How long does an Apple Watch battery last? Model-wise comparison

All Apple Watch models are designed to last a full work day plus a little extra for sleep tracking. In the worst cases, you’ll probably need to give your Watch a quick charge while you’re in the shower or are generally sedentary. The more powerful Ultra line which is designed for rugged, outdoor use without easy access to power is designed to last a lot longer.

Here’s what you need to know about all the Apple Watches you can buy new today:

Apple Watch Series 11

The Series 11 is Apple’s current flagship Watch. It has all the best Apple features, looks great, and is the Watch most serious Apple Watch users will buy.

The Series 11 features support for 5G, more durable Ion-X glass, and an array of health sensors including hypertension notification, heart-rate monitoring, ECG, and more. You also get an always-on, 2000-nit display that is readable in bright sunlight.

ALSO READ: 8 best Apple Watch faces to try

Battery life is officially rated at 24 hours in normal mode and 38 hours in low-power mode. The Series 11 Apple Watch will also fast-charge from 0-80% in 30 minutes and a 15-minute charge can give you up to 8 hours of battery life.

Apple Watch SE 3

The “budget” Watch in Apple’s current lineup is largely identical to the Series 11. The Watch face is fractionally smaller, display brightness only goes to 1000 nits, and ECG and hypertension notifications are missing. There’s also no blood oxygen sensor, depth gauge, water temperature sensor, and titanium body option. The SE 3 is also missing an Ultra Wideband chip that aids in better tracking and communication.

This watch has a rated battery life of 18 hours, 32 in low power mode, and can fast charge from 0-80% in 45 minutes.

Apple Watch Ultra 3

The rugged option in the lineup is designed for heavy, outdoor use. Larger, more rugged design aside, this Watch also has a 3,000 nit display with a wider field of view, a built-in siren that gets fairly loud, and a depth gauge that goes to 40m (the Series 11 goes to 6m).

The battery lasts a whopping 42 hours in normal mode, 3 days in low-power mode, and can fast-charge from 0-80% in 45 minutes. A 15-minute charge will give you 12 hours of use.

Apple Watch Series 10

While no longer in production, last year’s Series 10 is still a great buy. Compared to the 11 it’s primarily missing 5G support. The battery is similar but since the Series 11 has a more efficient modem, the Series 10 only lasts 18 hours in normal mode and 36 in low-power mode, but it can fast-charge to 80% in 30 minutes.

Apple Watch SE 2

This watch we don’t recommend. While largely similar to the SE 3, it’s missing an always-on display, support for the wrist-flick and double-tap gestures, and fast-charge support. If you do end up buying one, its battery will last 18 hours on a single charge.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

This is a great watch if you can get it on the cheap. Like the Series 10, the Ultra 2 uses Apple’s older 4G modem and is thus limited to LTE speed and battery life suffers. You’ll still get 36 hours of regular use and 3 days in low-power mode, however. Note that charging from 0-80% takes an hour on this older model.

If you’re buying new, we’d recommend the Apple Watch SE 3 for most users and the Series 11 only if you specifically want the slimmer design and longer battery life. The Ultra 3 is a niche product, but it does have a loyal following.