A band that is capable of extending the battery life of the Apple Watch has seen its functionality removed due to an update released by Apple for the wearable device.
Accesory maker Reserve Strap took advantage of the Apple Watch secret port by creating a strap that is able to charge up the device.
Using the Reserve Strap, the company claimed to be able to extend life between charges by more than 150 percent, which would allow Apple Watch owners to maintain a charge on their wearable devices for up to a week. The accessory, according to mock-ups of its design, connected to the port underneath the Apple Watch casing.
However, when Apple released watchOS 2.0.1, it closed the loophole that Reserve Strap utilized, changing the external accessory protocol of the device and in effect rendering the Reserve Strap useless.
The update to the Apple Watch's operating system caused interference between the Apple Watch and its accessories as Apple suspended the use of the secret port pending the release of an official program that would utilize it.
As such, Reserve Strap said that it will be suspending the shipment of orders to customers who have updated their Apple Watch to watchOS 2.0.1, with sales only to continue when Apple has launched official support for the development of smartbands such as the Reserve Strap.
However, the company said that for Apple Watch users who have already placed their pre-orders for the Reserve Strap and are not planning to upgrade to watchOS 2.0.1, shipments of the smartband will push through over the next few weeks.
Reserve Strap did not mention of any ill feelings towards Apple for the changes made through watchOS 2.0.1, but it did call for its supporters to contact Apple to push for an official smartband program.
However, even if Apple releases official support for third-party smartband makers, the future of the $250 Reserve Strap is not sure to begin with. The product was initially expected to ship in November 2015, which was then pushed back to the first quarter of this year. It is already the second quarter, and there is still no word on when the Reserve Strap will ship.
