Apple has several patents detailing how an iDevice could be charged using a solar charger, but now we learn some concrete details about the company's intentions. It seems that at the moment both Apple and Samsung are considering the possibility of producing solar chargers and Apple is even looking for some manufacturers that could produce such products. Unfortunately, the technology is not yet 100% ready to be implemented in products, but Apple seems to invest quite a lot of resources in preparing it for the "general public".
Samsung and Apple have been evaluating the possible niche market for solar-powered consumer products and considering the inclusion of Taiwan-based solar firms in their respective supply chains. However, according to Taiwan-based solar firms, these niche markets will need a longer time to develop. Samsung's solar-powered netbook adopts a unique sized solar cell, added industry sources, and the number of solar cells used is less than rooftop solar systems, hence it is unlikely for solar-powered consumer products to form a solid market in the short term.
I have never used a solar charger, but the ones available on the market have a limited utility and a very long charging time. Such a charger would undoubtedly be very useful for consumers, but only in situations where they would be left for long periods of time without an outlet, otherwise such a product would probably be difficult to use and require a lot of time to charge. .
