One of the biggest complaints about the Apple Watch -- that its battery doesn't last very long -- may soon be addressed. Reserve Strap recently announced the final design and tech specs of its Apple Watch band, which will charge your Apple Watch as you wear it and can reportedly add 30 hours of battery life. The Reserve Strap, which had previously been shown off only as a concept, will cost $250 and ship by Nov. 3, 2015.
Available in white, gray or black, the Reserve Strap is 25 mm (1 inch) wide and between 3 and 9 mm thick, and, according to the company, complies with Apple's Band Design Guidelines. Like the Apple Watch, it's also water-resistant.
MORE: Everything You Need to Know About the Apple Watch
After you attach the Reserve Strap to your Apple Watch, you'll push forward a switch under the band to engage the Apple Watch's accessory port. Press the Reserve Band's power button when you're low on juice (or whenever you please) to initiate charging. You can stop charging by pressing the power button again, or leave it on to keep your Apple Watch at a constant 100-percent charge until the Reserve Strap is depleted. The Reserve Band itself charges via a microUSB port.
The Reserve Band also features an LED charging indicator that, according to a Reserve Band news posting, glows red, yellow or green to show a high, medium or low charge. This sounds a little counter-intuitive to us, as most devices would use red to show a low charge instead of a high one. We're checking with Reserve Band to make sure that's correct.
The announcement confirms reports that indicated the Reserve Strap would use of a hidden 6-pin port under the Apple Watch's strap connection to deliver power to the wearable, instead of the primary inductive charging method. This method frees you from having to leave your watch in a charging dock or cradle while it juices up. The Reserve Strap is available for Apple Watches of both the 38-mm and 42-mm sizes.
During our review, we found that the Apple Watch lived up to its claim of lasting 18 hours on a single charge. If the Reserve Strap delivers what it promises, wearers could end with a total of two days of endurance.
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Staff writer Cherlynn Low can't pick a favorite iPhone case. Follow her @cherlynnlow. Follow Tom's Guide at @tomsguide and on Facebook.
