Apple Working on Fuel Cells For Devices?

Remember how Samsung called iPhone users "Wall Huggers" in its latest Samsung Galaxy S5 promo? Apple users were depicted as outlet-desperate smartphone users who can't function without being next to a power source, due to Apple's inferior battery performance.

Well, according to new reports, Apple is dead serious about device battery life and is taking its gadgets to the next level with fuel cell technology. Reports indicate that Apple has been working with British fuel-cell firm, Intelligent Energy, to embed fuel cell technology in Apple devices for optimal battery longevity.

According to DailyMail UK, Apple has allegedly partnered with a fuel cell company that can localize this technology to various devices.

"Senior sources in the US told the Mail that the two firms hope to embed fuel cells in electronic devices such as laptops and mobiles within a few years," said the news site.

This technology is a new frontier and works through the conversion of the chemical energy from fuel into electricity through an eco-friendly and highly efficient process.

"It has kept the identity of its partner a closely-guarded secret. But a source, who has knowledge of the partnership, confirmed that Apple is the big name working with the Loughborough-based firm," continued the Mail.

Should this supposed partnership work and Apple is able to adopt fuel cell technology in its devices, this will be a massive leap forward for the tech giant and it will cement a large advantage over its primary rival, Samsung. While the iPhone 6, next-gen iPads and rumored iWatch, due out this year as reports say, will not carry the technology, a few years down the road, it won't be a surprise if your iPhones, laptops and iPads will be able to last weeks at a time with one single charge.

Tech Radar noted that this isn't the first time Apple has been linked to fuel cell technology. As further back as 2011, this was something Apple had been eyeing for its MacBook line.

Patents uncovered revealed the company was looking into hydrogen-powered fuel cells that would not only provide a longer battery charge but would also make the laptops smaller and lighter.

In its report, the site quoted Apple's patent filing to state that the use of fuel cell system "can significantly reduce the size, weight and cost of the fuel cell system" and "potentially enable continued operation of portable electronic devices for days or even weeks without refueling."

To have an idea of how great this technology will be, not only for Apple but for portable device capabilities, see Samsung's "Wall Huggers" ad that mocks the iPhone's battery performance: