The Apple Watch will apparently offer a Power Reserve mode to increase the battery life of the device, according to The New York Times. The software will withdraw power from all non-important functions and display only the time, expanding the watch’s life in the event of there being no charger available.
Will Apple offer an improved battery?
Apple’s software will be similar to the Battery Saver mode in Android 5.0, which can juice the battery life from minutes to hours by reducing the processor use.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based company said previously that the smartwatch battery will last for one normal day and needs to be recharged at night. Even though all the smartwatch makers are sticking to the same standard, there have been controversies lately with some users hoping Apple will be able to tweak the battery issues by its its debut.
The report also claimed that, contrary to the claims made in recent reports, Apple abandoned a few of the advanced health features over 18 months ago and not in the last few months. As per the report, the iPhone maker ditched features like blood pressure and stress tests after it was unsatisfied with the performance of the sensors. In line with the gadgets already in the market, the first generation Apple Watch includes features such as motion and heart-rate sensors.
Challenges faced during development cycle
The NY Times report also noted the challenges that the Apple Watch encountered during its development cycle. As per the report, the iPhone maker came across numerous technical problems and also had to face the exit of key engineers, some of whom were poached by Google-owned home automation outfit Nest Labs.
One of the key challenges Apple faced was keeping the development of the product a secret and at the same time deploying evaluation units into the real world, for which a dummy casing was developed by Apple engineers.
The Apple Watch was unveiled in September, and at that time, the company said the entry price tag will be $349. However, the iPhone maker gave no further information on the pricing of its three tiers — the Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company is expected to talk more about its upcoming smartwatch at a San Francisco press event on March 9.
