Battery Life and Charging Speeds (2025 Guide)
Battery Life and Charging Speeds (2025 Smartwatch Guide)
One of the most critical factors in choosing a smartwatch is how often you’ll need to charge it.
Battery life can vary from less than 24 hours to more than 3 weeks, depending on the brand, features, and how you use it.
1. Why battery life matters
- Convenience: No one wants to charge their watch every few hours.
- Training: Long-distance athletes need days of GPS tracking.
- Sleep tracking: Requires overnight battery life.
- Travel: Multi-day trips demand longer runtimes.
2. Typical battery ranges by brand
| Brand / Model Range | Typical Battery Life | GPS Mode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch (Series, Ultra) | 18–36 hrs | 10–15 hrs | Best with daily charging. Ultra can stretch to ~2–3 days. |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch | 1–2 days | ~20 hrs | Good, but not multi-day reliable. |
| Garmin (Fenix, Forerunner, Instinct, Enduro) | 7–21+ days | 20–150 hrs | Solar models last even longer. Excellent for endurance. |
| COROS (Apex, Vertix, Pace) | 10–45 days | 25–120 hrs | Industry leaders in battery efficiency. |
| Polar (Vantage, Grit) | 4–14 days | 20–100 hrs | Solid performance for training. |
| Suunto | 5–14 days | 20–170 hrs | Known for extended GPS modes. |
| Fitbit (Versa, Sense) | 5–7 days | 10–20 hrs | Good for casual users. |
| Amazfit | 7–14 days | 20–40 hrs | Affordable, surprisingly strong battery. |
3. Charging speeds & technology
- Apple Watch: Fast charging (Series 7 and later) ~80% in 45 min.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch: Similar fast charging, ~45% in 30 min.
- Garmin, COROS, Suunto: Slower charging, but needed less often.
- Fitbit & Amazfit: Moderate charging speeds, usually ~1–2 hrs for full charge.
4. Battery-saving features
- Low-power modes: Extend life by disabling always-on display, Wi-Fi, or music.
- GPS modes: “Smart” or “UltraTrac” sampling reduces GPS pings to save battery.
- Solar charging: Garmin Solar editions add extra days with sunlight exposure.
- Display type: AMOLED drains more battery than memory-in-pixel (MIP) screens.
5. Buyer personas & recommendations
- Daily smartwatch user (texts, apps, calls): Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch. Expect daily charging.
- Athletes / Runners: Garmin Forerunner, COROS Pace—enough for training + multi-day use.
- Ultra-endurance / Adventure: Garmin Enduro, COROS Vertix, Suunto 9 Peak—weeks of life with GPS.
- Casual fitness user: Fitbit or Amazfit—balance of features + long battery.
6. Key trade-offs
- More features = shorter battery life. Always-on display, LTE, and music streaming drain power fastest.
- Simpler screens + optimized GPS = longer life. Brands like Garmin and COROS win here.
- Fast charging helps offset short battery life. Apple & Samsung rely on this strategy.
Final takeaway
- Apple/Samsung: Great smart features, but charge daily.
- Garmin/COROS/Suunto: Multi-day beasts, perfect for training and adventure.
- Fitbit/Amazfit: Balanced for everyday fitness with fewer recharges.
👉 When comparing watches, always consider both battery life AND charging speed—they matter equally in real-world use.