With almost every major tech firm releasing their own version of a smartwatch, and wearables only attracting more and more business from consumers, it’s important that the latest and greatest technology is readily available for use. One of the largest concerns potential customers have over current wearables is the amount of battery life each device has. Traditional wearables have extensive battery life, and the shift to a smartwatch would be eased by spending less time at the charging pad. Fortunately, Samsung and LG, both of which have current smartwatch models on the market, have been developing new battery technologies they say will considerably improve current standards.
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, hosted an exhibition Tuesday where Samsung and LG presented their new flexible batteries for use in wearables. LG introduced its latest “wire battery”, a cell that folds, making it ideal for small wearables that otherwise might not be able to fit a sizable battery in their small frame. LG’s first wire battery was unveiled two years ago. LG has continued to innovate and in June introduced the world to hexagonal-shaped batteries as the first company to accomplish such a feat. LG estimates their batteries will double current battery capacity in wearables.
Samsung has also impressed with their new technologies. Two new battery formats were displayed in Seoul: a stripe cell and a band-type. The stripe battery is remarkably thin at just 0.3 mm in width and Samsung says its flexibility is an improvement over other foldable batteries due to its fiber construction. The new battery is expected to be a great fit for necklaces or hair bands. Samsung’s band-type battery is no slouch either, demonstrating the ability to safely bend 50,000 times and increase a smartwatch’s battery capacity by 50%. We should expect to see the band-type technology in Samsung wearables sometime in the future.
Smartwatches are hailed by many as the next frontier in mobile computing. With smartwatch software growing increasingly complex, innovation in battery life can help ease the concerns of wary consumers. Every year companies refresh their current line up or release new wearables altogether, and so far the market has shown no signs of contracting. Global market tracker Gartner has predicted that 40% of all devices worn on the wrist will be smartwatches by 2016 and global shipments are expected to increase to a considerable 100 million in 2020. Samsung and LG are leading the way in new battery tech, and hopefully it shows in their upcoming releases.