Well-known Swiss watch maker Swatch has yet to release a smartwatch of its own in response to the Apple Watch, but the company did confirm it has plans to do so in the near future, after initially denying interest in the smartwatch business. Now, Reuters reveals that Swatch is committed to improving the smartwatch experience in one key area where rival devices like the Apple Watch are in desperate need of improvement.
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One of the main issues with the Apple Watch involves battery life. In most cases, the device can last longer than Apple’s 18-hour estimate, especially the 42mm version. But you’ll still need to recharge it, entirely or at least partially, on a daily basis.
Swatch told Swiss weekly Handelszeitung that it’s working on a revolutionary battery technology that would be suitable both to small devices such as smartwatches but also to bigger ones, such as cars.
“Whoever brings a battery for a smartwatch to the market that you don’t need to charge for six months has a competitive advantage,” Swatch CEO Nick Hayek said. “We’re working intensively on this problem with our research group Belenos and battery producer Renata. Next year we will come to the market with a revolutionary battery, not only for watches but also for automobiles.”
It’s not clear how Swatch plans to achieve that, or when this battery technology will be available to smartwatch buyers.
