All articles tagged with #battery life
Engadget’s review praises the Pebble Time 2 as a retro-styled, open-source smartwatch that functions as a focused second screen for your phone, delivering excellent battery life and snappy performance while sacrificing first-party features and polish in the app UI; priced at $225 and aimed at a niche audience seeking a minimal, customizable wearable.
Pixel Watch 5 is a solid upgrade that brings on-device Gemini, notably faster tasks, refreshed Gemini UI, improved GPS accuracy, and strong battery charging, while maintaining a similar form factor to Pixel Watch 4. Key new features like the workout builder and blood pressure/insulin trend reports are delayed until September, and some users may face a steep setup with additional app updates. The watch offers two-day battery life alongside a replaceable screen and battery, and includes handy gestures and a revamped At A Glance system, but its AI-created watch faces are more of a novelty than a necessity. Overall, it justifies the $50 price bump for many users, though upgrade from Pixel Watch 4 isn’t essential.
Shokz unveils the OpenFit Air 2, claiming the lightest earhook wireless buds at 7.2g per earbud, with a 10% slimmer charging case, Bassphere bass boost, 8-hour battery life and IP55 sweat/water resistance; no active noise cancellation on Air 2 (OpenFit Pro has it). The company also updates bone-conduction OpenRun 2 (9% smaller, IP67, 10-hour battery). Both OpenFit Air 2 and OpenRun 2 go on sale August 27 for $130.
Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to debut at next month’s iPhone event with mostly internal upgrades: a new chip (likely S11/S12), a larger battery to extend life, health/fitness enhancements (potential blood pressure alerts), and a revived ceramic case with new colors/bands. No major design changes are anticipated, and it will launch alongside Ultra 4, iPhone 18 Pro/Max, and a foldable iPhone Ultra; there won’t be a new Watch SE this year.
Shokz debuts the OpenFit Air 2 and OpenRun Air 2, lighter open-ear wireless earbuds (about 7.2g, ~17% lighter) with Bassphere/OpenBass 2.0 tech, an open-ear design for no ear canal pressure, 8 hours of playback (36 hours with the case), 10-minute quick charge for 3 hours, Bluetooth 6.1 and multipoint; price is $130 with release on August 27, and OpenRun Air 2 emphasizes a stable, back-of-head wrap with bone-conduction driver and 10-hour battery.
Chuwi’s Unibook 304 uses Intel’s Wildcat Lake Core Series 3 at a $449 introductory price, delivering impressive battery life (nearly 15 hours) and an abundance of ports, along with an easily upgradeable SSD and accessible components. However, it’s hampered by a disappointing 13-inch 1920x1200 screen with poor color, a stiff, loud trackpad, mediocre speakers/webcam, and stubborn driver/software issues that complicate Windows (and Linux) installs. It’s a quirky, project-friendly PC rather than a reliable daily driver, best suited for enthusiasts who don’t mind tinkering; pricier rivals like the MacBook Neo or Dell XPS still offer a more polished experience.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold trims weight and thickness but sacrifices battery capacity and charging speed, delivering only modest upgrades over last year. With a smaller 4,750mAh battery, 30W charging, and Tensor G6 concerns, it struggles to justify its $1,899 price against Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Motorola Razr Fold. The review questions Google’s continued foldable strategy and suggests a more ambitious redesign or a temporary skip of a generation might be necessary to compete.
HP has dropped a new 14-inch laptop, the OmniBook 3 (14-hz0488nr), at $599, packing an OLED display, a 60Wh battery rated for up to about 41.75 hours, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. It uses a Snapdragon X1-26-100 chip, offers multiple ports (two USB-A, HDMI 2.1, two USB-C), a 1080p webcam with privacy shutter, and Wi‑Fi 6E, weighing about 3.13 lb. Availability includes Best Buy (often discounted) and Amazon, with HP’s store pricing higher at $749.99. HP markets it as a more feature-rich, cheaper alternative to the MacBook Neo, though brightness is lower (300 nits vs 500) and some performance metrics favor the Neo in other areas.
Tom’s Guide weighs the iPhone Ultra foldable against the iPhone 18 Pro Max, highlighting the Ultra’s 7.8-inch main display and external screen for easier one‑hand use and potential real multitasking, but noting the 18 Pro Max’s advantages in true optical zoom, rumored variable aperture, and longer battery life. Both are expected to run the same A20 Pro chip, making software and price the deciding factors. For now the author leans toward the iPhone 18 Pro Max due to proven performance and endurance, unless foldable software gains and pricing shift the balance toward the Ultra.
Google’s Pixel 11 lineup uses smaller batteries but higher efficiency (Tensor G6 and a new MediaTek modem) to deliver 30+ hours of use, narrowing the gap with last year’s models. The Pixel 11 has a 4985mAh battery with 25W wireless charging and ~55% charge in 30 minutes; Pro and XL sizes are 4850mAh and 5115mAh, with Pro XL charging up to ~75% in 30 minutes. Real-world testing shows around 3–4 hours of screen-on time on the Pro and about 3 hours on the XL, with a typical day ending at 10–20% on the regular Pixel 11; Extreme Charging mode accelerates top-ups below 50%. Battery life varies with usage (e.g., wireless Android Auto can drain more). Full reviews are coming next week.
Early rumors for the iPhone 18 Pro Max describe a bigger 5,567 mAh battery on eSIM models, a Samsung M16 OLED display for brighter, more efficient visuals, and an energy-efficient A20 Pro chip, all boosting endurance; despite display-cost savings, production costs are expected to rise up to 38%, potentially lifting prices by $100–$300. The design gets minor refinements with a thicker chassis and a new dark cherry color, plus increased trade‑in incentives. Launch is slated for September 9 with pre-orders likely on September 12, and camera/AI enhancements including Siri improvements aim to justify the upgrade.
Rumors suggest Apple will differentiate the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max with battery and camera tweaks: regulatory leaks show the Pro Max at about 5567mAh versus 4288mAh for the Pro, roughly a 10% boost over last year’s Pro Max; both models are expected to gain efficiency from the A20 Pro and C2 modem, with the Pro Max possibly heavier but potentially offering a distinct camera feature (variable aperture) that Pro may not get, though details aren’t confirmed yet.
After about a year with the iPhone 17 Pro, durability remains solid thanks to Ceramic Shield 2 with only faint edge scratches; orange color fading rumors haven’t materialized on the reviewer’s device. Battery life easily covers a full day of heavy use, aided by the new vapor‑chamber cooling, though iOS 27 beta can cause higher temps and brief performance dips. With talk of a modest upgrade in the iPhone 18 Pro, the 17 Pro remains a strong buy for those upgrading from older iPhones.
Google has officially unveiled the Pixel Tag, an IP67 stainless steel item tracker that uses Bluetooth and UWB via Google's Find Hub network, features a built-in speaker and a button to ring your phone, can be shared with up to 10 people, offers Left Behind alerts and unknown-tag warnings, and runs on a replaceable battery lasting up to a year; it costs $29 for a single tag or $99 for a four-pack, and goes on sale November 11 via the Google Store.
Leaks suggest the Ultra 4 will use an S11 processor with AI-powered Siri, add advanced health sensors including potential blood pressure tracking, and improve power efficiency for longer battery life.