Skip to Content

Apple Watch Battery Designed to Last 1000 Complete Charge Cycles

by

apple_watch_battery_ifixitApple has outlined that the Apple Watch battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 1000 complete charge cycles, which gives the watch's battery a lifespan of about two-and-a-half to three years based on fully charging the wrist-worn device once per day.

Comparatively, the MacBook and iPad can also receive up to 1000 complete charge cycles while retaining up to 80% of original battery capacity. iPhones receive up to 500 complete charge cycles, and iPods receive up to 400 complete charge cycles before the battery may deplete further.

A teardown of the Apple Watch earlier today revealed a small 205 mAh battery inside the device, which lasts up to 18 hours based on mixed usage and up to 72 hours in Power Reserve mode. The battery is covered under Apple's limited 1-year hardware warranty, while out-of-warranty battery service is also available for $79 plus an applicable $6.95 shipping charge if required for the Sport, Watch and Edition models.

Top Rated Comments

mdelvecchio Avatar
142 months ago
What the hell? I have to pay 1/4 of my watch every two years so I can use it?

i see i was too slow. sigh.

no. you can keep it at 80% if you wish, like many people do w/ old iPhones. or if you're unhappy w/ the actual world in which we live, where batteries wear out, then you can bring it in for servicing every few years. just like, you know, mechanical watches.

i bet you dont even have a mechanical watch.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
142 months ago
What the hell? I have to pay 1/4 of my watch every two years so I can use it?

Feel free to invent a new battery technology to solve these problems.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theSeb Avatar
142 months ago
Is that another way of saying the Apple Watch was designed to die within 3 years ?

No. The watch will be usable after 3 years and the battery will have at least 80% charge. Did you read the article?
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
142 months ago
Is that another way of saying the Apple Watch was designed to die within 3 years ?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
142 months ago
Yep - and my mechanical watch that cost $800 and needs a battery every year is dead after one year. :)

----------



Sure, if you want. Since 1000 is almost three years you can always replace it early.

Wow, this guy...Either you don't own a mechanical watch or know what a mechanical watch is. Mechanical watches don't need batteries. If your battery runs on batteries its a quartz movement.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mdelvecchio Avatar
142 months ago
sounds great. and before anyone complains, after a few years you bring it in to have the battery replaced -- very similar to the occasional servicing of mechanical watches.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Multicolored Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature

Apple Accidentally Leaks 'MacBook Neo'

Tuesday March 3, 2026 7:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have prematurely revealed the name of its rumored lower-cost MacBook model, which is expected to be announced this Wednesday. A regulatory document for a "MacBook Neo" (Model A3404) has appeared on Apple's website. Unfortunately, there are no further details or images available yet. While the PDF file does not contain the "MacBook Neo" name, it briefly appeared in a link...
MacBook Neo Feature Pastel 1

Apple Announces $599 'MacBook Neo' With A18 Pro Chip

Wednesday March 4, 2026 6:15 am PST by
Apple today announced the "MacBook Neo," an all-new kind of low-cost Mac featuring the A18 Pro chip for $599. The MacBook Neo is the first Mac to be powered by an iPhone chip; the A18 Pro debuted in 2024's iPhone 16 Pro models. Apple says it is up to 50% faster for everyday tasks than the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5, up to 3x faster for on-device AI workloads,...
MacBook Neo Feature Pastel 1

First MacBook Neo Benchmarks Are In: Here's How It Compares to the M1 MacBook Air

Thursday March 5, 2026 4:07 pm PST by
Benchmarks for the new MacBook Neo surfaced today, and unsurprisingly, CPU performance is almost identical to the iPhone 16 Pro. The MacBook Neo uses the same 6-core A18 Pro chip that was first introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro, but it has one fewer GPU core. The MacBook Neo earned a single-core score of 3461 and a multi-core score of 8668, along with a Metal score of 31286. Here's how the...