Slapping a solar panel on a smartphone to charge it sounds like something a bright-minded middle-school kid would conceive about – and that’s not a bad thing, I’d like to think that’s how cool things get created.
The folks at Xiaomi seem to be getting in touch with their young, overly-optimistic selves by patenting a device that charges using the power of the big ol’ sun.
Image credit: WIPO
The patents show that just below the double-camera system at the back is a sizeable solar panel – and we assume you’re supposed to plop your phone face down under light to charge it. We doubt it’s going to charge it very quickly like conventional method do, but we reckon this helps maintain your battery levels while you’re out and about so you won’t find a dead brick of a phone when you need it.
Plus, Android Authority says that this is part of Xiaomi’s eco-friendly-centric efforts – which makes sense since you use less power to charge your phone. There’s also a chance that we’ll see it come with reverse charging capabilities too.