Ulefone is set to launch the Armor Pad 3 Pro, a rugged tablet featuring what it claims is the world’s largest-ever tablet battery, reportedly a staggering 33,280mAh.
Launching on May 13, this device boasts triple the battery life of Apple‘s iPad Pro, promising to deliver exceptional energy efficiency at a budget-friendly price tag.
The Armor Pad 3 Pro has a 10.36-inch, 2000 x 1200 (2K) 60Hz display with 500 nits of peak brightness, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It’s powered by MediaTek’s MT8788 SoC, alongside 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM (plus 8GB of virtual RAM) and 256GB UFS 2.2 storage, expandable to 2TB via a microSD card.
Over two months of standby time
Running Android 13, the tablet has a 32MP front-facing camera and a 50MP rear camera. The device’s back panel features two 1,100-lumen camping lights controlled by a dedicated button on the left-side frame. It also offers stereo front-facing speakers.
The Armor Pad 3 Pro offers an HDMI port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, LTE connectivity (dual SIM), and NFC. It is also IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810H-certified for water, dust, and shocks.
The highlight is, naturally enough, the device’s massive battery, which can be fast-charged through the USB-C port at up to 66W. The battery is designed to deliver a standby time of 1,812 hours (over two months!), a talk time of 181 hours, and 18 hours of video playback. That’s quite a leap from the original Armor Pad Pro, which had a 7650mAh battery that offered a standby time of 414 hours and a talk time of 41 hours.
Ulefone offers a series of add-ons for the tablet, including a rotating stand, a multi-function bag, and an external Bluetooth speaker, all sold separately.
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Priced at $559.99 with free worldwide shipping, the Armor Pad 3 Pro can be pre-ordered through AliExpress.
Samsung has a battery manufacturing division called Samsung SDI, which makes batteries for products ranging from smartphones to EVs. Earlier today, Samsung SDI announced its financial results for Q1 2024. The company’s sales have fallen despite higher EV business, but the company vows to become a “global top-tier company by 2030.”
Samsung SDI profits fall 38% in Q1 2024 due to higher competition
Samsung SDI announced its revenue was KRW 5.13 trillion ($3.7 billion) in Q1 2024. That’s a 4% drop compared to Q1 2023. More importantly, its net profit fell KRW 267.4 billion ($193 million), a 29% decrease compared to the previous year. Compared to the previous quarter (Q4 2023), its revenue and operating profit fell 8% and 14%, respectively.
The company’s small battery business, which includes smartphone batteries, saw a drop in sales, but its profitability increased due to its pivot to pouch batteries. The sales of pouch batteries increased due to higher sales of flagship smartphones from an unnamed customer. The sales of cylindrical batteries dropped due to inventory correction of major customers in the micro-mobility segment (e-bikes and e-scooters). The company plans to enter electric two-wheeler battery markets in India and other Southeast Asian countries.
Sales and profit of its Energy Storage Solutions (ESS) decreased due to seasonality. The company expects sales to improve in the coming quarters, as it plans to expand the sales of Samsung Battery Box and batteries for Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) systems.
The sales of automotive batteries increased, resulting in higher profit in the EV battery segment. This is due to steady sales of P5 batteries for premium EVs and the launch of P6 batteries for the North American market. Automotive battery sales are estimated to remain solid with the expansion of P6 battery sales.
Samsung SDI CEO Yoon-ho Choi said, “By making hard efforts for a new level of change and innovation, the company will bring forward realizing its goal of being a global top-tier company by 2030.”
When Beats introduced the Solo 3 in 2016, the headline feature was the inclusion of Apple’s W1 audio chip. This delivered seamless pairing with Apple devices, which made life much easier for iPhone, Mac and iPad owners. Besides the noise-canceling Solo Pro in 2019, Beats hadn’t updated the Solo line in nearly eight years, and it’s now bringing its popular on-ear headphones up to today’s standards. Beats announced the Solo 4 today, a $200 set of familiar-looking cans with significant updates to audio quality and battery life. But as it has done on other devices, the company has chosen its own audio platform over Apple’s AirPod chip.
