Reserve Strap this week released the official design specifications of its battery-charging Apple Watch band accessory, confirming a shipping date for the $249.99 strap to be November 3, 2015. Since its debut in early March, the Reserve Strap has gone through two design iterations, with developers Lane Musgrave and John Arrow attempting to get the look -- and functionality -- just right.
The strap's finalized design comes in with a width of 25mm, a thickness of 3-9mm, and a total weight of 65g. The designers have also ditched the rubber and metallic combination design of the Reserve Strap's second iteration with a uniform Thermoset Elastomer Silicone band that's "as resistant to water as Apple Watch." Coming in both 38mm and 42mm casing sizes, the Reserve Strap promises to fit wrists ranging in size from 130mm to 210mm.
The design wasn't the only aspect of the strap to be overhauled, however, with the strap's developers noting a 167 percent increase in battery life, compared to the original design's 125 percent boost. Essentially, if the Reserve Strap is fully charged (via included micro-USB cable), users can expect an additional 30 hours of battery life for their Apple Watch. So, as the company notes on its website, a fully-charged Apple Watch can now expect a grand total battery life of 48 hours if both devices are topped off.
The company goes into the specifics in the new blog post on what users can expect with a day-to-day usage of the Reserve Strap, detailed below. It should be mentioned that the strap's access to the Apple Watch accessory port requires users to first remove the cover to the hidden port before using the Reserve Strap, a process detailed by creators Musgrave and Arrow in a how-to video on their YouTube channel.
How Reserve Strap Works
1. Reserve Strap will connect to the Apple Watch similar to Apple bands. It will slide in laterally then you’ll then push forward a small switch underneath the band to engage the accessory port connection to secure the Reserve Strap on the Watch.
2. At your discretion simply press the power button once to initiate charging. You can use the Watch as normal while it charges.
3. Once top-off charging is complete after 60-75 minutes, press the power button again to save the rest of Reserve Strap for another time. Or if you decide to leave Reserve Strap on, Apple Watch will use the Strap’s power to keep the Apple Watch at 100% power until the Reserve Strap is depleted.
4. Reserve Strap uses a minimal LED indicator to let you know how much charge you have left. When you turn the charge on or plug it in, the LED will glow either red, yellow or green indicating a high, medium, or low charge.
5. Recharging the Reserve Strap and Apple Watch is incredibly easy. You can leave your Strap on the Watch and simply plug it in via micro USB. This will charge the Apple Watch and Reserve Strap at the same time!
The Reserve Strap, which the developers promise fully complies with the Apple Watch Band Design Guidelines and "doesn't violate either AppleCare warranty or Apple Terms & Conditions," can be pre-ordered for $249.99 today from the company's official website. The final design can be purchased in white, grey, or black, its creators noting that only those who pre-ordered are guaranteed a strap on the November 3 launch date.
Top Rated Comments
... What?
If Apple made a charge band, you'd be spending more than this. Perhaps this will encourage others to enter this market, and maybe the price will go down eventually.
As for look, it's not gorgeous but it's far from hideous. It's a simple rubber design.
$250 is more than I would spend specifically for that band, but it doesn't mean that the product itself doesn't have that value.
*shrug*
For the measley expense of roughly 70% of that, you can double the battery life!
But of course that's just me.