Apple is investigating ways to implement solar panels into the portable devices it is now selling, but also into those it plans to sell in the future. While there are major drawbacks to using solar power tech in devices such as the iPhone and the iPod, the mere fact that Apple has filed this patent means the company has plans to do it.

However, not only Apple but other major handset manufacturers as well have hit a bump in the road when it came to throwing solar cells on their devices to extend battery life, or even charge the battery. Some of the reasons are durability (apparently they wear out, or damage easily), and they waste space on a portable device, MacRumors notes.

BUT! Apple might have just found a way to go around both issues concerning solar panels on handheld devices by integrating "solar cells" (or one solar panel) behind the LCD screen of a portable / handheld device. The iPod nano probably isn't the best candidate for the new outfit, but the iPhone and iPod touch sure are with their big screens and all.

According to the patent application, the solar panel would absorb "ambient light that passes through the LCD screen of the device," the aforementioned source notes, while the technique would completely eliminate additional footprints typically required by the solar panels. OK then, I guess now we know what every window on this planet will be comprised of within the next ten to fifteen years. Scrub that! These things are quite expensive, but it's a nice dream nonetheless.

Needless to say, space would also be counted out as an issue, although it could add a couple of millimeters to the iPhone's slim waist. But folks generally hold their phones in their pockets, where it's dark. Also, it is actually recommended that one shouldn't leave the iPhone exposed to direct sunlight. But hey, Apple doesn't necessarily need to use this with the iPhone.

Rumor has it that the Cupertino-based company is prepping to roll out one of the most anticipated devices yet - a Mac tablet, combining iPhone capabilities as well as those of a notebook. Reliable sources even claim Apple will announce the "12 or 13-inch tablet" this fall.