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Stuff / News / The next Apple Watch’s battery life could be the best yet

The next Apple Watch’s battery life could be the best yet

A new leak claims that bigger batteries and extra health tech are on the cards

Apple Watch

If you’re holding out for one of the best smartwatches, then you‘ll be pleased to hear that the next Apple Watch’s battery life could be the longest-lasting yet.

‘Apple Watch would finally get Touch ID, this latest leak might disappoint you a little. But it could also lead to something arguably more useful: better battery life.

The rumour comes courtesy of leaker Instant Digital on Weibo, who states that Apple is prioritising larger batteries and more advanced health sensors for future Apple Watch models, instead of adding fingerprint authentication to the wearable lineup, as previously rumoured.

The reasoning is apparently pretty simple. Adding Touch ID would increase costs while also taking up valuable internal space that Apple could otherwise use for larger batteries or extra health hardware.

If true, that trade-off makes sense. The Apple Watch is already packed with sensors, wireless tech, and increasingly advanced health features inside a very small chassis. Finding room for anything new inevitably means compromising somewhere else.

Battery life also remains one of the few areas where Apple Watch owners consistently want more. While the Ultra models can comfortably stretch beyond a day, many standard Apple Watch users still end up charging fairly regularly, depending on how heavily they use features like GPS tracking, LTE, sleep tracking, or always-on display modes.

Interestingly, rumours about Touch ID on the Apple Watch have been circulating for a while. Last year, code reportedly uncovered by Macworld suggested Apple had explored adding fingerprint authentication to future Apple Watch models, either through an under-display sensor or integrated into the side button – similar to the setup used on the iPad Air and iPad mini. But according to this latest claim, that idea doesn’t appear to be a major priority right now.

The leak also suggests Apple isn’t planning any dramatic Apple Watch redesigns in the immediate future, with more substantial hardware changes reportedly not expected until later in the decade.

Elsewhere, Apple is also still believed to be working on non-invasive blood glucose monitoring technology, though the feature remains in early development. As with all Apple rumours, it’s best to view this all with an open mind. But if the Apple Watch battery improves with the next iteration, we can’t imagine anyone complaining about it, that’s for sure.

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About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.