I bought this watch from Woot for my son. It was supposed to have over 80% battery health, but it’s at 74%. They’re sold out now, so I can’t exchange it. How much will this affect him? He only wears it after school.
A battery replacement costs around $100 or less if it’s not under warranty. If you got a good deal on the watch, it might be worth it if he plans to use it for a while. For now, just see how long a charge lasts.
@Teo
The issue is that they could return it and probably get a better model with a good battery for $100 more.
Wynn said:
@Teo
The issue is that they could return it and probably get a better model with a good battery for $100 more.
True. This one is stainless steel, and my son really likes it. But for $40 more, I could get a new SE 2.
@Wray
Stainless steel is way more durable than the SE in the long run. Apple will replace the whole device for $100 with an equivalent one. I’d say use it until the battery really affects daily use, then have Apple replace it. If you get 5-6 months of use before replacing it, you’re still coming out ahead.
@Eren
I think I can replace the battery myself if needed. I’ve done it on iPads and iMacs before.
Wray said:
@Eren
I think I can replace the battery myself if needed. I’ve done it on iPads and iMacs before.
That’s not really how it works. Even Apple doesn’t replace the battery—they replace the whole watch and recycle the old one. If you try to replace the battery yourself, the water resistance will be ruined.
Wray said:
@Eren
I think I can replace the battery myself if needed. I’ve done it on iPads and iMacs before.
Apple doesn’t even replace the battery on watches. They just give you a new one.
@Mai
Got it.
You can get a battery from iFixit and do it yourself. I’ve done it for family and friends. The hardest part is getting the screen off.
Wray said:
@Eren
I think I can replace the battery myself if needed. I’ve done it on iPads and iMacs before.
If you can replace an iPad battery without breaking it, you can probably handle an Apple Watch too.
@Wray
It’s up to you in the end!
Wynn said:
@Teo
The issue is that they could return it and probably get a better model with a good battery for $100 more.
That’s true. It depends on how good the deal was. If it wasn’t a great deal, I’d return it and buy a newer one elsewhere.
@Teo
I paid $140 for a stainless steel Series 7.
My Series 7 has around the same battery health, and it still lasts about 18 hours. Just for reference.
Lilnim said:
My Series 7 has around the same battery health, and it still lasts about 18 hours. Just for reference.
That’s actually pretty good.
The watch won’t last as long on a single charge, and it might run a bit slower.
74% is considered bad. Below 80%, it can start acting weird. It might last all day, but you could see some odd behavior. I’d recommend returning it and getting something with better battery life, even if it’s used. At 74%, it’s nearing the end of its lifespan without a $100 replacement.
I have a Series 7 with 88% battery health, and it still lasts almost 36 hours with regular use. I don’t use always-on display, but I get notifications and track sleep without issues. I charge it daily, but I could stretch it to every other day if needed.
@Dezi
That’s impressive. Maybe I’ll let him try it out and see how long it lasts before deciding.