New low power mode could turn Apple Watch into a real sports watch

There is a chance that Apple will have a real sports watch in the fall.

Mark Gurman shared more information about the Apple Watch Pro over the weekend. The new version of the Watch will have a bigger, more shatter-resistant display, better battery life, a bigger, more rugged case, and features such as enhanced hiking and swim tracking, according to his sources.

It seems like Apple is preparing a competitor for the popular Fenix Wearables, which can track every sports activity known to man, and are bulky, rugged, powerful, and can also be used as a watch. They have a lot of battery life and are ideal for long activities like marathon running. They're used by adventurer types who prefer not having to worry about charging their watch while on a mountain trip.

DC Rainmaker, run by a man who tests Wearables in extreme detail, has some data on Apple Watch's ability to track sports activities.

The watch's battery life is a big question. Sure, Apple can put a slightly bigger battery into its larger case, but will it be enough to match the battery life of its competitors?

The Apple Watch 6 has a one-and-a-half day battery life, and no matter what I did with it, I couldn't squeeze more out of it. My watch doesn't bleed as much battery life as normal usage would suggest. I would usually be in the red by evening when I worked out.

Garmin Fenix 7 has up to 22 days of battery life. We'll see if Apple's Watch Pro can come anywhere near that. Credit: Garmin

According to Gurman, Apple has been working on a feature called Low Power Mode. The Power Reserve mode on the Apple Watch is useless as it only shows you the time when in Power Reserve state.

Gurman says that the new Low Power mode would allow the watch to use less battery life. The Low Power Mode sounds like it would be great for the Apple Watch to be a true competitor. A combination of a bigger battery and a dedicated mode of operation that saves battery life and lets you track sports activities at the same time could extend the watch's battery just enough for a multi day hike.

I'm not sure if the new Apple Watch Pro will have the same battery life as a dedicated sports watch. We don't know what kinds of apps and features Apple will allow us to use. If it's done correctly, it could make the Apple Watch Pro compelling enough to take away some of the market share from Garmin.