Home Apple patents wearable battery charger for Watch 2

Apple patents wearable battery charger for Watch 2

Apple might be looking for a new way to improve the Watch 2 battery life, if a patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this month is to be believed.

The patent shows two possible designs for a wearable battery charger, one that is embedded into the wristband and another that sits underneath the chassis. The charger would provide Watch 2 users with a few hours extra, before it needs to be recharged.

See Also: Apple confirms rumored interest in self-driving cars in letter to regulators

For the second design, which sits underneath the chassis, the company plans to use ‘heat-dissipating’ circuitry to ensure the battery doesn’t burn users.

Promoted versus performance on battery life

Apple promotes 18 hours of battery life for the Watch 2, but users will know the results vary wildly depending on how much time you spend on the watch. Most reviewers of the Watch 2 said it managed 6-7 hours of screen-on time with heavy usage.

The wearable charger looks to be a way for Apple to appeal to power users, while not making the Watch 2 (or Watch 3) any thicker. The Watch 2 is already thicker than the original smartwatch.

Consumers have referenced the poor battery life over the two years as one of the main reasons they stopped using the smartwatch. Apple is looking to address these complaints with the next Watch series, set to come out sometime this year.

Even with the patent published, it is still way too early to say if the iPhone maker intends to launch a wearable charger for the Watch. Apple publishes hundreds of patents every year, and many end up unused.

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