Beats
Beats made significant updates to audio quality and battery life on the Solo 4, but the design is in need of a refresh.
Beats says it re-engineered the audio on the Solo 4 for “incredible, high-fidelity acoustics.” This includes new, custom-built 40mm transducers that it says offer “extraordinary clarity and range” due to minimal latency and distortion. The company explained that the change also led to improved high-frequency response compared to the Solo 3. Beats says the Solo 4 is its only passively-tuned headphone, so you’ll get the same audio quality when listening wirelessly as you do when your battery dies and you have to employ the 3.5mm jack.
Spatial Audio was available on the Solo 3, but Beats took things a step further on the Solo 4 by adding Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. This is the process Apple developed for its AirPods that uses your iPhone’s camera to create a custom audio profile tailored to the shape of your ears. The effectiveness of head tracking in enhancing Spatial Audio might depend on your personal preferences and the content, but the addition brings the Solo 4 up to date with other Beats (and Apple) audio products.
Billy Steele for Engadget
Another big upgrade is battery life. The Solo 3 already offered 40 hours of play time on a charge, but Beats managed to squeeze another 10 hours out of the Solo 4. Of course, that’s with a volume level of about 50 percent with Spatial Audio off (45 hours with it on). The quick-charge feature, Fast Fuel, now gives you up to five hours of use in 10 minutes. That’s two hours more than the Solo 3.
Like Apple has done with most of its products, Beats made the switch to USB-C for charging on the Solo 4. That wired connection also delivers lossless audio, so long as you’re listening to compatible content with a supported device. Similar to other recent Beats products, the Solo 4 swaps Apple’s chips for the company’s own platform. In this case, the W1 on the Solo 3 has been replaced, but there’s still deep integration with iOS, macOS and iPadOS. And the company’s recent efforts to better cater to Android users continues on the Solo 4.
Beats upgraded the microphones on the Solo 4, though they’re used solely for calls since there’s no active noise cancellation (ANC) here. Specifically, the company says it swapped out analog mics for digital, beam-forming MEMS ones, leading to increased quality when it comes to voice capture across various environments. Beats also added a noise-learning algorithm that can target your voice while combating background roar and wind.
What’s good
Billy Steele for Engadget
The steps Beats took to improve the sound quality on the Solo 4 truly delivered. The company has employed a more even-handed tuning for several years now, ditching the overly bass-heavy EQ that dominated the sound on its early headphones. I can also hear the added clarity in tracks like Justice’s “Neverender,” where details like synth sounds had brought an atmospheric texture that enhanced the song. This is most prominent when you have Spatial Audio activated, and in my experience, the Solo 4 were at their best with Dolby Atmos content in Apple Music.
The 50-hour battery life claim holds out, too. After 37 hours of testing at around 50-percent volume, macOS was still showing the Solo 4 had 35 percent left in the tank. That’s pacing ahead of Beats’ stated figure. During my test, I was streaming spatial Dolby Atmos content from Apple Music, mostly from a MacBook Pro.
Beats says the Solo 4 has the same memory foam ear pads as the over-ear Studio Pro headphones, but with a new cover material for that component to further boost comfort. I do feel like there’s less of a vice-like pressure when I’m wearing the Solo 4, but after a couple of hours, each passing minute felt more laborious.
What’s bad
Billy Steele for Engadget
While we’re on the topic of comfort, I’ve never been a fan of the on-ear style of headphones. Most of them, the Beats Solo included, feel like they’re clamping down on my head. GrantedI have a large dome; I take my New Era caps in 7 ⅝. But I can appreciate that this design is very popular, so this is less of a con and more of an observation for my fellow large-domed homies. The slight changes to the ear pads definitely help make it more comfortable, but it’s still too snug a fit for me.Clearly, though, the Solo line is a hit: Beats says it has sold over 40 million pairs of these on-ear cans.
