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Apple Watch reportedly has low-energy 'power reserve' mode

Apple Watch reportedly has low-energy 'power reserve' mode

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We're just over a week away from learning a whole lot more about the Apple Watch, but The New York Times has just revealed a few more details about the new smartwatch. Apple employees involved with the project tell the paper that there will be a special battery stretch feature called "Power Reserve." The low-energy mode will let the Apple Watch continue displaying the time (and nothing else) even with scant battery life left.

Engineers disguised the smartwatch as a Samsung device

Battery life has been a major concern for the Apple Watch and other wearables — with current battery technology, there just isn't much space for a battery cell that can keep the device charged for a long time. Reports say that the watch will require nightly charging.

The article also mentions a few details about the behind-closed doors development of the Apple Watch. Amusingly, Apple engineers who've been putting the device through its paces have kept the Apple Watch in a case that makes it look like one of Samsung's Gear smartwatches. The report also says that designers originally intended to include sensors to monitor stress and blood pressure, but those ideas were dropped after struggles with the sensors.

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