Remember the Pebble Smartstraps? It looks like the Apple Watch will have something similar. At least the first accessory of its kind was announced back in March, and it’s called the Reserve Strap. But since then, the design of the device has changed dramatically.

Initially, it was assumed that the Reserve Strap would be able to charge the Apple Watch by induction, but this seriously complicated its design and increased its dimensions. Nevertheless, it was at least some option for extending the battery life of smart watches, which would clearly find its buyer. But then it turned out that the Apple gadget has a hidden 6-pin port and it can be used for charging.

By using this port, the Reserve Strap developers have greatly simplified the design of the strap, making it more compact, sleeker and more functional. True, you will also need a special adapter, but it will be included in the accessory kit.

On the left is the old Reserve Strap design, on the right is the new one.

Apple has not yet commented on the news regarding the hidden port in its smart watch, but journalists do it with great pleasure. In particular, the presence of such a port will potentially allow the release of accessories for accelerated charging of watches, but contactless induction charging is still less effective in this regard. In addition, in the future, it is quite possible that there will be straps that expand the functionality of smart watches, including branded ones from Apple, which will allow you to update devices less frequently. Let’s say that new models are released not once a year, but once every 2-3 years, which will make the purchase of expensive steel models more promising.

Currently, you can pre-order Reserve Strap by paying $249but the release date of the strap is not yet known. [Reserve Strap]