Reserve Strap Taps Into Apple's Diagnostic Port For Faster Charger, More Battery

Reserve Strap — one of the first to announce plans to make third-party battery straps for Apple Watch — has updated its website with new information regarding its product. According to Reserve, the company has been able to tap into Apple’s built-in diagnostic port, allowing for faster charging and, more importantly, potentially offering Apple Watch even more battery life.

The company initially planed on using a magnetic charging solution similar to Apple’s. However, after receiving the Apple Watch, the company has found that the diagnostic port seems to be a better option:

Our engineers have been able to independently confirm that the 6 pin diagnostic port underneath the Apple Watch case can be used for charging. The Reserve Strap will take advantage of this using a simple, retractable connector instead of the previous inductive charging cradle design. … By utilizing this port instead of wirelessly charging, we’ve been able to achieve a higher charge capacity and quicker, more efficient charging times while also improving durability and eliminating any interference with Apple Watch functionality including taptic feedback and heartrate sensors.

Whether this is the first of many straps from both Reserve Strap and other aftermarket band makers is still unknown. It’s also possible that Apple finds a way to block these accessories from working through software since they plan to tap directly into Apple’s port, making such a software roadblock particularly easy to implement.

There is no word on availability yet, but Reserve Strap says its battery-boosting band will retail for $249.