The Edit — Wearables
Smartwatch Battery Life: 18 Hours to 11 Days, Explained
Apple states 18 hours for the Watch SE 3, Google 30 for the Pixel Watch 5, and Garmin up to 11 days. Why the gap is so wide, what GPS and an always-on screen cost, and how long the battery itself lasts.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
This page sets out what each maker states for battery life, why the figures run from 18 hours to 11 days, and how the battery itself ages, as How we choose describes. Nothing here was worn or tested, and every figure is the maker’s own.
Best for iPhone apps, charged nightly
Watch for 18 hours
Best for Charging once a week
Watch for 19 hours with GPS on
Best for Always-on, on Android
Watch for No iPhone listed
Best for Fitness, charged weekly
Watch for Text replies on Android only
A full-feature smartwatch lasts a day; a fitness watch lasts a week
The stated figures fall into 2 groups. Watches built around apps, a bright screen and a phone’s notifications are rated in hours. Watches built around fitness tracking are rated in days. Which group to buy from is mostly decided by the phone, as the smartwatch guide sets out, and a once-a-week charge is a strong case for a Garmin on the gifts for dad list.
| Watch | Stated battery | Reduced mode |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch SE 3 | 18 hours | 32 hours, Low Power Mode |
| Garmin Forerunner 165 | Up to 11 days | 19 hours with GPS running |
| Pixel Watch 5 (41mm) | 30 hours, always-on | 48 hours, Battery Saver |
| Garmin vívoactive 5 | Up to 11 days | Not stated on the listing |
The Apple Watch SE 3 runs 18 hours, so it charges every night
Apple states 18 hours for the Apple Watch SE 3, or 32 hours in Low Power Mode, which turns off some features to stretch a charge. 18 hours covers a waking day with some to spare, not a day and a night. Anyone who wants sleep tracking has to find a charging slot elsewhere, such as during a morning shower.
Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm)
Apple's entry watch, with an always-on display and 18 hours of stated battery life, or 32 in Low Power Mode.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Phone | iPhone 11 or later |
|---|---|
| Battery | 18 hours; 32 in Low Power Mode |
| Display | Always-on |
18 hours, or 32 in Low Power Mode.
Buy it if
- An iPhone owner happy to charge nightly
Don't buy it if
- Sleep tracking without a daily charge
GPS is the biggest drain: the Forerunner 165 goes from 11 days to 19 hours
Garmin’s own figures for the Forerunner 165 show what satellite tracking costs. Garmin states up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and up to 19 hours with GPS running. Every hour of GPS spends battery many times faster than an hour of telling the time, so a watch’s real week depends on how much of it is spent running.
Garmin Forerunner 165 Running Smartwatch, 43mm
A GPS running watch that pairs with iPhone or Android and lasts up to 11 days in smartwatch mode.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Phone | iPhone or Android |
|---|---|
| Battery | Up to 11 days; 19 hours GPS |
| Water | 5 ATM, swim-rated |
Up to 11 days, 19 hours of GPS, either phone.
Buy it if
- A runner who hates charging
Don't buy it if
- A buyer who wants a large app store
The Pixel Watch 5 states 30 hours with the screen always on
An always-on display keeps the watch face lit all day, and it is one of the costs that keeps an app watch in hours. Google states its 30 hours for the 41mm Pixel Watch 5 with the display always on, and 40 hours for the 45mm. Battery Saver stretches the 41mm to 48 hours. It is the longest-running app watch here, and it works only with Android 12 or newer.
Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Wi-Fi)
Google's own watch, with 30 hours of stated battery life with the display always on, and 48 in Battery Saver.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Phone | Android 12 or newer |
|---|---|
| Battery | 30 hours always-on (41mm) |
| Battery Saver | 48 hours (41mm) |
30 hours always-on in the 41mm, 48 in Battery Saver.
Buy it if
- An Android owner who wants the screen always on
Don't buy it if
- An iPhone owner
The vívoactive 5 keeps 11 days with an OLED touchscreen
A touchscreen does not have to mean a nightly charge. The vívoactive 5 has an OLED touchscreen and built-in workouts for the gym, the pool and the mat, and Garmin still states up to 11 days. The trade is the app range, which is smaller than Apple’s or Google’s, and text replies from the watch work only with Android.
Garmin vívoactive 5 GPS Smartwatch, 42mm
A GPS fitness watch with an OLED touchscreen, built-in sports apps and up to 11 days of battery life.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Phone | iPhone or Android |
|---|---|
| Battery | Up to 11 days |
| Display | OLED touchscreen |
Up to 11 days with an OLED touchscreen.
Buy it if
- Gym, yoga and walking, charged weekly
Don't buy it if
- An iPhone owner who wants to reply to texts
The battery itself keeps about 80% after 1,000 full charges
Every rechargeable battery loses capacity as it is used. Apple says its watch battery is designed to keep up to 80% of its original capacity at 1,000 complete charge cycles. A watch charged from empty every night reaches 1,000 cycles in about 2.7 years, and 80% of an 18-hour battery is about 14 hours. Apple’s 1-year warranty covers a defective battery, and it offers a paid battery service after that.
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