I also wish the company did a bit more with the Solo 4’s design. I understand “if it ain’t broke” and all that, but this feels like a missed opportunity. Beats opted to keep almost entirely the same look from the Solo 3, except that the “Solo” branding on the headband is now just a “4.” The company changed things up a bit on the Solo Pro, but that model isn’t around anymore, so a design update on the non-ANC Solo headphones would’ve been a welcome change.
While there are some obvious updates to the audio profile, the Solo 4 sounds a bit thin at times. When listening on an iPhone, audio performance is consistent across genress, but there’s a noticeable difference when listening to the same songs on Apple Music on a Mac. That Justice album, Hyperdrama, doesn’t have the same oomph streaming from my MacBook Pro as it does from my iPhone.
The Solo 4 is also missing multipoint Bluetooth support on iOS. It isn’t the first Beats audio device that lacks this, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. The ability to automatically switch between your computer and your phone when you get a call is a handy feature most headphones offer these days. And if you’re used to having it, it’s something you’ll miss on the Solo 4.
Wrap-up
There’s no denying the updates Beats made on the Solo 4 in terms of sound quality and battery life. The company also made tweaks to modernize it, including the switch to USB-C. Small changes to the ear pads make the Solo 4 more comfortable for those of us with big heads, but the fit is still far from ideal. And overall, the familiar design could use a refresh, especially now that we’re nearly eight years on from the Solo 3. Still, the Solo 4 is a clear upgrade from the Solo 3, but it’s likely not significant enough to entice more than the Beats faithful.
The Beats Solo 4 is available today for $200 from Apple. The headphones come in black, blue (pictured) and pink color options.
1 / 10
Beats Solo 4 review
Beats Solo 4 headphones from the side, showing the “b” logo.
Checking the health and maximum capacity of the battery in your beloved iPad isn’t as easy as it should be, but we can walk you through the process.
Finding out how worn out the tablet’s battery is can help you decide if it’s time for a new model.
Explaining iPad battery health: maximum capacity vs. cycles
Diamonds are forever but batteries are not. Li-ion batteries in phones, laptops, etc., inevitably wear out. Each one comes with a limited number of times it can be charged and discharged, which is called a cycle. But every time you plug in the device isn’t the start of a new cycle. One starts only after all of the battery’s power has been expended.
“You could use half of your laptop’s charge in one day, and then recharge it fully,” explains Apple. “If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two. In this example, it might take several days to complete a cycle.”
This is where a measurement of maximum capacity comes in. This indicates how much power your iPad battery can hold now compared to the capacity when it was new. It’s typically listed as a percentage, and is a much better indication of battery health.
Here’s how to find out what the maximum capacity is for your iPad’s battery.
How to check battery health and maximum capacity on your iPad
On an iPhone, you can discover the maximum battery capacity with a quick visit to the Battery area in Settings. iPadOS doesn’t make it nearly so easy. The information is in there — you just need to dig it out.
Open the Privacy & Security then Analytics & Improvements sections of Settings to get access to iPad battery health data. Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Start by going to Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Analytics & Improvements. On that screen, make sure Share iPad Analytics is toggled on.
Then tap on Analytics Data. This will open a long list of files keeping track of the minutia of your iPad. You’re looking for one whose name starts with “Analytics-” followed by today’s date (or the most recent one available). Tap on it to open the file. You’ll see a long, long series of entries, 99.999% of which is useless to you. But the data you want is buried in there.
Note: if you’re using an older version of iPadOS, you might be looking for a file that starts with “log-aggregated-” or maybe “sysdiagnose_” instead.
From here, there are two ways to go: use a Shortcut to find the current maximum capacity of your iPad’s battery or search through the file on your own.
1. Try a Shortcut
Install and open the Battery Stats Shortcut to discover your iPad’s battery health. Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
If you’re willing to install a Shortcut on your iPad, follow this link to Battery Stats then click Add Shortcut. (I went through the code and it doesn’t do anything dodgy.)
Now go back and open that specific analytics file you found earlier in Settings. Tap on the Share Menu icon (box with an arrow point up) in the upper righthand corner of the screen, then select Battery Stats from the resulting popup window.
After a few seconds, a window will open showing you the battery capacity in both mAh and a percentage.
