Apple hopes to use hydrogen cells to produce lighter batteries that could last for weeks on its products.
Apple is staying on the cutting edge as they have recently submitted applications for patents to create new energy sources for their products.
The filings that Apple submitted seem to have rather bold promises of allowing electronics to run for days or weeks without having to be recharged.
“Such fuel cells and associated fuels can potentially achieve high volumetric and gravimetric energy densities, which can potentially enable continued operation of portable electronic devices for days or even weeks without refueling,” the filings report read.
Not only would their plan to use hydrogen fuel cells get rid of “the need for a bulky and heavy battery” but it would also help the environment.
By switching from standard batteries which use toxic chemicals to hydrogen, the by-products of the new technology would only be water and electrical energy.
“Our country’s continuing reliance on fossil fuels has forced our government to maintain complicated political and military relationships with unstable governments in the Middle East, and has also exposed our coastlines and our citizens to the associated hazards of offshore drilling,” Apple wrote in its patent application.
“These problems have led to an increasing awareness and desire on the part of consumers to promote and use renewable energy sources,” it continued.
The idea of hydrogen fuel technology isn’t new, but this is the clearest indication of exactly what the company intends to do to improve users experiences with the iPod or iPhone.
Apple Insider reported that the first round of patent applications on the subject came in October when they filed papers that mentioned “lighter and more efficient hydrogen fuel cells”.
While the iPhone 4S was released after the death of legendary Apple founder Steve Jobs in October, a technological breakthrough like an entirely different battery would be a massive upswing for the company.
The new iPhone 5 is still on the imminent horizon, as initial predictions put its release date at sometime in late December.
