I read on Mashable.com today about Apple’s new registered patents of 2010. Some of them are very intriguing, however I think one of these patents can open a relatively untouched domain of the market and help maintain their competitive advantage. This can be done through the aid of very small solar cells to harness the power of the sun to charge your Apple device. This is done by placing the cells under the touch screen in order to convert the sunlight into battery power for your device. I personally own an Apple iPhone and I have to charge it once a day in order to keep up with my power needs. This simple technology would allow people like me to use my device a lot more and in an environmentally friendly way, creating a large niche in the gadget market.
Apple Solar Cell Patent
Apple has been criticized at times for their lack of responsibility toward the environment which spurred them to produce Macbook pro’s with recycled material. They can further market themselves towards the growing popularity of environmentally friendly companies using this existing solar technology. No extra money is needed to develop or design new technology and people will enjoy the novelty of owning a solar powered Apple device. Being able to shift those already using apple devices toward more environmental options is one thing but doing this would open up a larger target market to those who actively look for green products. This opportunity is obviously evident to Steve Jobs and his associates due to them patenting this idea and I expect to see some fantastic buzz about this in the future.