Apple Watch Series 2: watchOS 3.1 Gives Battery Life A Big Boost

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When Apple released the Apple Watch Series 2, it promised a battery life of 18 hours. But the device could easily get users through a full day on a single charge. Since the Cupertino company released the watchOS 3.1 about a week ago, users have been reporting a significant improvement in battery life. The watchOS 3.1 brings several bug fixes and performance improvements.

Series 1 and Series 2 both see battery life improvements

Apple Watch Series 2 owners on Reddit and MacRumors forums reported that the new update brought huge battery life improvements. Series 1 users also saw similar improvements. A MacRumors forum user claimed their Series 1 Apple Watch still had 75% battery after 16 hours of use with all the features like location services and background app refresh turned on.

Another forum member said they took off the charger on Friday at 5 a.m.and the battery lasted until Sunday 7 p.m. With such an impressive battery life improvement, users can skip charging every other night. A few other users claimed their Apple Watch Series 2 battery lasted all weekend after the watchOS 3.1 update. Recharging every night was almost a necessity before the update.

Battery life gets worse for the original Apple Watch

However, not everyone is happy with the update. The original “Series 0” Apple Watch users said their devices’ battery life had actually gotten worse after the update. On average, the end-of-the-day battery life has gone down by 10%, according to MacRumors. But most users/potential buyers are likely to notice only the improvements for the newer Watch models. The improved battery life could also encourage some people to buy the new Apple Watches.

Recently, the Apple Watch Series 2 won the inaugural Wearable Tech Awards in London. Tech experts at Wearable.com said the new Apple Watch had improved greatly over the first version. It has shown critics what a smartwatch can do. Wearable.com experts gave it a score of 4 out of 5, praising the device for its great design, waterproofing, reliable GPS tracking, and accurate swim tracking.

Can Apple Watch Series 2 boost smartwatch sales?

Apple Watch Series 2 could help revive the sales of Apple’s wearable device. According to research firm IDC, Apple Watch sales tumbled 71.6% from 3.9 million units in Q3, 2015 to a meager 1.1 million units in Q3, 2016. The Series 2 shipped only in the last two weeks of the reporting period. Despite the sales decline, Apple remains the world’s largest smartwatch company with 41.3% market share, followed by Garmin with 20.5% share.

Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities predicted last month that the Series 2 won’t be able to revive the sales of Apple’s smartwatches. Kuo said the latest Watch still suffers from a weak battery life (Apple just addressed it), lack of killer apps, and its heavy reliance on the iPhone. The analyst said Apple Watch sales are still largely driven by Apple fans rather than the mass market. According to Slice Intelligence, about 33% customers who pre-ordered the Series 2 owned the original Apple Watch.

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