2. Search for yourself
Try to find these codewords in the iPad analytics file. Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Alternatively, you can search through the lengthy analytics file for the data on your own. You’re looking for “MaximumCapacityPercent” and “CycleCount.”
It’s not hard to guess that the first number is Apple’s estimate of the maximum current capacity of your iPad battery. Though you can calculate this for yourself. Go back to the analytics file and look for NominalChargeCapacity and MaximumFCC, then calculate:
(MaximumFCC / NominalChargeCapacity) * 100
This is generally lower than MaximumCapacityPercent. Oddly, that figure is often over 100% if the iPad is new. I don’t know why.
You’ll have noticed that the analytics file is enormous — you’d be better off opening it in a text editor and using a Find function to search for those terms. I use GoodReader, but there are other options.
To transfer the file to the app of your choice: open the file, tap on the Share Menu icon (box with an arrow point up) in the upper righthand corner of the screen, then select the text editor you prefer from the Share Sheet.
What now?
What happens next depends on your iPad battery’s health as determined by its current maximum capacity percentage. As noted earlier, Apple considers anything over 80% to be healthy.
Above than number, you’re almost certainly good. My iPad is at 88% (or 92%, depending) and I’ve used it virtually every day for about 18 months, so it’s in great shape.
The possible exception is if your tablet is fairly new and the max capacity isn’t near 100%. Before you get concerned, though, check your Cycle Count. If it’s also high (mine is at 165), it means you’re a very heavy user and are putting a lot wear on the battery. That’s not a bad thing — you clearly like the product a lot.
But if your iPad has seen many years of use and its battery health isn’t good — its maximum capacity is at or below 80% — it means the device doesn’t last as long between charges as it used to.
One option is replacing the battery. Apple will do it for roughly $100 to $120 depending on your model, and the process will return the computer to its original battery life.
Or you might look into one of the new iPad Air or iPad Pro models expected soon. (You’ve been looking for a reason to upgrade, right?)
Batteries and plastic are near the bottom of the environmentally friendly list, but UK company Gomi has an innovative power bank that may be the most sustainable solution for both. Everything on the Gomi power bank is recycled, including the batteries themselves, and the whole unit can be repaired and replaced instead of tossed away. If you’re looking to feel better about your batteries, read on, because Gomi has taken recycled electronics to a new level.
Let’s start with those batteries, because you might wonder how a battery can be recycled. Batteries degrade over time, and they can be recharged but not completely recycled. When your battery is dead, it’s just dead.
Except maybe not all of the battery is dead. If you have an e-bike, for instance, the battery pack is made up of a bundle of batteries that are roughly a bit larger than an AA battery. Altogether they offer enough charge for an e-bike, but when a bunch of those batteries die, the battery pack needs to be replaced.
Enter Gomi, which tests those old e-bike battery packs to find which cells in the bundle are still viable and which are dead. The good batteries are recovered and used in battery packs and Bluetooth speakers.
It’s all about those swirly (recycled) plastics
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
As for the rest of the power bank, Gomi says the casing is “made from 100% waste plastics and aluminium.” Specifically, Gomi says it is using waste plastic bags that are non-recyclable. They mix and swirl the plastics in a variety of colors before baking them in the oven, and the company is also eager to try custom power banks, if you need them in bulk.
Like all electronics in Europe, the Gomi power bank comes with a two-year warranty, but these power banks are much easier to repair than other models. There is no glue holding the case together, so you can unscrew the power bank yourself to get at those replaceable batteries. Even after two years, you should be able to simply swap out the batteries with Gomi if they are wearing down.
The Gomi power bank isn’t the most advanced charging unit you can buy, but that’s totally beside the point. This one is all about sustainability, not the most powerful charging. The power brick can hold up to 10,000 mAh of charge, but it only charges up to 18W on either the USB-C or USB-A power outlets on top. That’s slower than the best phones you can buy are capable of charging, for sure.
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(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
My review sample came engraved with my name, which is a nice touch you can add to the aluminum back. It also came with a very nice, long USB-C cable wrapped in fabric, not plastic.
