With the Apple Watch set to last just 18 hours on a single charge, the smartwatch’s battery life has been branded ‘a problem’ by one of its rivals.
Speaking at the 2015 Wearable Technology Show in London, wearables maker Withings has suggested the smartwatch’s limited power could restrict its long-term appeal.
“Yes, I think that’s a problem,” Lucie Broto, Withings’ Brand Marketing Manager said while fielding questions on the Apple Watch battery life.
Speaking exclusively with TrustedReviews, she added: “The Apple Watch is essentially like having your phone on your wrist.”
Although offering far reduced functionality compared with its Apple branded rival, the Withings Activité and Withings Activité Pop both offer eight months of staying power on a single coin cell battery.
Despite seeing the Apple Watch’s sub-one day battery life as an issue, Broto isn’t suggesting the timepiece isn’t going to be a consumer hit, at least at first.
“Of course I think they will still succeed to have a strong engagement,” she told us. “The phones that we had used to have had a really long battery, now we’re always complaining that now the battery is really short but we actually still use it.
“But that’s for your phone. That’s something a bit different.
“Even if people get used to charging their wearable products every day, there is still a large audience that won’t want to.”
Related: Apple Watch vs Pebble Time
Despite concerns being raised, Apple CEO Tim Cook was defiant that the Watch’s battery life will not be an issue for ‘typical’ use cases.
Speaking at the device’s launch last night, he stated: “We have designed Apple Watch with all-day battery support across a range of activities.
“Across a typical day you can get 18 hours of use which should be enough for most people.”
The Apple Watch will be released on April 24, with the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R rival to set wannabe owners back northwards of £299.
Will the Apple Watch's battery life put you off snapping one up? Let us know via the comments section below.
