An analyst predicts that iPhone 6 as well as the next generation iPod touch will both have solar charging capabilities.
The prediction might seem a bit too far-fetched, but it warrants mentioning here that a few of the company’s recent moves do hint at this possibility. Apple contracted GT Advanced Technologies, paying over half a billion dollars for sapphire materials. The company also recently hired talent with experience in this field, and apart from that, it also holds patents required to turn this into reality.
According to Matt Margolis of Seeking Alpha, the next generation iPhone and iPod touch will both have sapphire covered displays instead of Gorilla Glass. This has already been rumored, Foxconn has recently produced 100 units of a next generation iPhone with a sapphire covered display. The sapphire glass panels will reportedly have solar panels in them, enabling the smartphone to harness the sun’s energy to charge itself.
While it might make sense on paper to have solar charging capability on an iPhone, the theoretical implications are vast. First and foremost, swapping Gorilla Glass for sapphire will complicate the manufacturing process. Apple would need sufficient yield rates to ensure that mass production can take place without any issues prior to launch, it won’t risk launching its next generation flagship with insufficient supply. Moreover, the iPod’s future is not confirmed. Apple’s Q1 2014 earnings reveal that iPod sales are down over 50 percent year-over-year, with just six million units being sold from the entire lineup during the last quarter. So even if this is an interesting prediction, one that’s bound to surface again in the coming months, it appears quite unlikely that the iPhone 6 as well as the next iPod touch will be capable of charging under the sun.
Source: Seeking Alpha
According to Matt Margolis of Seeking Alpha, the next generation iPhone and iPod touch will both have sapphire covered displays instead of Gorilla Glass. This has already been rumored, Foxconn has recently produced 100 units of a next generation iPhone with a sapphire covered display. The sapphire glass panels will reportedly have solar panels in them, enabling the smartphone to harness the sun’s energy to charge itself.
While it might make sense on paper to have solar charging capability on an iPhone, the theoretical implications are vast. First and foremost, swapping Gorilla Glass for sapphire will complicate the manufacturing process. Apple would need sufficient yield rates to ensure that mass production can take place without any issues prior to launch, it won’t risk launching its next generation flagship with insufficient supply. Moreover, the iPod’s future is not confirmed. Apple’s Q1 2014 earnings reveal that iPod sales are down over 50 percent year-over-year, with just six million units being sold from the entire lineup during the last quarter. So even if this is an interesting prediction, one that’s bound to surface again in the coming months, it appears quite unlikely that the iPhone 6 as well as the next iPod touch will be capable of charging under the sun.
Source: Seeking Alpha
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