In this increasing competition, companies are trying to innovate new things to attract new users. We have recently acknowledged that brands are filing highly innovative patents to secure their intellectual properties, with the purpose of giving a new shape to the smartphone industry. However, filing a patent doesn’t give the surety the actual production of the described method, but it increases the possibilities of new innovations.
Xiaomi has applied for a new patent, where the device is seemingly using a solar panel on the back. The design patent was filed on July 27, 2018, and published on August 2, 2019, first spotted by LetsGoDigital. It was filed with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) describing a smartphone equipped with a solar cell module.
The provided schematic sketch shows entirely bezel-less display on the front. These images don’t reveal the presence of a front camera, which increases the possibility of in-display camera solution recently showcased by the company. Volume rockers are placed on the right side coupled with the power button. The backside is surrounded by a vertically aligned triple rear camera. The device is likely to use an in-display fingerprint sensor, which is obvious for a futuristic phone.
Furthermore, the key highlight of this device is a solar panel integrated on the back, which covers most of the back area. Indeed, this concept is not unique, but it could be useful, especially, in Asian countries where the sun shines on its peak. Lately, Samsung and LG both have already launched mobile phones with solar charging, but due to some major issue, they had to back down this project.
The solar charging method has not been popularized for a long time. There are various reasons behind it, such as a small portion of solar plates can’t produce enough current, and it totally depends on Sun’s stability. However, it can’t appear to be mainstream but could be a good alternative in emergency conditions. The solar tech is very complicated for small portable devices, but it would be interesting to see how Xiaomi implement this.
At the current scenario, there is no official confirmation whether the company is working on this or not! We will update you as soon as we get further information, so stay tuned with us!
