Samsung has unveiled new flexible battery technology that could help solve one of the biggest smartwatch and wearable flaws.
Most smartwatches (including the Apple Watch) in particular suffer from appalling battery life, wheezing through barely a day of usage before requiring a recharge. It’s an issue for wearable technology in general, as manufacturers strive to make them as compact and ergonomic as possible.
Samsung may have found a solution to this issue, having announced a new range of flexible batteries at last week’s InterBattery 2015 event in Seoul (via Engadget).
The Samsung Stripe and Band batteries are most notable for being extremely thin and flexible.Despite having a fibre-like thickness of 0.3mm, the Stripe is even denser than normal battery technology. This characteristic means it can potentially be incorporated into clothing and jewellery.
Related: Apple Watch vs Android Wear
The Band, meanwhile, is a little thicker, and is designed to be applied to the bands of smartwatches. When this is done, it can boost battery life by as much as 50 percent.
Despite this, the Band is able to withstand being bent 50,000 times, and it’ll still operate correctly.
Unfortunately, both the Band and the Stripe are at the prototype stage at present, so don’t expect to see them in wearable devices for a good while yet. Samsung hasn’t commented on when they will be ready for the big time, either.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.