Apple's new patent: The strap can power the Apple Watch

According to foreign media reports, the US Patent and Trademark Office recently approved a patent application related to the Apple Watch. The patent describes an Apple Watch strap with a built-in battery module, which will be able to provide additional power supply for the device in the future.

According to reports, the patent applied for by Apple is called "charging apparatus for wearable electronic device" and will adopt a magnetic buckle design that is easier to load and unload. The Apple Watch in the patent application adopts a round style instead of the current square dial.

Apple's patent application mainly includes two design solutions, one of which is to build the battery inside the strap to power the watch, and the other is to place the battery module separately under the watch dial and charge it by wire when not in use. In addition, Apple also proposed the use of a heat dissipation circuit to ensure that the strap battery module is comfortably worn on the user's skin.

At present, it is not clear whether this patent will be applied to Apple Watch in the future.

As we all know, battery life has always been one of the most concentrated complaints from users about the first-generation Apple Watch, because this generation of devices is almost out of power after 18 hours of normal use, and can only last about 6.5 hours if used heavily.

In this regard, foreign technology media Macrumors said that improving the battery life of the Apple Watch will allow users to use it for multiple days without charging, which will bring huge market opportunities to this product. For example, longer battery life will allow Apple to add sleep monitoring functions to the next generation of WatchOS, as well as a long-screen function like ordinary watches.

Outside analysts believe that with Android Wear 2.0 and two watches from LG and Google expected to be released in early February, Apple Watch's market share may further decline. This is mainly because, although the Apple Watch may be the best-selling smartwatch at present, it is not necessarily the best choice for everyone. Moreover, due to the increasing competition from Samsung, Garmin and traditional watch manufacturers such as Fossil, Apple Watch shipments have seen a sharp decline. According to data from market research firm IDC, Apple Watch sold a total of 1.1 million units in the third quarter of 2016, a decrease of 71.6% from the same period last year; the market share also dropped from 70% in the same period last year to 41.3%.

It is worth noting that Apple also applied for a handheld device patent for the Apple Watch last month to help people with visual and hearing impairments in their daily lives. In the patent description, Apple envisions a handheld sensory assistive device. People with hearing or visual impairments can hold this device while moving, and the sensors on the device can recognize objects or sounds, such as stop signs or sirens, to attract the user's attention. Moreover, the device can also remind the user by vibrating in the user's hand.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.