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Solar-powered iPhone?

Posted May 27 2008, 02:00 PM by Kim Peterson
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A solar-powered iPhone? That's one prediction being tossed around today after news of Apple's patent application for layering solar cells below an LCD display. Sunlight passing through the screen on a device could be turned into power. The patent describes a way for a device to show its solar charge level on screen next to the battery life indicator. Apple shares, by the way, are up more than 1% today to $184.06.

Forbes imagines a future where devices get all their juice from the sun, and can go off the grid. If only it were that easy. Engineers at Motorola and other companies have been looking at this problem for a long time. As the technology stands now, you'd have to lay your phone in the sun half the day to get a full charge.

But I love the idea of topping off my phone's battery in the sun over lunch. Solar power would be a sweet addition to the growing list of new capabilities coming out for the iPhone,

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Comments

 

We will eventually have to get all of our energy we use from the sun, so the more devices that will do it directly, the better off we will be.

Stuart (Posted 05.27.08 3:38 PM) Report Abuse

Not really an original idea. Calculators have used this technology for a long time.

ray (Posted 05.27.08 6:16 PM) Report Abuse

Lay your phone under the sun for charging? you will fry your phone. Do you know heat is the worst ennemy of electronic component? Solar calculators use very low power and noone to expose the calculators under the hot sun for charging anyway.

Bee (Posted 05.30.08 1:07 PM) Report Abuse

I think that it would be cool to have it powered by kinetics like those watches that recharge when you shake them.

Zag (Posted 06.10.08 12:58 PM) Report Abuse

dates set for wootton day out.

I am from Lebanon and also am speaking English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: "Stock of actuarial science."

With respect :(, Kateb.

Kateb (Posted 09.09.09 8:22 AM) Report Abuse

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