Next gen iPhone and iPod may integrate portable solar panels

Electricity is the universal catalyst that makes gadgets possible in our lives. iPhones and iPods already command legions of satisfied customers and Apple is looking to up the ante even further by tapping into our universal power source: the sun.

Portable solar panels stowed underneath the touch screen of future iPhones and iPods would enable them to absorb energy while leaving the chic form factor intact. Nothing is certain yet but some Apple employees have filed a patent that outlines the idea of making the entire surface area of a touch screen receptive to converting sunlight into electricity.

Until now most devices that integrate solar panels have placed them on an open surface with obvious intent. However, that would be untenable for Apple customers who are accustomed to a sexy looking device that performs with grace and top notch speeds.

In its patent application, Apple’s employees suggest “stack[ing] a touch-sensitive layer, a display and solar panel on top of one another,” according to PC World. That introduces a slew of questions on how responsive the screen would be, how much thickness it would add, and how much cost it adds to the manufacturing process.

Introducing solar power as a viable source of energy for mobile devices has long term implications for where we’re able to use technology, the ecological cost of manufacturing and disposing of batteries, and building up new industries to supply portable solar panels.

This is a space to watch as mobile phone use continues to enjoy strong growth amid other industries still lagging from a lackadaisical economy. Apple has built a strong following by engineering powerful hardware, and by providing the software to power it in the form of it’s pervasive app store. That will serve to drive strong demand for any new innovations the company can provide that add more value to an already stellar device.