solar charger

Etón's iPhone 4 Rechargeable Battery Case went on sale today. The case features an 1800 mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery with recharging solar panel, and microUSB to charge and sync with iTunes.

It also includes a battery/solar charge indicator and a standby switch to turn off the charge dump to iPhone. The case retails for around $78.00. One hour of solar charge provides you with 25 minutes of extra talk time, 20 minutes of internet time and 35 minutes of video time. Check the chart below for complete charge time breakdowns.

We reported earlier on the Novothink solar iPhone charger, the first device of its kind to be approved by Apple. Someday you may not even need an external case to charge your Apple device in the sun.

Apple has filed patents involving integrated solar charging panels built into future mobile devices and media players. According to the patent, energy-producing panels could be placed directly under touch screen surfaces such as an iPhone display.

Novothink's Surge for iPhone and iPod Touch is the first solar charger to be certified by Apple. This device has its own internal battery and LED status indicators, in addition to a full-fledged solar panel on the back of the unit.

Surge allows full access to the iPhone when docked, with openings to the speakers, USB port, and camera lens. There's even a cord included to hang the iPhone from a backpack or your wrist while outside to facilitate charging.