It’s not news to anyone with an iPhone and a 3pm date with an outlet that batteries are going to have to get a whole lot better before wearable tech has a hope of widespread adoption. The NYTimes digs into the subject today and namechecks a few of the ongoing power experiments: solar power, induction charging, and even harvesting radio signals.
Most of the good stuff — the things you may not have heard of from companies you’re probably not familiar with — is toward the bottom. Scroll down.
One bit of bad news:
A faulty battery could potentially turn into a miniature bomb. So the products require exhaustive testing by regulators before hitting store shelves. Even if a new power system is approved, it often requires adoption by reputable brands like Apple, Samsung or Microsoft before everyday consumers start to trust it.
In other words, we’re talking years, not months, for real power breakthroughs.