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Apple Stores to act more like jewelry stores for upcoming gold Apple Watch

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Screenshot 2015-01-31 14.38.17

Apple is preparing to take some pages out of the traditional jewelry store playbook. For the upcoming 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition, Apple is planning several new features for its retail stores to support the device. As we reported several months ago, Apple is planning on allowing customers to actually try on the watches and test out different band styles inside of stores. With the high-expected price tag of the gold watch models, Apple will also step up its security features for stores…


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Tim Cook: Apple Watch is profound, will need to be charged once a day

 

Apple-Watch-chargingAs previously reported, Tim Cook today on the WSJ stage said that the Apple Watch would likely need to be charged once a day.

[tweet https://twitter.com/joannastern/status/526939146971926529]

As Cook explained, the Apple Watch is profound and made to be used and clearly Apple is still working on the battery technology.

[tweet https://twitter.com/techledes/status/526937856346820609]

From the previous report,

Apple isn’t yet happy with the watch’s battery life, which isn’t going to break any industry standards. “It’s about a day right now,” said one, adding that Apple is working on various modifications ahead of the device’s 2015 launch to improve it. Reached for comment, Apple spokeswoman Nat Kerris declined to provide an estimate on expected battery life, but said the company expects users will charge their Apple Watches once daily. “There’s a lot of new technology packed into Apple Watch and we think people will love using it throughout the day,” Kerris said. “We anticipate that people will charge nightly which is why we designed an innovative charging solution that combines our MagSafe technology and inductive charging.”

I had also heard …some things… way back before the announcement.

[tweet https://twitter.com/llsethj/status/505830138140196864]

[tweet https://twitter.com/llsethj/status/510526905247084544]

 

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You can already pre-order an Apple Watch stand/charger and it is actually really nice

Apple Watch isn’t set for release until next year, but you can already order a charging stand for the device from Dodocase (via Uncrate). The handcrafted walnut stand doesn’t actually have a built-in mechanism for charging, but instead has a recess to hideaway Apple’s charging cable that will come with the Apple Watch.

Introducing one of the first products to market to support the Apple Watch coming in 2015. Our innovative wood charging block is made from rich California orchard walnut, American-tanned Leather and features inductive charging housing to easily snap watch into place and provide single handed lift-off. The Apple Watch Charging Stand will become your essential bedside table companion or desk accessory featuring traditional craftsmanship for today’s modern technology.

While Apple’s most expensive “Edition” model of the Apple Watch is said to come in a jewelry box of sorts that doubles as a stand/charger, it’s unclear if other models will be given a similar treatment with their packaging. So far Apple has only shown the following when it comes to charging the device via the new MagSafe inductive charging solution:

Apple-Watch-charging

It’s still a possibility that the cheaper Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport models will include some style of stand that utilizes the product’s packaging, but so far we’ve only heard of such a feature for the most expensive gold Edition model as noted above. If not, there will likely a lot of accessory makers offering similar stands and cases for Apple Watch next year. As for possibility integrating the charging mechanism directly into an accessory, we’ll have to wait and see if Apple opens up the device for accessory manufacturers through its Made-for-iPhone/iPad/iPod program. 

  • Made from Reclaimed California Orchard Walnut
  • American tanned Leather
  • Carved relief for wire routing
  • Travel mode allows you to easily wrap cable and charger in one package
  • Magnetic inductive charger housing provides quick, easy lift-off (cable not provided)
  • Space age Japanese suction cup material, grabs mounting surface for sturdy placement and one handed watch lift off but leaves no adhesive residue
  • Natural linseed oil finish for protection and beauty
  • Handcrafted in San Francisco

The Dodocase charging stand for Apple Watch is available now to preorder for a $5 deposit with the product eventually selling for somewhere between $60-$80 when it ships next year alongside Apple Watch.

Review: iQi Mobile makes wireless charging a reality for iPhones, but is it worth the cost?

The iQi Mobile is an insert that enables wireless charging for the iPhone. At it’s core, it is a crowdfunded hack. It doesn’t have MFi certification and it looks like a branded DIY project. This is never going to be a mass-market accessory. There’s no need to beat around the bush — this is a geeky toy for people drawn in by the idea of wireless charging. But is it any good?

The iQi Mobile looks like a small matchbox-sized dog tag, with a Lightning connector on one end. The ribbon cable is bendy, but apparently it is a weak point. The accompanying warning notices clearly state that the cable will be damaged if it is bent completely 90° degrees.


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Apple’s rumored iOS device inductive charging solution gets pictured in patents

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Another batch of newly granted Apple patents were published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and then detailed by Patently Apple. Perhaps the most notable is one for an inductive charging solution that we have heard about in the past. Apple patents surfaced last year showing new methods of inductive charging that could be used in various Apple devices. There were even rumors last year that a next-gen iPhone could sport a similar cable-free charging solution. Patently Apple described the docking station invention covered in today’s patent that would include an “eradiating antenna and an inductive charging circuit for inductively charging a handheld device”:


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