Rumor: Apple's 'iWatch' to use new 'stepped' battery technology from LG

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited February 2014
Apple will turn to an LG-devised layered lithium ion battery design manufactured by Samsung SDI, LG Chem and Tianjin Lishen Battery for the powerpack in its so-called iWatch, a questionable report out of Korea suggests.

iWatch
iWatch concept by Todd Hamilton


"Apple will utilize LG Chem's stepped battery since it offers better longevity than others and can be applied for different shapes," a source told the Korea Herald. LG's stepped design is said to hold up to 16 percent more energy than similarly-sized conventional lithium ion batteries.

In addition to their enhanced energy density, the stepped batteries can be formed into shapes --?like curves --?that would suit a wrist-worn device.

The report should be taken with a grain of salt, however. The Herald intimates that Apple was also considering powering the device entirely with solar power --?other rumors have suggested Apple may be considering solar charging, but none have speculated that the company may eschew batteries entirely.

The paper also cites anonymous sources that say "there would be no point" for the iWatch to use a curved display that would ultimately be less than two inches diagonally.
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 27
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    I'm coming to hate that render, because it looks so feasible, yet common sense tells me that Apple won't be able to make anything that cool looking that is also usable, has reasonable battery life, and isn't as delicate as a snowflake.
  • Reply 2 of 27
    If they make it foldable could they use a series of tiny batteries vs a odd shaped.
  • Reply 3 of 27
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    Yes, why use a curved screen if it's so small? Flat reduces price.

    And the report that should be taken with a grain of salt is the one on solar power...that won't happen.
  • Reply 4 of 27
    icoco3icoco3 Posts: 1,474member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    ...a questionable report out of Korea suggests.

    ...
    The report should be taken with a grain of salt, however. ...

    ...

    The paper also cites anonymous sources that say ...


     

    Key takeaways from the article.

     

    Let me structure it better...

     

    "A questionable report out of Korea suggests the report should be taken with a grain of salt, however the paper also cites anonymous sources."

  • Reply 5 of 27
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Crowley View Post



    I'm coming to hate that render, because it looks so feasible, yet common sense tells me that Apple won't be able to make anything that cool looking that is also usable, has reasonable battery life, and isn't as delicate as a snowflake.

    The one problem I have with it is the perfect, rigid, circle: because I'd like a vertically scrollable touch-screen and for that to work the bracelet had better offer resistance to rolling around the wrist and that shape doesn't offer that to my mind..

  • Reply 6 of 27
    This design would only appeal to the tech crowd. Apple will not design something like this. Why do you think they have hired all these fashion types over the last one to two years? They will design something that will have interchangeable bands. Fashion brands will come out with their own watch bands to compliment the iWatch face. Apple will not come up with a niche product that only the techies like. It will have to have mass appeal so it will have to easily mesh and fit with people's lifestyles and fashion choices.
  • Reply 7 of 27
    desuserigndesuserign Posts: 1,316member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Crowley View Post



    I'm coming to hate that render, because it looks so feasible, yet common sense tells me that Apple won't be able to make anything that cool looking that is also usable, has reasonable battery life, and isn't as delicate as a snowflake.

     

    If the released product looks anything like these renderings, I'd be surprised [and would never buy one.]

    I pray Apple has better taste than you . . .  think they have.

     

    Seriously the design concept looks appropriate for children.

  • Reply 8 of 27
    clemynx wrote: »
    Yes, why use a curved screen if it's so small? Flat reduces price.

    And the report that should be taken with a grain of salt is the one on solar power...that won't happen.

    When you think of people of different sizes, a curved display is necessary for anything greater than 1-1.25 inches. Otherwise it starts to look very bulky, like rolling a CD along a soda can. Even the 6th gen iPod Nano was only 1.5 inches across and is arguably too bulky for a mass audience (although thickness and bezels certainly play a part)
  • Reply 9 of 27
    gwmacgwmac Posts: 1,807member

    I love the concept photo. Whether Apple actually will release an iWatch anytime soon if at all remains to be seen but if it looks like the concept I would be intrigued. For me personally I  would be most interested if it were able to check blood pressure and heart rate, show notifications from your iPhone or iPad, and include Siri capability. For Siri it would have to be able to work through the phone basically as a bluetooth headset but could also show data on the display as well.  For example if you ask for a weather forecast or today's sports scores you could see that on the display. If you could charge the battery at night not by plugging it in with a wire which would be hard to do due to the small size, but instead use inductive charging or some very simple dock to just plop it in I think that would be far more convenient. 

