Do rechargeable digital calipers solve the battery-drain problem?

Partially. r/Tools and r/3DPrintingDeal threads note that cheap digital calipers often drain coin cells even when 'off' because the display turns off but the encoder doesn't. USB-C rechargeable models like the HARDELL line address the swap-batteries hassle, but reviewers point out that a true 'absolute' encoder design (as in Mitutoyo) is the architectural fix, not a bigger battery.