Apple Watch 2 Display and Battery Components Measured Against Original Model in New Video

After sharing photos and a video of the thin display and larger battery for the Apple Watch 2, Byte today posted a video focused on comparing the measurements of the new and old Apple Watch generations. As expected, the measurements for the Apple Watch 2 represent an overall slightly thinner display than the original model, while its battery is noticeably thicker.

Thanks to the detailed measurements, Byte was able to confirm that the Apple Watch 2's display is 2.86 mm at its thickest location and 2.12 at its thinnest, compared to 3.57 mm and 2.99 mm, respectively, for the original Apple Watch.

apple watch 2 measurements

The thickest point of the Apple Watch display (left) vs thickest point of the Apple Watch 2 display (right)

The Apple Watch 2's slightly different measurements continued in the height and width of its display (appearing to be a 42mm model), which measured 39.47 mm tall and 33.43 mm wide. The first generation Apple Watch came in at 38.74 mm tall and 32.65 mm wide, so while the Apple Watch 2 is slightly taller and longer, the overall difference appears to be similarly negligible as iPhone generations that jump between the main models and an "S" generation.

Byte also measured the thickness, length, and width of each generation of Apple Watch battery, with the first measuring 3.95 mm thick, 27.46 long, and 18.42 mm wide. Comparatively, the upcoming second generation Apple Watch battery measured 5.11 mm thick, 27.50 mm long, and 18.71 mm wide, falling in line with previous rumors that the Apple Watch 2 would have a larger battery to fuel speedier performance and improve its recharge life.


The battery for the 42mm Apple Watch 2 was investigated in a video last week, and was rated for 1.28 watt-hours. If proved true, this means that the 42mm Apple Watch 2 will have a 334 mAh battery that is 35.7% larger than the 246 mAh battery in the original 42mm model. Last week's video also showed Apple Watch 2 components like the Force Touch gasket, but the piece wasn't measured due to the similar size between each generation.

Byte also shared a circular gasket component of the Apple Watch 2, speculating its potential involvement in providing further water resistance to the unit, particularly its appropriate size for the heart rate sensor.

Apple is expected to announce the Apple Watch 2 during tomorrow's media event, along with the debut of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Despite the slight differences in the measurement of its display and battery, the new generation of Apple Watch will still keep the external design of the current model.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design Draws Criticism From Users

Wednesday September 17, 2025 2:56 pm PDT by
It's been two days since iOS 26 was released, and Apple's new Liquid Glass design is even more divisive than expected. Any major design change can create controversy as people get used to the new look, but the MacRumors forums, Reddit, Apple Support Communities, and social media sites seem to feature more criticism than praise as people discuss the update. Complaints There are a long...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.1 Coming Soon, Likely With iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Fix

Thursday September 18, 2025 9:17 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The update will have a build number of 23A350, or similar, the account said. It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's Henry T. ...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

Apple's Rumored MacBook Pro Redesign: 6 New Features Anticipated

Wednesday September 17, 2025 4:26 am PDT by
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the ‌MacBook Pro‌ is now several years away, think again. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4: Here Are 5 New Features to Expect on Your iPhone

Tuesday September 16, 2025 11:17 am PDT by
iOS 26 was finally released on Monday, but the software train never stops, and the first developer beta of iOS 26.1 will likely be released soon. iOS 18.1 was an anomaly, as the first developer beta of that version was released in late July last year, to allow for early testing of Apple Intelligence features. The first betas of iOS 15.1, iOS 16.1, and iOS 17.1 were all released in the second ...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Reportedly Plans to Launch These 10 Products in 'Coming Months'

Sunday September 14, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19. As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...

Top Rated Comments

keysofanxiety Avatar
118 months ago
If the overall watch is the same size as the current model, the size of the individual parts is less important.
On the contrary: if the overall watch is the same size as the current model, but the size of the individual parts are smaller, then it will likely have a bigger battery and better battery life! So good news if this is the case.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GaryLasereyes Avatar
118 months ago
except for those who already have one (me) and see no reason to buy another one with this minimal change.

as well as everyone else who didn't buy it and still see no reason to.


So my question is... who is going to buy this?
"No one will want this because I don't want this"

This statement is nearly always incorrect.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Elijen Avatar
118 months ago
OMG it's thinner!!! Just like EVERYBODY was requesting!


(not)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
noobinator Avatar
118 months ago
except for those who already have one (me) and see no reason to buy another one with this minimal change.

as well as everyone else who didn't buy it and still see no reason to.


So my question is... who is going to buy this?
Lots will buy it for the GPS, if this rumor is true.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GaryLasereyes Avatar
118 months ago
Why do people want always on when they don't constantly look at their watch.
Because it's getting difficult to complain about other things.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yaxomoxay Avatar
118 months ago

Current watch looks horrible on my small arms, it's slightly too thick.
Your arms are wrong. Replace as by Apple's instructions.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)