Apple Watch battery will last less than three hours of 'active use'

The Apple Watch may require charging more than once a day due to high-end, battery-draining features, according to new reports.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously claimed that the smartwatch will need to be charged nightly, however recently revealed performance targets from Apple suggest that active use could drain the battery within less than three hours.

Sources close to the Apple Watch's development reportedly gave information to 9to5 Mac that suggested Apple were aiming for between two-and-a-half and four hours of active application use.

The reason for such limited battery life is due to Apple opting for a powerful S1 processor, which is close in performance to the A5 chip currently used in the iPod Touch.

Another high-end but also battery-draining feature is the smartwatch's screen. The sources report that Apple is opting for a Retina-class colour display that updates at a rate of 60 frames per second.

Using the device as just a simple timepiece with no other functions running, wearers can expect to get around three hours of use before needing a recharge. Apple, however, reportedly doesn't expect for the Apple Watch clock face to be kept on all the time.

Left in sleeping mode, the Apple Watch will last up to four days, while pure standby mode can hold a charge for up to three days. For most wearers using a combination of active and passive application use, Apple hopes that the device will last 19 hours.

The latest leaks come after further details about the forthcoming Apple Watch were revealed last week when details of an iPhone application used to control the device were comprehensibly leaked.

The Apple Watch Companion app will allow users to personalise the watch face by adding initials, as well as set the number of alerts they receive through the smartwatch.

The release date for the Apple Watch has not yet been officially announced but it is expected to be some time in March. It will be priced from $349 (£230), however deluxe gold versions could cost several thousand dollars.