Indications have emerged that Apple’s much anticipated smartwatch is being tested for induction charging and solar-powered batteries, according to a new report from the New York Times. As part of a larger piece about battery technology in general, the New York Times revealed that Apple carrying out tests involving wireless induction charging for the smartwatch.
The company is allegedly also incorporating solar panels into the display to draw power from the sun, and potentially ambient light.
“Both of these are noted as technology in the testing phase for a wrist-mounted Apple wearable, which means they’re not necessarily very far along and likely not on tap for an Apple iWatch should it arrive sometime within the next year. The solar charging in particular, for example, is said to be years away from making its way into shipping product, according to the NYT’s source,” TechCrunch said.
The development showed that battery life for wearable devices remain a huge concern, and the reason why is continued adoption.
It said: “No end user is eager for the chance to have to remember to charge yet another device, of course, and the problem is made worse when, in forgetting to charge a wearable even once, they notice no overall impact to their lives. The double challenge then is to build a smartwatch that becomes integral to a user’s general routine, such that they’ll actively remember to charge it with the same frequency as their phone, and also to make it so that charging is a fairly infrequent requirement.”
