Apple, a tech firm best known for its innovations, after introducing a fingerprint sensor in its iPhone 5s, is rumoured to be integrating solar panels into the sapphire glass screen on its next iPhone. There is impressive evidence that Apple AAPL -1.81% is moving into solar power in a big way, not just in the projected 4.4 million square feet of office and manufacturing space slated for solar, but in the next generation iPhones and iPod Touch.
Matt Margolis, an analyst writing for Seeking Alpha investor blog, expects the solar-charging sapphire glass screen to be incorporated in the Apple iPhone 6, aimed at enhancing the battery life of the handset, the problem that is plaguing all smartphones.
Specifically, he argues that the combination of patents, job postings and equipment orders all point to Apple developing the ability within the coming year to etch very precise channels in the underside of the protective sapphire veneers it will be adhering to the new iPhone and iPod Touch screens into which it will deposit compounds to create highly efficient solar cells to help charge the devices.
“Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn is said to have successfully assembled at least 100 prototype next-generation iPhone units with sapphire-covered displays,” the tech site said on its report, adding that the development suggests that sapphire-covered iPhones are now ready for volume production.
With the patents, GT Advanced Technologies partnership and Foxconn prototype rumours, Apple is quite likely to use sapphire and solar charging in its devices in future, and one can expect the next iPhone or iWatch to come with the same in or around September-October 2014.
On release date, the iPhone 6 is whispered too to show off a 64-bit A8 processing chip, will run on iOS 8 will all the high-end inner components to be shielded by a virtually indestructible Liquid-metal body frame.
