Saturday, June 15, 2013: Smartphones are good with multi-tasking, packed with powerful hardware and displays are unreal at times too. But even with all this so-called technological evolution happening, there are some basic issues that are yet to be resolved, the most notable one being battery.
The multi-dimensional functionality of smartphone has made it impossible for users to trust their device with juice to last for a day even and this has practically made chargers (or even USB cables) an integral part of person’s luggage.
But how about if we tell you that you can place the phone in front of sun and let the nature do its magic? Hard to believe, but this is exactly what a start-up from France, SunPartner Group, hopes to offer to smartphone consumers across the globe via a screen that will be solar-powered. This transparent panel will boast solar tech that could mean charging phones via sunlight can become a reality.
The company is testing the display panel with varied manufacturers currently and if all goes well, then by 2014 you might have them on your devices. The company will be using stripes of standard thin-film solar cells alternating with transparent film, which will be hidden behind the screen layer on the phone’s display, pretty much like a screen guard.
The panel is 82 per cent transparent for the time being, which will hit 90 per cent in the future versions. Any phone that makes use of the panel will be charged around $2.30 extra to the cost of phone. That sounds reasonable but if your wondering the charging capability of the panel, then SunPartner has said that it will extend the battery life by 20 per cent for normal use.
