Apple Watch: Apple Silent On Smartwatch’s Battery Life

Apple unveiled its smartwatch to the world Tuesday, which is simply called the Apple Watch, not iWatch, iWear or iTime as was speculated. But Apple remained silent on how long the Watch would last on a charge, leading to questions on whether the wearable would be plagued by the same problem as much of its competition: poor battery life.

A week? A day? A few hours? Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) failure to address the biggest question surrounding its Watch is made more suspicious by an early report from The Information’s Jessica E. Lessin who wrote last week the device’s release could be marred by its poor battery life, for which Apple employees had “low expectations.”

Analysts also have low expectations for the first-generation Apple Watch. Jan Dawson, founder of Jackdaw Research, previously told International Business Times battery life was one of the problems hindering consumer adoption of wearable devices.

Whether the Apple Watch lasts an entire day could be an important aspect of consumer adoption, analysts said prior to the unveiling. However, the Apple Watch’s battery life (or lack thereof) will remain a mystery until the manufacturer reveals more details prior to the device’s “early 2015” release.

Another question surrounding the Apple Watch that has been left open is whether it is waterproof and resistant to dust. A major feature found in competing devices like the Moto 360 and Pebble Steel, being able to withstand water has been a key component of wrist-worn timepieces since Rolex introduced the feature in 1926.