What we all want for our mobile phones are longer lasting batteries and what better way to get longer life than long lasting fuel cells. Well it seems that Apple have just filed a patent application for solar cells on portable devices.

Apple amongst others are pursuing at least this form of approach which is called solar augmentation, the patent application is titled “Solar cells on portable devices” obviously attributed to many Apple employees. So in easy terms for even me to understand (Patent applications never been a strong point for me) means for Apple to integrate solar cells into portable devices such as iPods, MacBooks and iPhones etc, the application says that solar cells are typically stacked with other layers made up of transparent or semi-transparent materials. This also means that these layers may be used for displays or input purposes, the patent is in depth which you can read by clicking the United Patent Applications source link below, it does say that some layers may in fact be coated with various materials or indeed may be etched with product logos or other patterns.

If you still have no clue to what the above means then please let me break it down a little more, Apple are definitely looking to cover the entire device including the transparent display with a layer of solar cells. What we do know is which is very much easy to understand is the fact this will not be easy at all, there will be challenges such as limited areas available to solar panels and even right down to durability, solar panels takes up space and with like the Apple 3G iPhone being smaller than the original and no doubt going to be smaller in the future they surely have to get a very decent and respectable solar cell. These are some of the main reasons why solar cells have not found their way into mobile devices such as mobile phones.

So our question to you has to be “Have Apple filed a good enough patent?

Source — MacRumors via United Patent Applications