I Put the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Battery to the Test in Multiple Scenarios. Here’s what I found

by | Oct 31, 2023

Key Ultra 2 Battery Insights:

  • Max Battery Life Potential: By turning off ‘Always On Display’, ‘Raise to Wake’, and forgoing sleep usage, you can achieve a 20% longer battery life, reaching up to 84 hours.
  • Features Impact: Using the watch for sleep, having the ‘Always On Display’ and ‘Raise to Wake’ enabled can reduce battery life by 33%, giving you around 56 hours.
  • Sleep Tracking Impact: Using the watch for sleep tracking reduces battery life by approximately 8% compared to not using it for sleep with similar settings.
  • Always On & Raise to Wake: Having both features activated together can contribute to a 28% decrease in battery life.

Disclaimer: The results presented in this article were based on real-world usage and varied daily activities. While a controlled setting would yield more accurate results, these findings reflect everyday use and encompass factors like workout durations, messaging, among others.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Battery Test

apple watch ultra 2 battery test settings

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 boasts a 36 hour battery life according to Apple, but how does it truly fare in real-world settings?

I put it to the test, wearing it through the following different scenarios to understand its performance:

  • Sleep Mode off, Always-On display and Raise-to-Wake on, brightness at 2/3.
  • Sleep Mode off, Always-On and Raise-to-Wake off, brightness at 2/3.
  • Sleep mode on, Always-On and Raise-to-Wake off, brightness at 2/3.
  • Sleep mode on, Always-On display and Raise-to-Wake on, brightness at 2/3.

Daily Use

My daily use consists of timers, checking dozens of notifications, 1 hour-long weightlifting and 30 minute walk 6 days per week, alarms, texting, and adjusting various settings.

Note! This article is an ongoing work-in-progress as I conduct more tests, so save and share this page and stay tuned for updates!

Results

Test
Sleep
Always-On Display
Raise-to-Wake
Brightness
Result
1
No
On
On
2/3
Lasted 67 hours
2
No
Off
Off
2/3
Lasted 84 hours
3
Yes
Off
Off
2/3
Lasted 77 hours
4
Yes
On
On
2/3
Lasted 56 hours

Tips! For more battery tips, read our 15 tips to extend your Apple Watch’s battery.

Conclusions and Recommendations:

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers impressive battery life for the functionality it offers, but its longevity is heavily influenced by the combination of features and settings used, many of which put a heavy strain on the processor.

Users should optimize their settings to get the most out of their device based on their personal needs and preferences.

  • Turn Off ‘Always On Display’ and ‘Raise to Wake’: These were the most significant battery-drainers in our tests. Disabling them can add up to 28 hours of battery life.
  • Reconsider Sleep Usage: If you can forgo sleep tracking, you could save up to 7 hours of battery.
  • Brightness Matters: We tested at a consistent 2/3 brightness. If you can tolerate dimming the display to 1/3, there will be potential for even longer battery life. Conversely, setting the brightness to 100% will result in even more battery drain.

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Ken Lynch

by Ken Lynch

Ken is a Technologist, Healthcare Data Analyst, and the owner and sole contributor to The Wearable Guy.

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