While the Apple Watch needs charging every night, Suunto could be prepping a smartwatch with battery life measured in years — to take on the Garmin Fenix

Suunto Vertical 2.

• The Suunto Core 2 has been registered with the FCC
• It points to an imminent launch for the watch
• The wearable could come with a long-lasting, replaceable battery

One problem with the best smartwatches is that top-quality screens and cutting-edge features are often very demanding in terms of battery life, but it seems Suunto could be working on a new wearable with a battery life that extends to a couple of years.

As spotted by the5krunner (via Notebookcheck), Suunto has lodged a filing for a new smartwatch with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US. It's a necessary admin step for any gadget sold in the United States.

Not only does the filing reveal the device name to be the Suunto Core 2 — suggesting a sequel to a model that's almost two decades old — it also mentions a replaceable CR3032 lithium battery, with a capacity of 500 mAh.

The capacity is more than double that of the CR2032 in the old Suunto Core watch, and given the advances in wearable tech we've seen in recent years, that means this new watch could go up to two years or even more before the battery needs swapping.

Years of battery life

The Garmin Fenix 8 (Image credit: Garmin)

Of course, the battery life you'll be able to get on the Suunto Core 2 will depend on numerous factors, including how many times you're tracking activities with GPS, and how often you light up the display.

However, it's a promising upgrade that would mean you might be changing your smartwatch again before the battery runs out on your current one. You certainly wouldn't have to worry about forgetting your charger on a trip.

One of the ways Suunto could extend the battery life on this device is by limiting its features. There doesn't seem to be a heart rate sensor here, though there is mention of 100 m / 328 ft water resistance and a stainless steel casing.

In terms of design, at least, it may be comparable to the Garmin Fenix series. The most recent Garmin Fenix 8 claims 16 days of battery life between charges, depending on usage, but there is also a solar-powered version that can extend that further.