The Future of Wearables

Since around 2012, when the first true smartwatch (in the sense that it has functionality previously only available in a phone) came out, the world has, by-in-large, adopted the wearable mindset. Now in 2019, there are hundreds of companies that all offer their version of a smartwatch that is “so much better than the ones made by those other guys.” However, all of these pieces of wearable tech have a problem in common… they run out of power and they do so relatively fast. This is because you can only have a battery of a certain size and still accommodate the other features (GPS, step tracking, heart rate monitors, etc) while maintaining a comfortably sized watch for the wearer. Not to mention that many types of displays require a considerable amount of power just to display info. Many smartwatches boast a battery life of around 1-2 days. By the standards of a watch, this is an incredibly low amount of time compared to normal watches that have a battery that can last at least a year or more.

Now, I know what you're thinking if you wanted a watch just to tell the time you would want it to have that long battery life, but a smartwatch you want for other things. Yes, the reason that people would want a smartwatch vs a normal watch is for the extra features. But what about those who want the extra features but don’t want to have to charge a watch every night? If you want some of those features plus longer battery life, you have a few options.

The first of these options is a special category of smartwatch known as a hybrid smartwatch. These are watches that have a normal watch face rather than a digital screen but have some smart features built in. These will generally have a longer battery life due to the smaller amount of power required to operate. One example of this is the Fossil Hybrid Smartwatch. It features a normal watch face with a second dial that displays activity tracking and alarms. For notifications, it will simply give the user a tap on the wrist to let them know that they have a notification on their phone. While it doesn’t have some features (heart rate, GPS, or apps), it will still allow the user to find their phone, control their music, and automatically adjust the time. All of this while using a watch battery that will last for up to a year. You can find more information about the Fossil Hybrid Smartwatch here.

Another option is a watch that has some great power saving options built in. The watch I’ll focus on in this category is the TicWatch Pro from Mobvoi. This watch boasts a battery life estimate of 2-30 days. This is due to the fact that, unlike other smartwatches, it features two different screens that display on the watch. The bottom screen is an AMOLED screen that will display similar to any other smartwatch with a full-color display and all of the touchscreen functionality. However, what sets this watch apart is the LCD screen that sits on top of that. When the AMOLED screen turns off to conserve battery, the LCD screen, which uses a minute amount of battery, turns on. This allows the watch to basically just use power to run the features in the background (step tracking, heart rate, GPS) while not having to waste power on a screen that may not be being looked at. Their boasting of a battery life of up to 30 days comes from the fact that the user can turn the extra functionality and the AMOLED screen off and go into “Essentials Mode” to display only the time, date, steps, and heart rate. In this mode, it will not waste power checking for notifications or ever turning on the AMOLED screen. I personally use this watch and have it set up to turn off the AMOLED when I twist my wrist and only comes on when I tap the watch or get a notification and raise it up to look at it. Doing this allows me to get a battery life that lasts around 3-5 days. If the TicWatch Pro sounds appealing to you, you can find more information about it here.

The third and final watch I wanna highlight is a newer type of smartwatch that allows the user to wear it and never have to take it off. The PowerWatch 2 by Matrix is currently on IndieGoGo looking for backers. This watch showcases what tech can do if we don’t have to worry about charging it. Using solar power as well as thermopower, this watch literally generates power as you are wearing it. It features a small solar panel around the circumference of the watch face as well as a thermo conductor on the bottom of the watch. This allows it to generate power from the heat that your body is generating. They do state that the thermo power does work better when the temperature around you is less than 80°F. The bigger the difference in temperature between the air and your body means the faster the watch will generate power. If you would like to get more information on the PowerWatch 2, visit their website for more info.