The New York Times reports that Apple is researching new technologies to charge its products—and it could see its smartwatch come equipped with solar charging capabilities. Some day.
In a feature about the future of power portable electronics, the Times mentions that “two people who work at the company” have told them that Apple is considering equipping a smartwatch with a screen which has a solar-charging layer built into it, that would top up the battery when the device is worn in daylight.
The same report also repeats rumors about the future smartwatch having a curved glass screen, and one anonymous source adds that Apple has been testing wireless charging for the device. Apple is, of course, yet to introduce wireless charging as a feature in any of its mobile range, and Phil Schiller has been openly skeptical about the technology—so it’s far from clear whether anything Apple will boast such a feature any time soon.
But, as the Times points out, the company has hired battery engineers from Tesla and Toyota in recent years, so it’s clearly taking power seriously. As for the solar charging technology in the smartwatch’s screen? Even if it does become a real thing, don’t expect it any time soon: once source admitted that the “experiments are years from becoming a reality.” Dammit. [NYT]
Image by Digitalnative under Creative Commons license
