With only a day to go until the big Apple Watch reveal, enterprising accessory makers are making sure they’re advertising their wares as early as possible. Take a look at the Reserve Strap: a replacement strap for your Apple Watch that charges it while you wear it.
It doesn’t quite have the aesthetic appeal of Apple’s own bands — but would you rather have stylish looks or a battery that lasts? Shaky battery life is said to be one of the major problems with Apple’s new wearable, with insiders suggesting you’ll be able to get a day’s use out of it at best.
The Reserve Strap is fitted with 400mAh of battery power thanks to a pair of lithium-ion cells. It comes with an integrated inductive charging cradle between the watch and your wrist — the makers say the technology is the same as that on Apple’s official charger — but there are holes cut out so the smartwatch’s sensors can still operate.
“We love Apple devices because they’re not just functional, they’re a delight to play with and we don’t expect the Apple Watch to be any different,” says the team behind the project. “The Reserve Strap is the best way to extend the life of the Apple Watch while keeping it on your wrist, where it belongs.”
The Reserve Strap is said to be able to boost Apple Watch battery life by up to 125 percent, but this is a prototype at the very early stages: its makers admit a lot more testing and research needs to be done once Apple’s device is actually on sale. Still, if they can pull it off, it could be one of the best solutions to low battery levels on the Apple Watch.
If you’re convinced already and you want to help support the development of the Reserve Strap, preorders are being taken through the official site for $249.99. There’s no release date and no finalized price but that pledge means you’ll be first in line when the accessory goes on sale.
