FutureFive New Zealand - Consumer technology news & reviews from the future
Story image
Sun shines on Apple's iWatch production line...
Tue, 4th Feb 2014
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Apple is testing a variety of alternative power-charing methods for its eagerly anticipated iWatch device, in a bid to overcome battery life limitations for users.

As reported by the New York Times, Cupertino is deeply embedded on addressing the issue, which could potentially generate power from solar charging.

“The next breakthrough smartphone, or maybe the one after that, might not have a traditional battery as its sole source of power,” the article reports.

“Instead, it could pull energy from the air or power itself through television, cellular or Wi-Fi signals.

“Engineers at Apple even tried for many years to build a smarter battery by adding solar charging to iPhones and iPods, a former Apple executive said.

“And they have continued to experiment with solar charging, two people who work at the company said.”

The move is one of many allegedly in the fold for the tech giant, with the website also claiming potential charging through movement, daylight or wirelessly enable magnetic induction.

According to the NYT, over the past few years, “Apple has hired engineers with expertise in power technology and battery design from companies like Tesla, Toyota and A123 Systems.

“Last year, Apple acquired Passif Semiconductor, a start-up that developed low-energy communication chips.

“Apple has also experimented with new power-charging methods for a potential smartwatch, people close to the efforts said, though such experiments are years from becoming a reality.”

In a smartphone orientated world where battery life continues to be a major frustration for users, any advancements in this field would no doubt be met with great enthusiasm, question is, can Apple pull it off?

Check out Apple's job advertisement below, posted online last year: