We have heard various rumors regarding the iWatch. Some have suggested that the device could feature a flexible display, while some rumors claim that the device will allow for solar and kinetic charging, thus making it a breeze to charge, as opposed to having to plug it in.
Interestingly enough, it seems that an Apple patent has been discovered by the folks at AppleInsider that combines both a flexible display and solar charging into one. The patent in question features a flexible display that integrates a solar panel into the touchscreen itself, thus allowing users to interact with the display, but at the same time allowing sunlight to enter the solar panels, thus charging whatever device this patent has been designed for.
The patent talks about how it will stack solar cells between touch sensor layers, thus creating a compact solar charging system that will store energy in the device’s battery. It seems by stacking the solar cells and touch sensor layers, it will help take up less surface area on the device, thus allowing for smaller device, like a watch, for example.
However some have speculated that such a charging feature might not provide enough juice for mobile devices, thus the solar charging feature will act more as a backup power source rather than be its main form of charging. It’s still an intriguing idea, although there’s no telling if and when Apple will actually implement it.