Skip to main content

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 has a serious battery life problem

Someone wearing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Not all is well with Samsung’s newest Galaxy Watch 7, which comes with the latest and greatest 3nm Exynos chipset. Despite launching just last month alongside the Galaxy Watch Ultra, users are already reporting mediocre to poor battery life with excessive battery drain despite the new, more efficient chip.

Hey @UniverseIce any info on the horrible battery life for the #Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 / Ultra and an upcoming update to address it? A lot of users are having crazy bad battery life. Personally I'm lucky to get 16 hours on my 44mm Watch 7. #galaxywatch

— Technically Jeff (@TechJeff) July 27, 2024

According to users across X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and the Samsung community forums, their smartwatches aren’t lasting anywhere near the full day or more they’re supposed to. Some users report the battery draining to zero in just 12 hours, and one even says that he got just 10 hours with the always-on display on. That’s obviously unacceptable for any wearable, but especially for one that you’re supposed to use for fitness and sleep tracking.

Recommended Videos

One Samsung user commented that they’re unable to get a full day use out of the Watch 7 and that it needs to last at least 24 hours, or they want a refund. Another mentioned that they were only able to get 16 hours on their 44mm Galaxy Watch 7, which is surprising since the 44mm Watch 7 has a 425mAh cell, making it quite a bit bigger than the 300mAh cell on the 40mm Watch 7. Naturally, neither can really compete with the 590mAh Galaxy Watch Ultra, but even still, users should be seeing a lot more than 12 or 16 hours of use.

Hey @Samsung @SamsungCanada

Just got me a new #GalaxyWatch7 and can't get a full day use. Pls tell me this is a glitch bc people surely can't be expected to carry a charger. This needs to last at least 24 hrs or give ppl their money back.

Sincerely,#notahappycustomer pic.twitter.com/Y3hmqY4V6O

— Tennis Girl 🎾 (@Nole_fan_girl) July 29, 2024

If you go to the Galaxy Watch subreddit, you’ll find a significant number of posts from users confused about their lackluster runtime. One user from a week ago said that they normally charge their watch every night, meaning it’s fully charged when they start their day at 6 a.m., but by the time they get to 5 p.m., it’s at just 8%. Other users in the comments confirm similar issues, though it seems the Galaxy Watch Ultra isn’t affected. I can confirm that my Galaxy Watch Ultra currently lasts me at least two days before needing to recharge with the always-on display.

The apps page on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7,
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The good news here is that Samsung has acknowledged that the excessive battery drain on the Galaxy Watch 7 is a software bug, and the company is rolling out a fix. That’s encouraging because excessive battery drain caused by software is a much easier fix than a defect in the battery. Samsung has also moved fast, rolling out the Galaxy Watch 7 battery update starting today for users in Korea.

Expect the update to roll out across other markets in the next week or two. SamMobile is reporting that both the Watch 7 and Watch Ultra are getting their first software update starting today, which includes bug fixes and improved stability.

As a temporary fix, you can turn off the “Hey Google” voice command on your Galaxy Watch. Users have reported seeing a reduction in battery drain after trying this, suggesting that the software issue is related to the keyword triggering and keeping something running in the background. Another option is switching off Bluetooth, though that’ll also make the watch quite a bit less functional.

Ajay Kumar
Freelance Writer, Mobile
Ajay has worked in tech journalism for more than a decade as a reporter, analyst, and editor.
Samsung’s great midrange phones might have a disappointing 2025
A person holding the Samsung Galaxy A55.

The Galaxy A55 is a solid, serviceable midrange phone. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that a flagship would have, but if you're just looking for a day-to-day gadget and you aren't a power user, it's more than enough. Today, news broke about its successor, the Galaxy A56 — and it's both good and bad.

According to Galaxy Club, the Galaxy A56 will get a new front-facing camera and do away with the 32MP one that's been the same since the Galaxy A51. This is good news as the 32MP camera is outdated, to say the least. The Galaxy A56 could get a 12MP front-facing camera, even possibly the same sensor used in the Galaxy S line.

Read more
The Galaxy Ring 2 could fix the biggest problem with the device
Samsung Galaxy Ring next to the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

While it's arguable that smart rings have better tracking functionality than a smart watch, watches have an advantage that rings do not: They can be adjusted to fit any wrist size. Well, that might be a concern of the past now. Samsung has filed a patent that suggests adjustable rings could be coming soon — so the need to get the exact right ring size can be tossed out the window.

First spotted by the Dutch website Galaxy Club, this patent shows a smart ring with a segmented interior, likely made of elastic. When pressure is applied, these segments can widen the size of the ring. While it doesn't result in a huge margin, even a small amount of movement is significant in a historically rigid design. The patent shows three different variants, each with a different number of interior segments: three, four, and eight.

Read more
The first Galaxy S27 details just leaked. Here’s what we know
samsung galaxy s24 fe review 18

The Samsung Galaxy S25 is due to release in January, and we've heard next to nothing about the Galaxy S26. Why, then, did we just get the first details on the Galaxy S27? The release is a full generation away, but Samsung is reportedly already working on the chipset.

Dubbed "Ulysses," this new Exynos chipset is still in the earliest stages of development. Mass production is planned in 2026, but a lot can happen between now and then. Tipster Jukanlosreve first noticed the news on the Korean site SEDaily. The article is written in Korean, but I found the translation to be easy enough to understand. Fair warning: Google Translate doesn't handle formatting well.

Read more