iPhone, iPad batteries to last for weeks thanks to fuel cells

The result: a battery that lasts for hours, days, weeks and maybe even months, without having to recharge.

The Cupertino company has filed two patent applications that detail how fuel cells could power smartphones, laptops and tablets in the future.

The two patents, entitled “Fuel Cell System to Power a Portable Computing Device” and “Fuel Cell System Coupled to a Portable Computing Device”, note that these cells would also be thinner and lighter than conventional batteries.

“Such fuel cells and associated fuels can potentially achieve high volumetric and gravimetric energy densities, which can potentially enable continued operation of portable electronic devices for days or even weeks without refueling,” Apple said.

The technology was discovered in 1839 in Germany and has been used in Honda vehicles. These hydrogen fuel cells convert oxygen and hydrogen into water, heat and electricity.

Apple’s innovation is also a method to respond to environmental awareness since hydrogen can come from renewable sources.