Known for incredible battery life, this watch can last up to 11 days! However, using GPS and streaming music significantly drains it. It's missing an altimeter though, which could be a downside for exercise enthusiasts who want to track stairs climbed. The Vivoactive 5 has a 1.75″ HD AMOLED display and is more power-efficient than traditional LCD screens. There's also a “Battery Saver” mode that turns off some features to maximize battery.
Garmin Vivoactive 5's impressive battery life is enabled by innovative methods to regulate power consumption. For example, the watch uses smart chips that pause or shut down functions you aren't using, conserving more energy than traditional watch styles.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Samsung's new battery tech gives 50% more life than older models, which is huge for people tired of constant charging. It has a 1.4-inch AMOLED screen that looks sleek like the Apple Watch Series 9. That energy-efficient AMOLED helps battery life too. A built-in power-saving mode conserves more juice.
Samsung's battery tech allows for a 50% longer run time than previous generations. This is achieved through improved silicon design where more processing can be packed into a smaller space on the chip, reducing the amount of power drawn.
Amazfit Active
This brand really focuses on long battery life, but the details are fuzzy. In normal use, it claims up to 14 days, or even 30 days with limited features on. For GPS use, it gets 26 hours. It has a 1.75″ HD AMOLED screen which is power-efficient like the others. And there's a “Power Saving” option.
OnePlus Watch 2
This one uses a special “Dual-Engine” chip setup to manage power super efficiently. With that tech, it can get up to 100 hours of regular use or 48 hours with really heavy use! It also has a mode to stretch battery life up to 12 days.
For the OnePlus Watch 2, dual-chip architecture is key. Two paired processors work together, with one handling the main functions and another just for extending battery life between charges.
Apple Watch Series 9
Despite an 18-hour “all-day” battery life and fast charging, the screen's boosted brightness (up to 2,000 nits!) could drain it faster. But a new power-saving chip tries to balance that out. The “Low Power Mode” also helps by reducing what the watch does.
In addition to the improved battery life, the Series 9 watch also benefits from more efficient power management. The S9 chip allows for optimal use of power by only running what you need, reducing drain from background processes.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Made for extreme athletes and adventuring, it gets up to 36 hours of battery normally and 72 hours in Low Power Mode. Heavy GPS tracking lowers that though. But there's a special “Low Power GPS” workout mode to push it to 60 hours. It also has a brighter screen than the Series 9.
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Amazfit Active Smart Watch with AI Fitness Exercise Coach, GPS, Bluetooth...
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$114.99
$129.99 -
Garmin vívoactive 5 Silicone Band Smartwatch, Black
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$249.99
$299.99 -
ONEPLUS Watch 2 Black Steel, 32GB, 100-Hour Battery, Health & Fitness...
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$279.99
$299.99 - SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 5 Pro 45mm Bluetooth Smartwatch w/ Body, Health, Fitness... — $329.99
- Apple Watch Series 9 GPS + Cellular 41mm Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport... — $499.00
- Apple Watch Ultra 2 GPS + Cellular 49mm Titanium Case with Orange Ocean Band... — $799.00
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Advanced Smartwatch Batteries
Smartwatch battery progress is awesome, but it comes with trade-offs. The upside is using all those sweet features for way longer without recharging. And quick charging means less time tethered to outlets.
The downside? Adding more abilities, especially fitness tracking, really kills battery life fast. People want non-stop tracking without constantly charging up.
What's Next for Smartwatch Battery Life?
Looking forward, smartwatch battery tech is set to improve a ton. Game-changing solid-state and graphene batteries could bring way longer life, super-fast charging, and better safety.
Using microLED screens (which use half the power of OLED) in watches could massively boost battery too. But the push for more health tracking will just drain batteries faster…
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Final Thoughts
2024 smartwatch batteries are miles ahead of the past, but it's still a balancing act as watches pack in more features that tax the battery. That's the challenge brands face – building in longevity to match the smarter capabilities.
For users like you, it means your watch can do a lot more…but you also need to keep an eye on conserving juice. However, who knows what awesome battery innovations the future could bring?
Maybe someday our watch batteries will be powered by the sun or our own movements. Or maybe we'll see watches that only need a monthly charge! The possibilities are endless and exciting.
So what battery-boosting advancements would you most want to see? And how crucial is long battery life for your ideal smartwatch? Let me know in the comments on social media!
