Above image: A third-party solar case for the iPhone
French company Wypsis is drumming up a superthin solar panel layer (less than 100 microns) that could juice a phone from outdoor light. A deal with Corning, the producer of Gorilla Glass, is also possible, paving the way to solar-powered iPhones. Apple’s patent entitled “Integrated touch sensor and solar assembly” from last year, originally filed in Q3 2008, did predicate solar-powered portable devices such as iPhones and iPods.
Described as a breakthrough by Laptop Magazine, this technology “layers a thin, transparent photovoltaic film on top of a phone’s display”.
The film converts energy from the sun or a nearby light source into electricity that powers your device throughout the day. Longer battery life and less frequent charging are to be expected as a result, as explained in the clip embedded below.
This is always a good thing with any mobile device, let alone high-end smartphones with big displays and beefy chips. According to the publication which spoke to Wysips’ president Ludovic Deblois:
Another benefit: A flatter battery design making possible thinner devices. Wypsis plan on rolling out a second-generation of this tech to handset makers, carriers and mobile display companies next year. That said, a solar panel iPhone 6 is definitely a possibility.
