Electronic – Could smartphones benefit from the same charging mechanism as in electronic watches

cellphonecharger

A long time ago I learned that electronic wristwatches have a charging device that draws energy from hand movement while the wearer walks. I don't know how much power a wristwatch generates but maybe this sort of tech could be used in modern smartphones to charge them while you're walking. Would the power output of the same generator as in watches be enough to let a smartphone never run out of power? If not, how much more power would be needed? Would such a charger be feasible?

The main point of this charging method is that it should be effortless. With a dynamo generator that definitely outputs much more power you'd absolutely notice getting tired.

Best Answer

Feasible: yes

Useful: no, because the power needed by a smartphone is orders of magnitude larger than what such a (kinetic) generator generates.

A (non smart) wristwatch needs only very little power, it can run for years on a small button cell. This amount of power can easily be generated by a kinetic generator.

A smartphone has a large battery and needs charging almost daily. Unless you want to violently shake your phone for a couple of hours every day, a kinetic generator will by far not satisfy the power needs of a smartphone.