Are we going to be seeing solar-charged iPhone and iPads in the near future? This could become a reality if Apple executes on a recently awarded patent that describes solutions for charging a variety of devices (including laptops, tablet devices or mobile phones) via solar power.

From the general description of the actual patent: Portable devices having multiple power interfaces are described herein. According to one embodiment of the invention, a portable electronic device includes, but is not limited to, a processor, a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions, when executed from the memory, cause the processor to perform one or more functions, a battery coupled to provide power to the processor and the memory, and a battery charging manager coupled to charge the battery using power derived from a plurality of power sources including a solar power source. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

According to Patently Apple, Apple originally filed for the patent in Q1 2009. But there have been many rumors over the past few years that Apple is readying a solar powered device.

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