Apple smartphone owners may never run out of power now. Startup Nikola Labs has developed an iPhone 6 case that will recycle stray radio frequency signals emitted by the iPhone to charge the smartphone, PC Mag reported.
The company said that Nikola Technology converts radio frequency signals, such as LTE, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, into DC power utilizing its proprietary energy harvesting circuit. It further said that the outcome is usable energy that can give power to smartphones wirelessly.
According to Nikola Labs, a smartphone normally wastes 90 percent of the energy it generates while acquiring a cellular signal. The company claims that its iPhone 6 case returns all the wasted energy back into the smartphone. The iPhone 6 does not directly charge the phone. Instead, it saves the energy and keeps the battery of the smartphone running for 30 percent longer time.
The technology does not need an external source to charge the smartphone; therefore, it can be applied to other smart wearables as well as smartphones.
Besides extending the battery life of the smartphone, Nikhola Labs claims that iPhone 6 case also provides signal strength indicator and sleek protection. The iPhone 6 case will launch on Kickstarter for $99 and Nikola Labs hopes to ship the case within four months.
According to TechCrunch, the technology was originally developed at Ohio State University and Nikola Labs has licensed the patents and techology.
Will Zell, Nikola Labs co-founder, said that their next product will be a wireless charger that offers far- and near-field powering solutions.