Maximizing battery life in COROS watches
author: ralpu
April 23, 2020
In this article, we'll take a look at the details of battery life in COROS watches. You'll learn practical tips that will help you maximize battery life.
Introduction
The main attraction of the COROS watch is undoubtedly the battery life. This performance, in such a miniature design, is achieved mainly thanks to the enormous optimization of the system. While other brands on the market state the battery life in the form of "up to X hours", COROS stands by the stated battery life value and this figure is often underestimated.
In recent years, USB chargers with higher power, or with Quick Charge, Power Delivery, etc. technologies, have become increasingly widespread. The goal of these technologies is to ensure the fastest possible charging of the device's battery (phone, tablet, etc.). Since the battery in the COROS watch is very small and at the same time fast charging generally degrades the lifespan of the Li-Ion battery, COROS recommends using a USB charger with a power of 5 watts (no more), or a USB-A port on your computer. Using fast chargers, you may not notice any change at first, but in the long term, the battery in the COROS watch will degrade faster with such charging. This is a general physical phenomenon with Li-Ion batteries and fast charging.
In real-world use, battery life is affected by many factors. For example, it is generally known that the GPS signal is objectively affected by, for example, treetops, tall buildings, or very difficult terrain (ravine, mountainous terrain, etc.). Battery life also depends on the user's settings of the watch. COROS states the battery life for normal, common settings. However, in an effort to be as transparent as possible, it states in great detail how much energy individual functions consume.
| Function | % of energy consumed | |
|---|---|---|
| GPS mode during activity with built-in heart rate monitor turned on | 2.5% | |
| Indoor sports without GPS | 20% | |
| GPS navigation | 10% | |
| POD or other additional device | 70% | |
| Display backlight | 135% | |
| Night mode | 15% | |
| Oximeter on | 150% | |
| Vibration | 230% | |
To calculate the power consumption, simply add up the percentage of power consumption. For example: running in GPS mode is 100%, but at the same time the backlit display always uses 235% of the power (100% + 135% = 235%). Which is more than twice the power consumed when using the watch without the display backlight. If we also add the COROS POD during the run, the power consumption will be more than 3 times higher (100% + 135% + 70% = 305%). I.e. the battery life of the Vertix model will be 60 hours / 3 = 20 hours. Thanks to the hardware optimization of the Vertix and Apex Pro models, the innovative Night Mode (constant, very subtle backlight of the display), increases the battery consumption by only 15%. This function is very practical, for example, during ultra runs, when you often run all night.
Note on display backlight: Coros GPS watches use an energy-saving Memory LCD display that displays data 24/7 and does not turn off. In good lighting conditions, it is clearly readable even without backlighting. The display only needs to be backlit in dim or dark conditions.
Final tips
Notifications on the watch are another source of extra power consumption. Not only do they light up the display, but energy is also consumed for vibration and sound signaling. GPS navigation is approximately an extra 10% increase in power consumption. If we switch to the navigation screen during an activity only when necessary, we will significantly reduce power consumption. In other words, frequent notifications, display backlight, watch vibration, use of additional devices such as COROS POD, use of an oximeter - all these extra functions significantly increase power consumption and therefore significantly reduce the battery life of the watch.
So, if we are in a situation where battery life is absolutely critical (e.g. ultra races), it is quite appropriate to change the watch settings to minimize the number of notifications, backlight, vibrations, or the use of additional devices. Thanks to the very fast synchronization of settings between the watch and the COROS app, it is really very easy. From the experience of many users, with such settings, the COROS watch often exceeds the battery life values stated by the manufacturer.