In addition to the power bank, Gomi makes a Bluetooth speaker using the same recycled materials and concept. The speaker uses recycled plastics for the casing, which is splash-resistant, as well as the same recycled batteries inside to power the unit. You can even buy two Bluetooth speakers and play them as a stereo pair.
Serious about sustainability and service
If sustainability is important to you, there’s a lot to love in Gomi’s offering. All of those e-bikes you see around your city are leaving behind dead batteries, and Gomi is not only getting the most out of those old cells, it’s openly soliciting new partners if you have batteries you need to recycle. I’ve never seen such an inventive push to use batteries that might otherwise end up in a landfill.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I also love the aggressive way Gomi advertises its repair and warranty service. Gomi sells you the first battery with the understanding that you’ll be coming back for a refill on the power cells.
The power banks are more expensive – $85 for a 10K mAh unit. An Anker battery pack with the same power would cost less than $20. Of course, Anker needed to buy freshly mined minerals for its battery, while Gomi is keeping batteries out of the earth. Still, maybe Gomi would do better with a much cheaper battery pack in a simpler style. I’m assuming all those swirling colors add to the cost.
You can buy Gomi battery packs online through Gomi. Customers in the UK can get battery packs serviced directly from Gomi’s factory in Brighton. If you need service from the US, Gomi offers repair service “at cost” to US customers, which is currently around 35% of the retail price. And if you’re a huge fan of the swirling designs, the company even makes artwork from the same recycled plastics.
Mophie today announced the launch of Juice Pack battery cases that are designed to work with the iPhone 15 lineup. Like Mophie’s prior Juice Pack cases, the latest version attaches to the iPhone to provide a little extra battery life during daily use.
The case comes apart in two pieces so that the iPhone can fit inside, and as the iPhone 15 models have USB-C ports, there is a USB-C charger inside that fits right in to the port. The case also has a USB-C port that can be used for charging the case and the iPhone inside.
Priority goes to the iPhone when charging, so if it’s plugged in, it’ll charge up first, and then the case itself will also charge. It’s a super simple solution for adding extra battery life to your phone on a long day.
The Juice Pack for the iPhone 15 Pro Max that we tested ahead of launch has a 3,000mAh battery, so it’s not able to charge an iPhone to full, but it is about an extra half charge. The 15 and 15 Pro Juice Pack models have a 2,400mAh battery inside because they’re smaller, but that also delivers about the same 50 percent battery charge. In my testing, I was able to get about an additional 45 percent battery out of the case once I had drained my iPhone battery, so Mophie’s estimate seems about right.
Mophie’s Juice Pack case is made from a soft-touch material that’s pleasant in the hand and it only comes in black. It offers a protective lip around the iPhone’s display and camera, and covers all of the buttons and ports for additional protection. There’s a bump at the back for the battery, and while the case remains on the slimmer side is not too bulky, it does add some extra weight.
The case is meant to provide protection from a drop of up to six feet, and it feels rugged enough to be able to handle that kind of impact without damage to the iPhone. Mophie says that the extra battery life provides up to 44 hours of talk time and music playback, or up to 11 hours of video playback.
There’s a button on the back to turn the Juice Pack on and off and to check charge level with the four LEDs. It’s handy to be able to turn it off to control when you want to use up the extra battery life rather than having it charge automatically, but note that you do need to hold it down for a few seconds to get charging to initiate. Mophie has Juice Pack cases for the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but there is not a model for the iPhone 15 Plus.
Hearing aids: Not only for the near-deaf? We’ve already seen one product in the emerging category of hearing aids designed for users with relatively mild hearing loss—the Olive Union Olive Max. Now there’s Elehear’s Alpha Pro, another affordable over-the-counter product that aims to acclimate users to what hearing aids can do … before things reach crisis mode.
Elehear’s Alpha Pro doesn’t break any new ground in the design department, offering a traditional behind-the-ear design with a receiver connected to the primary device via a thin wire—perhaps just a bit longer than most. The units are available only in a dark gray color, which I find more aesthetically pleasing and unobtrusive than the more common silver or beige (yech).
