With the way the technology is advancing, there's more in the world than you know. While some parts of the world were just shifting to smartphones, smartwatches made an appearance to bring all the important functions of a mobile, packed into a wrist watch.
Major tech companies such as Apple, Samsung, Pebble and others helped make smartwatches unanimous and now there are some startups looking to revolutionize the tech around smartwatches.
As most of us are aware, smartwatches need to be charged the traditional way. But a group of innovators, engineers and designers had a different take on that and came up with a smartwatch charger called LIFT. What's so different about this smartwatch charger you might ask? If the name wasn't a good enough hint, then this piece of tech charges your smartwatch in air.
If the idea of wireless charging amused you, then LIFT's charging technique will startle you. LIFT is a combination of great design and futuristic tech that every technology lover must have. As a startup project, it is available on Kickstarter, and it has already crossed its pledged goal of $44,000 and reached $247,000 with 27 more days to go.
Once the product hits the market, it will sell for $250, but if you pledge as a backer on Kickstarter campaign, then you will get a flat $100 discount. Before we jump right on to explain the technical aspect of LIFT, it is currently compatible only with Apple Watch and the last two generations of Pebble smartwatches, including Pebble 2, Time 2, Pebble Time, Time Steel and Time Round.
LIFT has been well-designed to please your eyes. The startup says LIFT's design is inspired by Apple and Porsche and uses high-quality aluminium encasing for durability. It also has medical grade ceramics, which is ideal for its non-conductive properties.
How does LIFT's anti-gravity charging trick work?
LIFT literally levitates your smartwatch into thin air while charging it without any wires.
Our proprietary induction system is inspired by Tesla's original ideas around transferring electricity through the ether. We took this radical concept and adapted it to be able to transfer power while magically levitating in space without the need for any wires," the makers of LIFT said.
In simple words, LIFT uses magnets to suspend the charger from the ground. When you wrap your smartwatch around the charger and place it over the dock, it would appear as if the smartwatch is freely floating in the air when it is actually charging. Once the smartwatch is fully charged, LIFT will maintain the charge levels at 100 percent by switching the power on and off, helping preserve and optimize battery life and lifespan of the smartwatch.
LIFT has an internal battery, which can be used to charge smartwatch while on-the-go. As per the makers of LIFT, the built-in battery can charge your smartwatch twice without any electricity source around.
Cons
Even though the technology and the design look pretty cool, LIFT has its own setbacks and it is mainly around the convenience. First of all, instead of simply removing a smartwatch and placing it on a wireless charging pad, the user must wrap it around the LIFT charger and place it over the pad.
The company hasn't revealed how long will it take to charge the smartwatch and if the levitation makes the charging process slower. When the technology advanced from wired to wireless charging, a major challenge was presented around the time taken to charge the device due to lost energy.
LIFT's first batch will be out in September and mass production and shipment will begin in October. LIFT will be one of the pricey, futuristic tech gadgets to match your geeky lifestyle.
