Commentary

Apple Watch: 56% Check Battery Status, 48% Check Time

The Internet of Things is certain to cause some changes in consumer behavior.

As more connected things automate more activities for people, some new habits are likely to evolve.

In one small example, it seems people wearing Apple Watches are more likely to check it for battery status than for time.

It turns out that more than half (56%) of Apple Watch owners check their battery level at least once a day, according to a tracking survey of Apple Watch owners.

Meanwhile, fewer than half (48%) check their watch faces for the time. The insights are from a series of online surveys of Apple Watch owners by Wristly.

However, even though many regularly check their battery status, just about all (97%) say their battery lasts a full day with no problems.

Another interesting behavioral change is that while 34% of Apple Watch owners used to wear a regular watch, more (36%) wore nothing on their wrist before.

The idea of having to charge a watch each night was a foreign concept before wearables.

But now that the Apple Watch has been out for exactly five months, the requirement of daily charging, which may have been perceived as a product liability, is now just part of daily consumer behavior.

And that change is being caused by only one connected device.

 

4 comments about "Apple Watch: 56% Check Battery Status, 48% Check Time".
Check to receive email when comments are posted.
  1. Kurt Ohare from ohare & associates, September 22, 2015 at 1:54 p.m.

    I just want to know how do these users get to the Battery screen without first seeing the time?

    I recently purchased an iWatch thinking that it would make me look taller and younger...and oh yeah, thinner.  unfortunately it hasn't accomplished it's intended use. What it does do is make a reasonable remote control for your iPhone - not much more.  Although innovative and interesting as it may be - the fact remains that trying to read email on a 1" screen is very annoying and Mickey's hands aren't distinct enough to make the time accessable with a quick glance (which may explain why we check the time less than the battery). And while driving at night or other evening activities, every time I move my wrist, I see Mickey. If I'm out at night trying to evade zombees this is a true liability. 

    I've drifted back to my analog watch as I wear the iWatch less and less - and it would be nice if I could power it down completely at night or between wearing so as not to drain the battery (which takes a lot longer to charge by the way - and you get a little snakey symbol). Maybe that's the v5.0? 

    But I'm guessing that the iWatch community is evolving - I'm just waiting for the "big idea".

  2. Phillip Djwa from Agentic Communications Inc., September 22, 2015 at 2:23 p.m.

    That is funny, as yes, checking the battery is an unintended (and annoying) user behaviour. But I've put it in the "necessary evil."

    Charging my watch has created some different use cases tho. For example, this morning, I realized my phone would not last the whole day, so I had to plan on 30 mins charging it before I left the house. Because the phone uses a totally different charger than my iPhone, all the cables I have aren't useful. So I don't bring my cable anywhere and leave it at home, which makes a long day tricky sometimes. Managing battery life is definitely a lifestyle 2.0 skill. #firstworldproblems

    Overall, I use the watch for notifications, weather and some news. Other than notifications, it is slow to do any of that but I find I use text msgs the most. It does not support many apps, and several I would like are not available yet. Like Moves, Downcast and Nest. Some are just a terrible interface, like the news, NY times, etc. So many clicks and spinning wheels.

    I think that it is definitely early adopter territory, and I'm still waiting to see the killer app. Meanwhile, it's a watch I have to charge every day.

  3. Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin, September 22, 2015 at 8:15 p.m.

    Thanks for the insightul, personal observations, Kurt. Begs the question of how many others are just like you in terms of checking and then checking out of the Apple Watch.

  4. Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin, September 22, 2015 at 8:18 p.m.

    Thanks, Phillip, sounds like you are one of the early adopters and ok with paying the price that goes laong with it. Good observations.

Next story loading loading..
About the Author

Chuck Martin is Editor of the AI & IoT Daily at MediaPost and writes the daily Connected Thinking column. He is a NY Times Business bestselling author and his latest book is “Digital Transformation 3.0” (The New Business-to-Consumer Connections of The Internet of Things.) He is CEO of Net Future Institute and a frequent keynote speaker internationally. Follow him on Twitter @chuckmartin and contact him at Chuck@MediaPost.com.