“Sun” headphones
Recently, wireless headphones with built-in solar panels went on sale. We are talking about headphones from the Urbanista (model from Los Angeles) and the sports company Adidas (model RPT-02 SOL).
The solar panels are hidden in a headband on the wearer’s head, maximizing energy production by providing direct access to sunlight.
At the same time, both Urbanista and Adidas use flexible panels in their Swedish Exeger models from the same company.
Their enhancements are called Powerfoyle. Solar panels are only 1.3 mm thick. The technology is based on titanium dioxide strips coated with a natural dye. The dye absorbs photons of light, which are then converted into electrons.
According to Exeger CEO Giovanni Fili, in 20 minutes under the summer sun, the Powerfoyle panels in the headphones will be able to receive enough energy to play music for an hour.
At the same time, manufacturers of “solar” headphones are not yet ready to take drastic measures – there is still a built-in battery and a charger in their accessories. So the headphones can be charged with electricity, for example, in the evening or at night.
Dmitry Parshin, director of the Artezio development center (part of the Lanit group), tells socialbites.ca that such a development is another attempt to create a device that can work for a long time, regardless of the outlet. Scientists have developed technology that makes solar charging smaller and less prone to damage, but efficiency is declining, he said.
“Actually, the compact charger, due to the creation of the so-called charge coating, the efficiency of energy generation decreases,” said the expert.
According to Parshin, “solar” headphones in their current configuration do not lead to a change in user experience, so owners of such accessories will charge them as usual.
“Solar” AirPods
The issue of alternative charging of devices is “becoming hot” for tech companies, given current hydrocarbon prices and explosive interest in other ways of generating energy, independent IT specialist Dmitry Bevza told socialbites.ca.
“I’m sure Apple, with its ingenious marketing, has long been interested in technologies like the Exeger,” he said.
Bevza considers the application of Exeger technology to existing “solar-powered” headphones extremely successful. “The headband integration looks really cool and it’s not just about battery life,” he said.
According to the IT specialist, the main advantage of the technology is that it will be received extremely positively by fans of the brand.
“Exeger gives the owner of the device the feeling that he is doing something to improve the ecology of the planet. It seems to me that this is an ideal hit with Apple’s target audience,” Bevza explained.
According to him, Apple can monitor this development and put AirPods wireless headphones, namely AirPods Max with headband, into service. But the announcement and launch of such an accessory is not possible before 2024.
“Given the development cycle time and the absence of any insider leaks, this version of the AirPods Max should definitely not be expected sooner than a few years ago,” he said.
The expert is confident that at the moment, Apple and other companies will actively monitor how the Urbanista and Adidas headphones equipped with Exeger panels will perform in real conditions, not in laboratory conditions.
Dmitry Parshin of Artezio says it’s typical marketing at this stage that the first devices with built-in solar panels appear. According to him, this technology is only suitable for full-size headphones that have a suitable space to house the charging layer.
“This significantly reduces the popularity of the technology and the potential for payback, investment. Now the trend is towards miniaturization of solutions, which means that the solar charging potential will not be in demand, ”the expert added.
Parshin noted that solar power was and continues to be an option, a marketing gimmick that doesn’t determine the style of using the device.
“The approach is interesting, but applied as if the creators themselves were afraid to go all the way with solar technologies,” said the expert.
Apple and Exeger
Ivan Samoylenko, managing partner of B&C Agency, told socialbites.ca that Apple has long patented the technology for wireless charging of devices using built-in solar panels.
According to him, Cupertino solved this problem with smartwatches in 2008, and the charging technology for a tablet received a patent in 2011.
In addition, the company itself is known for its commitment to lean technologies, as well as its desire to reduce harmful emissions and minimize environmental pollution. At least that’s how he positions himself.
“For a long time, all Apple data centers and offices around the world are powered by solar panels, and the company has consistently abandoned the use of harmful substances in production, such as mercury, lead and arsenic, bromine and beryllium in spare parts and components, ”- noted Samoylenko
IT specialist Dmitry Bevza believes that, despite all his love for the environment, Apple would not be too interested in acquiring Exeger.
“A year ago Exeger had a capitalization of $860 million. It’s possible that they’ve already become a “unicorn” and are valued at over a billion. For Apple, that’s a pretty high amount, but there’s no reason to buy a company that isn’t so fundamental I can’t see it, ”says the expert.
According to him, this is also due to the fact that so far solar panels can only be attached to AirPods Max, and this is a niche product for Apple.
“Some sort of collaboration or partnership is more real, as was once the case with accessory makers for Beats or Apple. Apple management is very good at this kind of thing,” said Bevza.
“Solar” technology in Russia
Dmitry Parshin from Artezio said they tried similar technologies while designing the device in Russia. However, the expert believes that so far there has not been enough interest in “solar energy” vehicles for companies to actively deal with them and spend additional funds on development.
“Clearly, solar energy in current practice is not yet a major area of interest for investment. Now, efforts are being made to invent longer-lasting, more capacious and miniature batteries.”
As a result, companies from Russia are making progress not on the “solar” and other alternative energy sources, but on traditional ones.
“Investors expect the opposite approach in technology – not an “on-the-go” energy supply, but broader charging and economic use,” Parshin said.
According to Ivan Samoilenko of B&C Agency, the shortcomings of existing versions of “solar” devices are the main obstacle to the development of such technologies in Russia.
“Such devices will not be sold in all markets due to weather conditions. Headphones of this type will not be in great demand in many regions of Russia where there is not a lot of sun, ”the analyst explained.
Selling such devices to countries in Asia, Africa or Latin America will also raise questions from consumers, he is sure.
“Why spend a few hours in the scorching sun to charge a device when I can charge it from an outlet in an air-conditioned room?” — Samoylenko quoted potential buyers.