The Apple Watch 10 could get a battery life boost thanks to an upgraded display
By borrowing tech from the iPhone
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Even thebest smartwatchescan always do with extra battery life, and it’s something theApple Watch 10might deliver. The latest rumor is that the wearable will come with a more power-efficientOLEDdisplay, reducing the demand on the internal battery.
This comes from reputable South Korean outletThe Elec(viaMacRumors), and if you really want to dig into the technical specs, it involves low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) technology.
Or, to put it another way, a screen that uses a different way of supplying voltage to pixels, offering more control over how much light goes through each one – and ultimately making it easier for a device to precisely manage illumination and power draw.
You’re unlikely to notice anything different from theApple Watch 9just by looking at the display, but the internal battery should stretch further. The catch is that LTPO tech is harder to manufacture, so let’s hope there’s not an accompanying price bump.
Screen machine
According to The Elec, bothLGandSamsungcould help out with theApple Watch10 screen. Although Samsung isn’t joining the party until later, so it may not get involved with manufacturing until theAppleWatch 11 in 2025.
If you think you’ve heard of LTPO OLED screens before, it may be because they’re used in theiPhone 15 Proand theiPhone 15 Pro Max. The tech enables an always-on display without huge battery costs and support for variable refresh rates (ProMotion).
MacRumors says LTPO OLED displays are likely to be kept exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro models this year as well, though that could change in 2025. As with most tech like this, manufacturing it usually gets cheaper and easier over time.
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As for the Apple Watch 10 – with, perhaps, more battery life – it’s expected in September time, along with theiPhone 16. Head to ourApple Watch 9 reviewand you’ll see we were getting around 20 hours of battery life, so any kind of upgrade would be welcome.
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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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