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Apple Watch 2 will finally deliver long overdue improvements to battery life

Published Sep 1st, 2016 8:00PM EDT

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The first iteration of the Apple Watch has been tremendously popular with early adopters, but there’s no denying that the device hasn’t exactly become the groundbreaking hit that many originally anticipated. Burdened with a less than intuitive UI and just barely acceptable battery life, the Apple Watch has remained more of a niche product than a mainstream hit a’la the iPod.

The Apple Watch 2, however, has the potential to change that. According to a number of credible sources, the next-iteration of the Apple Watch will finally address many of the frustrations that made Apple’s original wearable, in the eyes of some, feel just a tad underwhelming.

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For starters, watchOS 3 looks incredible and should help simplify what was previously a clunky and, at times, counter-intuitive UI. Second, the inclusion of GPS should help position the device as a bonafide fitness tracker. Third, we’re starting to see more and more evidence pointing to much-improved battery life.

According to a new video released by Byte, an electronics shop based out of the UK, the Apple Watch 2 will feature a thinner display and an impressively larger battery.

Interestingly enough, Byte’s video echoes a report from earlier this week which claimed that the battery pack on the Apple Watch 2 will be approximately 35% larger than its predecessor. Specifically, the Apple Watch 2 is said to feature a 1.28 Wh (334 mAh) battery, a marked improvement over the 0.94 Wh (246 mAh) battery currently found on the original.

While this is certainly welcome news, we should point out that a larger capacity battery doesn’t automatically translate into extended battery life. It is perhaps possible that Apple simply increased the battery to account for the addition of a GPS chip. Still, if we look back at how Apple improved battery life on early incarnations of both the iPod and the iPhone, it stands to reason that the Apple Watch 2 will get the same type of treatment.

Yoni Heisler Contributing Writer

Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry at large with over 15 years of experience. A life long expert Mac user and Apple expert, his writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK, and TUAW.

When not analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys catching Improv shows in Chicago, playing soccer, and cultivating new TV show addictions.