Apple iWatch Release Date Problems: Poor Battery Life Specs Spell Problems For Smartwatch?

Smartwatches have long been plagued with low battery life, and it seems the Apple Watch isn't about to escape the curse when its release date arrives in March 2015. Recent rumors indicate that it will not be able to last for 19 hours under normal usage conditions, which is likely to put off some folks who want a smartwatch that will last at least a full 24 or 48 hours before needing a recharge.

During the launching of the watch, Apple stated that it would have to be charged everyday, which could mean that the watch will not be able to last one full day without charging.

But recently more information about the battery life surfaced from the developers of the Apple Watch. They said the watch will only be able to support 2.5 hours of continuous heavy use of its applications or games. When it comes to standard usage of applications, battery life will only last 3.5 hours. When tracking exercise in its fitness mode, it will only last for four hours.

This indicates that Apple's initial plan for the watch to last for a day or 19 hours with a mixture of active and passive usage could not be achieved.

Apple earlier said the watch would be able to last three days in standby mode or four days when in sleep mode. However, after testing, indications are that the watch will only last for two to three days even in standby or sleep mode.

During testing, it was also revealed that the watch will be able to display the watch face constantly for about three hours, with its watch ticking animation on. Reporting on this, 9to5Mac said most people will rarely keep the watch face on permanently and instead use it sporadically and therefore this shouldn't be a problem.

After factoring in all the different app uses, display of the clock face and fitness apps that people may run, current indications are that the watch will not be able to run for 19 hours with a single charge. Right now the robust Apple S1 chip and the Retina display which updates at 60 frames per second are thought to be the main culprits behind the smartwatch's low battery life.