As a longtime Apple Watch user who upgraded to the Apple Watch Series 10 a few weeks ago, I was stunned to see the amazing battery life I got out of the device. The Series 10 comes with the same 18-hour “all-day” battery life estimate as its predecessors. But I’m getting 30 to 36 hours of use on a single charge. It’s far better than I could have dreamed.
I did make one change to the Apple Watch Series 10, and I thought that would explain the significantly improved battery life experience. I disabled the Always On functionality, as that’s something I don’t need from the Apple Watch right now.
It turns out I’m not the only Apple Watch Series 10 owner to praise the surprising battery life. Others have also experienced better-than-expected battery life, with many leaving the Always On display enabled.
I’ve used a 40mm Apple Watch SE 2 for the past couple of years. It’s been an amazing device. However, I wanted more health-tracking capabilities from the wearable. That was one reason I upgraded to the 42mm Apple Watch Series 10.
The thing that made the purchase a must for me was battery life. The battery health of my old SE 2 had dropped to below 80%.
At that point, the Apple Watch SE 2 wasn’t a reliable device for my marathon training and racing needs. I had to charge it a couple of times per day, which meant spending more time without wearing the Watch. Again, I want to record as many health parameters for as much time as I can between charges. That should also cover my sleep.
As soon as I started using the Apple Watch Series 10 I realized how amazing it is for my needs. First, the new Watch charges much faster than before. But the most impressive thing is the battery life. I’m getting 30 hours with ease, even when I’m training, which is most days. I pushed it to 36 hours, and I’m sure I could have gotten even more out of it. But I don’t want to deplete the battery below 20%. I usually charge the device when battery life drops under 30%.
I was expecting others to point out the wearable’s great battery life, and I wasn’t surprised to see Redditors post stories about the Apple Watch Series 10 battery life.
One person said they got 27 hours on a charge with the Always On display active. Another added they’re getting “like 30ish hours” if they don’t track workouts during that time.
A user said they get over 24 hours of battery life “every day.” They probably meant every charge, of course. In this case, the person has all the Watch functions active and does 30 to 60 minutes of sports tracking daily.
A Redditor offered an even more detailed account of their 46mm Apple Watch Series 10 battery life experience for a regular day of use:
I had the same wow moment on 11.0.1 w/S10 46mm. I charged it to 95% before going to bed (always wear it at night), at 10 pm. Cycled for 5 hours (3:30 of actual cycling, but activity tracking running throughout) w/Polar H10 for HR. My watch display is off during sports, but not on low power for GPS. In general I’ve changed the brightness to lowest, as that’s bright enough for me. At 11 PM, i.e. 25 hours later, I was still at 13%. My S8 would have died during the workout.
Another person calculated that their Apple Watch Series 10 consumes about 4% of battery life per hour. Depending on the activities they track, they get about 24 hours per charge.
Finally, a user claimed they get 40 hours of battery life on the Apple Watch Series 10 with Always On display turned on. The battery can last 50 hours if Always On is turned off. This user did not say whether they track workouts with it.
I think my Apple Watch Series 10 could reach 40 hours with the Always On display disabled, while tracking anywhere between one and three hours of training during that period. That could involve running sessions that are usually at least one hour long, walking sessions, and strength training.
At this point, I’m so happy with the Apple Watch Series 10 battery life that I don’t need it to set any records. If I can get 30 hours of battery for every charge while using just around 80% of the battery, that’s good enough for me. Remember, I was good with 18 hours of life on a charge from the Series 10, considering its faster charging speeds.
The Reddit thread had other Apple Watch users comment on different Watch models, including the Ultra 2, the Series 9, and the Series 8. Some of these models are apparently getting better-than-expected battery life as well.
