Apple watchOS 9 will add Low Power Mode to Series 4 and later devices

When Apple announced Apple Watch Series 8 On Wednesday, it introduced a new Low Power Mode feature that lets the wearable device double its battery life by turning off some features. It won’t be limited to the latest Apple devices, though – during the showApple said Low Power Mode is coming to “Series 4 and later” with watchOS 9, which is September 12 launch.

The company did not say if the mode will be effective on older devices as it claims it will be in Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra (Apple says its larger Watch will be able to go from 36 hours of running time to 60 hours with the mode turned on.) But based on what we know about how it works, it’s clear that it will be less effective in at least some models.

Low Power Mode conserves power by turning off features like the always-on display, automatic start of exercise, heart health notifications, and more, while keeping things like activity tracking and fall detection turned on. While turning off the screen completely will completely improve battery life on some Apple Watches, it won’t do much good on the Series 4, or Both SE They don’t have always-on screens to start with.

Apple did not respond to the edgeAsked for comment on what kinds of features will be shut down on watches like the new SE, or whether the feature is coming to a budget model at all. The SE corresponds to the description of “Series 4 and later”, but the Low Power Mode is not mentioned SE . product page.

Caveats notwithstanding, it’s good to know that there will soon be a way to get a slightly longer runtime on your old watch, without having to switch to superfine bones. power reserve mode, which only displays the time when you press the side button of the watch. This is especially true because these devices and their batteries are aging – although it’s worth noting that Apple will do so Service Monitor Batteries For $79 if you really want to make your Series 4 last as long as possible.