Photograph: Elehear
The units arrive unconfigured, but new users get a free 30-minute online session with an audiologist if they need help setting things up and getting the lay of the land. If you’re a first-time hearing aid user, this is a good idea, as the audiologist can guide you through which settings and eartips are likely to work best for you, not to mention provide general usage and cleaning tips. The audiologist (there’s just one at Elehear) can also help later, on an ad hoc basis, via phone and email.
The Alpha Pro’s hardware controls are simple, with an individual volume rocker on the back of each unit. They will work out of the box, without Elehear’s app, but you’ll need to delve into said app if you want to get the most out of the hearing aids. While the app is simple on the surface, there’s a lot more to it underneath. Naturally, individual volume controls dominate the main screen, with selections for controlling the amount of ambient noise reduction plus the ability to opt between a forward-facing speech focus or a 360-degree listening mode. I also found the Mute button here handy, which cuts out all amplification and lets you work in silence should you need some peace and quiet.
The Adjust tab lets you drill down further, where you’ll find four presets that correspond to various levels of hearing loss, from Mild to Moderate II. Elehear’s audiologist told me these are all tuned based on common hearing loss patterns—boosting high-level frequencies more than lower ones—but you can tweak them further by tapping the Edit icon, which opens a rudimentary equalizer where you can set levels for Ocean Wave, World Sound, and Birds Chirping (i.e. lows, mids, and highs). All of the settings on this screen can be made globally or per-ear. There are also four environmental modes—General, Restaurant, Outdoor, and TV—which are fairly self-explanatory. Elehear says the only real difference among them is the amount of noise reduction along with the use of the directional focus mode.
DJI is entering the portable power station market in the US and Europe with the launch of the Power 1000 and Power 500 aimed at home users or road warriors. The devices (released in China at the end of last year) can be used to power small appliances or charge devices like laptops or drones, and work in concert with solar panels to provide power on the road.
The Power 1000 (13kg or 29 pounds) has a 1,024 Wh capacity and can output up to 2,200W — enough to run a home microwave oven for about 1.3 hours and a car refrigerator for 19 hours, or charge a drone up to 12 times. The Power 500 (7.3 kg or 16.3 pounds) delivers 512 Wh of capacity and 1,000W of output for half the price.
DJI
The larger version supports 1200W fast recharge or 600W standard recharging (540W and 270W for the smaller version). Both can be fast-charged in 70 minutes for a 100 percent battery or 50 minutes to an 80 percent charge. Along with standard AC plugs, both have a pair of USB-C PD output ports that support 140W/100W charging for the Power 1000/Power 500 — enough for most laptops.
The market is fairly saturated with such devices (Jackery, Bluetti, Anker, others), but DJI is pitching this as an ideal way to charge its drones and other products. Released in China in December, it was already available in the US at Amazon and elsewhere via the grey market.
The Power 1000 is now on sale for $1,000 at DJI’s store, while the Power 500 costs $500. You can add a 120W Zignes solar panel for $299. For the latter, you’ll need DJI’s Power Solar Panel Adapter Module or DJI Power Car Power Outlet to SDC Power Cable.
Galaxy M35 support page is listed on Samsung India’s website
The Galaxy M35 now has a support webpage listed on Samsung’s website in India. It mentions the phone’s model number, SM-M356B/DS. Looking at the phone’s model number, it is clear that the upcoming phone has 5G and dual-SIM connectivity.
The phone also passed the FCC certification (via 91Mobiles), revealing its connectivity features and charging speed. It features 2G, 3G UMTS, 4G LTE, and sub-6GHz 5G connectivity. The Galaxy M35 has Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC wireless connectivity features.
FCC certification documents also reveal that the phone was tested with the EP-TA800 charger, which has a maximum PD PPS charging output of 25W. So, it appears that the Galaxy M35 won’t get the 45W fast charging upgrade that the Galaxy M55 received.
