Apple Watch Ultra, Series 8, and SE second gen have all officially arrived. While the brand new Ultra comes with the biggest battery ever in an Apple Watch, all Apple Watches from the Series 8 down to Series 4 will get the new Low Power mode with watchOS 9. Here’s how Apple Watch Ultra battery vs Series 8 and more stack up.
Apple Watch Series 8 and SE second gen come with modest updates and the same “up to 18-hour” battery life that we’ve seen with all previous Apple Watches.
But a new Low Power mode, similar to the feature found in iOS for iPhone will be arriving with watchOS 9 that will double the 18-hour battery life for an extended “up to 36 hours.”
However, Apple Watch Ultra boasts 36 hours of standard battery life and up to 60 hours when using Low Power mode.
Apple Watch Ultra battery vs Series 8, more
Here’s how everything compares:
| Apple Watch Ultra | Apple Watch Series 8 | Apple Watch SE second gen | Series 7, 6, 5, and 4 | |
| Standard battery life | Up to 36 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours |
| Extended/Low Power battery life | Up to 60 hours | Up to 36 hours | Up to 36 hours | Up to 36 hours |
Apple describes the Ultra battery life like this:
“Battery life for days. When you’re on the second day of a backpacking trip, the final leg of a triathlon, or diving along a coral reef, the last thing you want to think about is running out of battery. With longer battery life than ever, you can take on almost anything and have energy to spare.”
Another feature that comes with Ultra, Series 8, and Series 7 is fast charging – up to 80% in 45 minutes.
| Apple Watch Ultra | Apple Watch Series 8 | Apple Watch SE second gen | Series 7, 6, 5, and 4 | |
| Fast charging | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅, ❌, ❌, ❌ |
| 80% charge takes | 45 minutes | 45 minutes | ~60 minutes | 45, ~60, 60, 60, minutes |
What do you think about Apple Watch Ultra battery life versus the rest of the new lineup? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Read more on Apple Watch:
- Apple Watch Ultra: Apple unveils new pro Series 8 for extreme sports, pre-order today for September 23 launch
- Apple Watch Series 8 officially announced with women’s health focus, international roaming, low power mode, Crash Detection, more
- Apple Watch Ultra band compatibility explained
- Hands-on: Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra
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