Is Apple Developing a Solar iPhone?
Tue, May 27, 2008
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Well, according to the site MacRumors, Apple have apparently filed a patent application to investigate the use of solar cells in their mobile devices, including the iphone and portable computers.
The technology behind this all is quite interesting. It goes back to a 2001 patent that Motorola filed, exploring the use of photovoltaic cells behind the LED screen of the device, much like a calculator. If Apple pulled this off successfully, there would be no design modifications at all. It would be an instant success. But the question we have to ask ourselves is, could they actually pull it off? After all, Motorola tried and failed.
MacRumors’ claim that if Apple were to be successful, iPods and MacBooks could run without any mains charge is “wildly optimistic,” say PC pro. They did an experiment where they charged a MacBook all day long with 104 x 54cm solar panel, but the computer was only powered for two hours. Unless Apple have really got their shit together, their solar cells would only be able to power an iphone or ipod for a few minutes.
Apart from the limitations of the solar cell technology, another pressure is emerging: phones are constantly having new features added to them. Whether it’s GPS, more RAM, higher megapixel cameras and so on, Apple’s engineers have a mammoth task ahead of them.
If Apple can pull this one off soon, then I will be seriously impressed. I wouldn’t expect anything in the near future though and I’m placing this firmly in the rumors box.
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May 30th, 2008 at 12:44 am
Wow..!!! having solar iPhone is definitely different Experience. Plus it open ups many endless possibility for Apple to get other features inside iphone.
April 23rd, 2009 at 10:27 am
really nice post.
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:06 am
They should develop one. I would be the first one to buy it.
September 8th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Wow!! this is most exciting… if the iPhone’s “battery” is a solar cell, how cool can it get? Hope that this this feature will fully materialize before Steve Jobs officially retire from the company. I don’t think there’ll be anymore of these cool designs and features once he leaves.
January 31st, 2010 at 4:54 am
Alot of bloggers not really happy with this new iPad.There was 2 much hype over it and lots of people got disapointed.Quite frankly, I actually see some of the awesome potential of the gizmo. Third-party soft for doing music, games, newsprints and magazine and FFS books, all sorts of awesome stuff, but IMHO they just didn’t really sell it right (excluding the books). It smells sort of unfinished