The Galaxy M35 has also been spotted in Dekra certification, revealing its battery capacity and manufacturer. The phone’s 5,880mAh (likely to be marketed as 6,000mAh) battery carries model number EB-BM156ABY and is made by Chinese firm Ningde Amperex Technology Limited (known as Amperex). It is the same battery that is used in the Galaxy M15 5G. You can see the details below.
According to previous reports, the Galaxy M35 features a Super AMOLED screen with Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It will be equipped with the Exynos 1380 processor, which was used in the Galaxy A34 and the Galaxy A54. It has 6GB of RAM and 128GB internal storage, but it could come in a variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. It runs Android 14 out of the box.
In terms of pricing, the Galaxy M35 could be priced somewhere below the INR 20,000 ($240) mark in India. The phone could also be launched in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and other Asian and Latin American countries.
Rumors emerged this week that the Apple Watch 10 would arrive with a more power-efficient OLED display, which offers more control over the screen’s power draw than the Liquid Retina OLED displays used by the best Apple Watches in previous years.
This could place much less demand on the battery than the current screen and might just lead to a longer-lasting battery. For me, that’s the single biggest change Apple could make that would convince me to take the plunge and wear an Apple Watch as my main timepiece.
For context, I’ve worn many watches during my role as Fitness and Wearables Editor, but every time a review unit circulates off my wrist, I have just a few I tend to go back to as my standard picks. If I’m in the middle of an intense training block (at the time of writing, the London marathon is a little over a week away) I’ll wear a Garmin Epix Pro, which can last up to two weeks between charges, or even an Apple Watch Ultra 2 if I’m using an iPhone, which gives me 36 hours – just shy of two days.
If I’m taking things easy – with training largely restricted to yoga, the gym, and the climbing center – I’ll probably revert to my beloved Casio digital watches, such as the one our editor-at-large Lance Ulanoff has been wearing recently. Cheap and cheerful with a timer, alarm, and stopwatch, they also crucially have a seven-year battery life. If I want to track sleep or other metrics, I’ll pair that with one of the best smart rings such as an Oura ring, which likewise lasts a full week between charges.
(Image credit: Future)
Notice anything here? It’s all about battery life. While testing the Apple Watch Series 9, I found the 18-hour battery life to be a bugbear compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 2. When testing an Apple Watch that isn’t an Ultra, I’ll often go to bed wearing it, and wake up cursing that my wrist-mounted squircle has transformed from one of the best smartwatches into a useless piece of metal and plastic.
As someone who enjoys running, I use the battery-sucking GPS workout function four to five times a week during a training block, often for long periods, so keeping a spare charger at work has become a necessity during testing.
If something makes you swear more than smile, it isn’t fit for purpose. It’s long past time the Apple Watch had a decent battery upgrade. The OnePlus Watch 2 can reach 100 hours with some clever dual-OS wrangling, and even the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 range, Apple’s nearest Android rival, is now cresting 40 hours. Although the Apple Watch is still the best-selling smartwatch by a huge margin, having a battery performance still stuck at 18 hours simply isn’t good enough in 2024.
(Image credit: Samsungh 6)
Now the Samsung Galaxy Ring is on the horizon, alternative wearable formats are reaching the mainstream, and the era of peak smartwatch may very well be over. Wearable tech is getting slimmer and less obtrusive, and this trend lets them last longer, becoming less of an inconvenience to users.
Health and wellness wearables are also redoubling their focus on sleep: the Galaxy Ring briefing I attended was almost entirely focused on rest and recovery, and Fitbit’s just redesigned the Sleep page on its excellent app. As it stands, Apple can’t compete in this arena, because so many users have to charge their watches overnight.
To remain at the head of the pack, Apple needs to evolve. Bringing the Ultra’s 36-hour battery life to the flagship Apple Watch 10 would be the single biggest quality-of-life change an Apple Watch user could wish for. Every power-saving initiative Apple has implemented in previous years has been plowed right back into powering the watch’s new tricks, such as the Series 9’s double-tap functionality.
This year, I don’t want anything flashy – I want Apple to focus on giving us more time with its watches.
