We're used to smartwatch batteries lasting two or three days tops in general, maybe stretching to a week if you've got a Pebble, but Magellan has just unveiled a new wearable at CES 2015, which the company claims has an eight-month battery life.
That almost sounds too good to be true, but while it would take the next eight months to put it to the test even if it doesn't quite last that long it's clearly going to be in a whole other league to most smartwatches when it comes to battery.
The wearable, dubbed the Echo Fit, connects to your phone via Bluetooth Low Energy and is designed to track your activity 24 hours a day, including steps, distance traveled and calories burned. It can also track your activity when doing different sports, such as running, cycling and golf. Then when you go to bed it will track the length and quality of your sleep.
Fitness focused
As you might have guessed by now this is more a fitness tracker than a full-featured smartwatch, though like any good watch it can at least tell the time and will display notifications from your smartphone, such as messages and phone calls, as well as allowing you to control your music from your wrist.
Other than its exceedingly long battery life, the main selling point of the Magellan Echo Fit is probably the fact that it's compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
The design is more sporty than stylish, but that's in keeping with its fitness focus and, since you'll likely be wearing it outside a lot, you'll be glad to know it's water resistant, while the one-inch touchscreen is designed to be readable even in bright light.
The Magellan Echo Fit is available now in the US for $129.99 (roughly £85 / AU$160) or for $179.99 (roughly £118 / AU$221) for a version with a built in heart rate monitor. There's no word yet on a wider roll out, but Magellan has an international presence so we expect the Echo Fit will make its way around the world.
