Solar-powered iPhone, anyone?

The idea of a solar-powered MP3 player or cell phone isn't new, but Apple's just-published patent details a clever way to make one that isn't the size of a brick.

The patent, discovered and published by Macrumors about a month ago, outlines a method for putting solar cells behind a translucent LCD rather than on the casing itself or on a separate panel.

Why put solar cells behind the LCD? Simple: Although we like our handheld devices as small as possible, you need a good-sized solar panel to yield enough juice to power a gadget. Sliding a panel behind the screen might be the best way to keep solar-powered devices small enough to fit in your pocket.

Indeed, while I've seen other solar-powered portable gizmos—like this MP3 player from earlier this year, which opens like a book to reveal solar panels inside—none of them have been remotely cell-phone sized.

But can Apple actually make the behind-the-LCD concept work? Hard to say—and as Macrumors points out, it's not like other manufacturers (most notably Motorola) haven't had the same idea in the past. 

Also, keep in mind that while the patent was published just a month ago, Apple actually filed the patent back in 2006, so Cupertino's already been playing around with the idea (or not) for a couple of years now. In other words... while we may eventually get a solar-powered iPhone, don't expect one next month.

Related:
Solar LCD Powered iPods, iPhones and Laptops? [Macrumors]