Smart Battery Modes
“40% Battery Life Increase With No User Input Required”
Results
Average battery life with regular usage increased from 18-20 hours to above 26 hours using the Smart Battery Modes app. The app was hailed by users and tech reviewers as elevating Fossil Group devices closer to our competitors as well as used to highlight the missed opportunities of Wear OS.
Task | Make It Last
Address the poor average battery life for Wear OS devices without direct support from Google.
Challenges
Conduct user research into user behaviors and smartwatch habits.
Identify triggers for real-time battery saving opportunities.
Simplify controls for average users.
Use fixed battery size and capacity.
Avoid hindering usage of common apps and features.
Control system settings without full access to the operating system.
As a feature directly linked to user behaviors and with a large variety of brand identities to account for – from Diesel to Kate Spade – I conducted a comprehensive study of user trends, behaviors, and demographics to see where they all overlapped.
After establishing the different tiers of users, I tested multiple iterations of settings profiles to see which provided the best daily experiences with the least user interaction required. Ultimately, the tenets of the battery control experience became clear and from them the 4 optimized modes…
Active Adjustments
Passive Optimization
“Takes Advantage of Wear OS’s Missed Opportunities”
