A new Apple patent could be the powerhouse behind the iWatch

While Apple are known for patenting a wealth of technology that is never released, a recent invention hints that Apple are taking the development a wrist mounted device seriously.

Yesterday the US Patent and Trademark office published a patent for a flexible battery pack that could be used to fit comfortably inside the strap of a wrist mounted device.

One of the major weaknesses of any potential smart watch would be a limited battery life. If, like in conventional watches, the cells were to fit behind the watch face this would severely restrict the usable life of the device. By using battery units contained in the watch strap Apple would be able to significantly expand the usable time the device would have before needing to recharge, allowing it to compete with conventional handsets in terms of battery life.

Combined with Apple’s recent trademarking of the name iWatch this could indicate that the Apple smart watch is on the horizon.