  • Reply 10 of 27
    peteopeteo Posts: 402member
    You might want to take a look @ that sapphire screen protector video that's floating around. Shows a phone with it on scraping the cement off the front of a cement block. Not even a scratch on the screen protector. I'm sure if the watch went with that design it would have something on the back to make it hard for it to spin around. It would be hard for it to fit all different sized wrists though. Might have to be wider bracelet design with an opening and some flexibility to clamp it around your wrist. Not sure if a traditional watch design would be big enough to display useful information that's why the bracelet design is so compelling. The video shows a pretty slick interface. Hopefully we will know what apple will do soon
  • Reply 11 of 27
    ingelaingela Posts: 217member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Crowley View Post



    I'm coming to hate that render, because it looks so feasible, yet common sense tells me that Apple won't be able to make anything that cool looking that is also usable, has reasonable battery life, and isn't as delicate as a snowflake.

    Yep that is an awesome design. I don;t know how feasible or ergonomic it would be, but damn it looks hot!

  • Reply 12 of 27
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    desuserign wrote: »
    If the released product looks anything like these renderings, I'd be surprised [and would never buy one.]
    I pray Apple has better taste than you . . .  think they have.

    Seriously the design concept looks appropriate for children.
    Bite me.

    I didn't say the render represent my ideal product, just that the hardware and software illustrated give the appearance of feasibility, when I suspect neither are, so the render is raising expectations.

    Apples eventual product in all probability will be better in many ways than this illustration, more usable, better thought through functionality, but I strongly doubt it will be as slick, or uniform, the screen as advanced, or as high resolution, bright and curved.

    That's the point. No need to insult my taste over it.
  • Reply 13 of 27
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    desuserign wrote: »
    If the released product looks anything like these renderings, I'd be surprised [and would never buy one.]
    I pray Apple has better taste than you . . .  think they have.

    Seriously the design concept looks appropriate for children.

    Really? I think this concept looks amazing. It actually reminds me that even if you think that you don't need something, if it looks great, you'll want it. And I'm sure Apple will play on that too.
  • Reply 14 of 27
    Even if the solar rumour is true, it's scary that the writer thinks this means it won't have a battery, I assume their aware of how gadgets work, now maybe people wouldn't want to use this at night, in the shade, or on a cloudy day. What Apple is attempting to do is create a device that would ideally never need to come off for a charge, or at all (waterproof), with a combo of solar, kinetic, Bluetooth 4.0, and a low power screen it's still a stretch but if anyone can pull it off....
    Prediction: need to charge every 2-4 weeks at low use
    Solider prediction: iPhone 5c 8gb model (no rear camera?, maybe just for China, India markets)
  • Reply 15 of 27
    a watch cannot have a rigid "bracelet" type device , as orientation is important, unlike a bracelet.
    So it has to fit to many wrist sizes and shapes, so adjustable strap is essential.
  • Reply 16 of 27
    desuserigndesuserign Posts: 1,316member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Crowley View Post





    Bite me.



    I didn't say the render represent my ideal product, just that the hardware and software illustrated give the appearance of feasibility, when I suspect neither are, so the render is raising expectations.



    Apples eventual product in all probability will be better in many ways than this illustration, more usable, better thought through functionality, but I strongly doubt it will be as slick, or uniform, the screen as advanced, or as high resolution, bright and curved.



    That's the point. No need to insult my taste over it.

     

    Well, there's no accounting for taste!

    Sorry, I should have put a ;-) on my post. Not because I'm joking, just because I didn't mean to offend ;-)

    As a designer, I'm pretty picky on design concepts. The think I hate most about it is I can see it really is *not* a feasible design. As others have pointed out, it would be unusable. Even if the bangle like design were feasible, stylistically it would be rejected by most users. 

    Apple, it they do an iWatch, will produce something far more practical, useful, and interesteing.

  • Reply 17 of 27
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Obviously any interrogation can point out a multitude of flaws; but the render is professional and very well done aesthetically, the UI has a veneer of plausibility, and most importantly of all it's being used on [B]every[/B] news site and blog [B]all the time[/B] as if it were a real product.
  • Reply 18 of 27
    I've never had one, but how does the nike fuelband design work? Would Apple use a similar design?
  • Reply 19 of 27
    desuserigndesuserign Posts: 1,316member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Crowley View Post



    Obviously any interrogation can point out a multitude of flaws; but the render is professional and very well done aesthetically, the UI has a veneer of plausibility, and most importantly of all it's being used on every news site and blog all the time as if it were a real product.

     

    It's most likely a render done by an undergrad student. It's what is often referred to as "design porn" or "air design."

    It's a visual concept produced by laying some rearranged iOS screen shots and a little illustrator work onto a simple shape that's well lit in an idealized setting, and then rendering it.

    You see it as plausible because it looks photorealistic.

    I'm unimpressed by "photorealism" and focus on design, so to me it looks inexplicit and unrealistic.

  • Reply 20 of 27
    ronboronbo Posts: 669member

    Is this the same battery technology they used in the 2012 and 2013 iWatch? O_o

Sign In or Register to comment.