Apple Watch Series 5 teardown reveals bigger battery

AppleInsider

Repair mavens iFixit have torn apart the new Apple Watch Series 5, and have detailed not just a larger battery, but the teardown has also shown an improved ambient light sensor on an x-ray image of the device.

Breaking the seal on the Apple Watch Series 5 - photo courtesy iFixit

The battery is 1.4% larger than in the Apple Watch Series 4, giving just a bit more life in that regard. The battery has grown to 296 mAh versus the 291.8 mAh model in the Apple Watch Series 4. However, iFixit says that the extended battery life in the Apple Watch Series 5 has more to do with the LTPO screen than the increase in battery capacity.

The X-ray itself doesn't show much about the improved ambient light sensor. The same x-ray shows the improved power management chip, as well. Not immediately evident is any mechanism or sensor for the compass functionality.

Apple has slightly redesigned the layout of the watch, and has modified some connectors versus previous models. As a result, even though the S5 system-in-package chip in the Apple Watch Series 5 is the same other than the flash storage, parts are not interchangeable between generations.

Apple Watch Series 5 components - photo courtesy iFixit

The repair venue has given the Apple Watch Series 5 a reparability score of 6 out of 10, with 10 being the easiest fix.

mike1

...the teardown has also shown an improved ambient light sensor...

On what basis does anybody know if the ambient light sensor is "improved"? Is it possibly just a different sensor, not better, not worse?

NY1822

Can anyone speak to their real-world experience to the battery life on the Series 5 compared with other models....

iOS_Guy80

First thing that comes to my mind when looking at the components.....Moore’s Law"

neilm

It's already been published that the ambient light sensor is an improved low power device to allow it to run continuously to support the new always on display. The new display system consists of three main parts, all new: the display panel itself, the ambient light sensor, and low power driver hardware.

netrox

NY1822 said:

Can anyone speak to their real-world experience to the battery life on the Series 5 compared with other models....

I bought S5 last Friday and I don't see differences in battery life despite turning "Always on" off. The extra juice is more for the always on display which consumes very little power, I guess. I am using my S3 for sleep tracking. The bigger display does make a huge positive difference in UX.

GeorgeBMac

A repairability score of 6 of 10?   Isn't that better than, say, the iPhone 11 Pro?    I could be wrong, but I thought I remember reading that they gave it a 5 of 10?

But, even if they are the same, that still surprises me because anytime I have taken an Apple Watch to an Apple Store (which hasn't been for about year, maybe more), the most they could do was some basic trouble shooting.   And, for real trouble shooting and repair they had to send it out to one of their more advanced repair facilities.   But, even then, they didn't repair it, they replaced it with a refurbished unit (which, by the way, worked great!).

So, 6 of 10 surprises me -- partly because I had come under the assumption that the Apple Watch was not repairable at all.

Eric_WVGG

NY1822 said:

Can anyone speak to their real-world experience to the battery life on the Series 5 compared with other models....

The writer for Ars Technica says he got 32 hours by turning the screen back to “classic mode” or whatever you might call that. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/09/apple-watch-series-5-review-a-better-more-independent-timepiece/

dunks

Apple publishes a product information sheet which details the battery capacities for the various watch models.

Some notable points:

• Apple used the same battery in both sizes of the 1st gen (Series 0) and Series 1 watches.
• The 40mm Series 5 watch has 10% more battery capacity than the 40mm Series 4 model, compared to less than a 1% YoY increase for the 44mm model. In fact, the Series 5 changes take the 40mm model from the smallest battery in the lineup to one with 2% more capacity than even the larger 1st gen (Series 0) and Series 1 models.
• Series 3 models have the largest battery capacity for their respective sizes (but are also the thickest).

Larger size

Apple Watch Series 5 44mm—1.13 Wh rating

Apple Watch Series 4 44mm—1.12 Wh rating

Apple Watch Series 3 42mm—1.34 Wh rating

Apple Watch Series 2 42mm—1.27 Wh rating

Apple Watch Series 1 42mm—0.93 Wh rating

Apple Watch 1st gen (Series 0) 42mm—0.93 Wh rating

Smaller size

Apple Watch Series 5 40mm—0.95 Wh rating

Apple Watch Series 4 40mm—0.86 Wh rating

Apple Watch Series 3 38mm—1.07 Wh rating

Apple Watch Series 2 38mm—1.03 Wh rating

Apple Watch Series 1 38mm—0.93 Wh rating

Apple Watch 1st gen (Series 0) 38mm—0.93 Wh rating

TL;DR Series 5 is a big battery upgrade for 40mm watch users but 44mm watch users may notice similar (or less) battery life due to combination of the always-on display, lower power display hardware and minimal battery changes.

jdb8167

NY1822 said:

Can anyone speak to their real-world experience to the battery life on the Series 5 compared with other models....

I have had a 44 mm Series 5 now since last Friday. Long enough to get a sense of the battery compared to the S4. 

With the always on display all day and evening and using theater mode at night I’m getting well over 24 hours. I’m at 25+ hours and still have 22% battery. 

This is slightly less remaining battery than I would see with the S4 at this point but only a few percent less. 

payeco

NY1822 said:

Can anyone speak to their real-world experience to the battery life on the Series 5 compared with other models....

Seems about on par with my Series 2 so far. At this point in the day I’d be at between 80 and 90 percent left with my Series 2. I’m at 90 percent right now on the Series 5.

One of these days I’ll turn off the always on screen in the settings and see if that makes any difference.