Apple Watch battery life as short as 2.5 hours

The much heralded Apple Watch, the tech giant's first new product category since the launch of the iPad, will go to market this year with a battery life that could be as low as 2.5 hours for active use, according to a report in 9to5mac.

That battery duration—2.5 to 4 hours—applies to the most active use of the watch. For more passive use, battery life could be as long as several days before it needs recharging.

The watch should be able to "display its clock face for approximately three hours, including watch ticking animations, if nothing else is done with the device," the report said.

Preliminary market research shows the Apple Watch, which is scheduled to hit the market within the next few months, may not be an immediate smash hit. A Piper Jaffray survey from late 2014 showed that just 7 percent of iPhone users intended to buy an Apple Watch.

Well-known venture capitalist Fred Wilson also wrote early this year that Apple's first wearable device is not likely to be the "home run" that other Apple products have been. Wilson is also skeptical about the broader wearables space.