Apple Tackles WatchOS 10.1 Battery Drain Issues, Promises Upcoming Fixes. Apple is currently addressing user-reported battery drain issues that have surfaced following the release of WatchOS 10.1. The concerns, which have been acknowledged by Apple, were brought to light by user complaints across various forums and have prompted an active response from the company’s development team.
AirPods Max USB-C Upgrade and New Colors Expected by Late Next Year
Reports from several U.S. tech sites have pointed out a communication issued to Apple’s authorized service providers, confirming Apple’s awareness of the battery life anomalies. Online forums have seen a surge of feedback from users experiencing rapid battery depletion, with one thread titled “watch OS 10.1 drains my battery” garnering affirmations from over 200 users. Similar threads concerning the Apple Watch Ultra have attracted hundreds of additional users echoing the sentiment.
Users have detailed their experiences with battery life dropping dramatically from a typical 28-36 hour range down to just 5 hours post-update. Others have reported sluggish battery charging, struggling to replenish power even when connected to a charger.
The root of the issue may lie in the Apple Watch’s interaction with the iPhone, specifically following the iOS 17.1 update. This update was initially released to address a prior excessive battery consumption issue with WatchOS 10.1 when paired with iOS 17, hinting that further updates are required to fully resolve the concern.
The issue seems to be indiscriminate, affecting various models of Apple Watches, though not universally (some users, including the author, have reported no change in battery performance post-update). Currently, the only workaround involves reverting to WatchOS 10.0.2 through an authorized service center and awaiting a software fix.
Apple is poised to release iOS 17.1.1 and WatchOS 10.1.1 updates, which are expected to arrive imminently. Users are hopeful that these updates will rectify the battery issues without having to wait for the major releases of iOS 17.2 and WatchOS 10.2 scheduled for December.