Apple’s iWatch might feature solar charging: Reports

Apple could use solar panels and magnetic induction charging mechanism in its yet to be announced iWatch.

“Apple is researching on alternative power charging methods for its products and we can expect its future devices to come equipped with solar charging,” the New York Times reports.

This new technology has the potential to overcome obstacles imposed by battery life. NYT says that Apple is also working on a technology that would enable wireless charging with the use of magnetic induction – something which is already used on a few Nokia smartphones that can be charged through a charging plate which creates magnetic field using an electric current.

Another alternative that Apple is working on is to add a solar-charging layer to a curved glass screen. The in-depth feature, by NYT on the future of power portable electronics also notes that Apple is experimenting with the idea of charging the watch’s battery via movement; implying that body motion could trigger charging stations that powers the device.

Rumours over the iWatch gathered momentum last year with Apple filing patents in several countries like Japan, Mexico and Taiwan. It has been a while since the iWatch unveiling has been in the pipeline. We earlier reported Apple also plans to include a kinetic energy gathering mechanism and solar panels so that the wearer’s movements and ambient light would be enough to power the device.

Apple also plans to utilize AMOLED technology to ensure that the display on the iWatch isn’t power-hungry. The iWatch is expected to mostly rely on wireless connectivity but may also feature ports for wired charging and syncing. Though we need to hold on to our horses for now as we cannot expect the technology any time soon, as one source of the newspaper claims that “experiments are years from becoming a reality.”

Also Read: Apple files for wireless charging patent

Source: NewYorkTimes

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Abhinav Mishra