Feature Idea: Autonomous, Motion-Powered Clock Display on iPhone.

Hey everyone, I've been thinking about a truly innovative way to enhance iPhone battery life and user convenience, drawing inspiration from kinetic energy harvesting. What if we could have a clock display on the main iPhone screen that's powered purely by user motion, and activates only when you look at it, without touching your main battery? The Core Idea Imagine this:

  • Kinetic Energy Harvesting: Your iPhone would have a tiny, integrated kinetic energy generator. This generator would capture the energy from your everyday movements – walking, picking up the phone, putting it in your pocket.
  • Independent Power Source: This harvested energy would be stored in a small, dedicated capacitor or micro-battery, completely separate from your iPhone's main battery.
  • Acelerometer-Activated Display: Instead of relying on power-hungry facial recognition, the phone's accelerometer (a very low-power sensor) would detect specific "raise to wake" or "tap to look" gestures.
  • On-Demand, Ultra-Low Power Clock: Only when the accelerometer detects one of these specific gestures would the stored kinetic energy be used to illuminate just the necessary pixels on the main OLED/AMOLED screen to display the time. The rest of the screen stays completely black (consuming no power on OLED).
  • Automatic Shut-Off: As soon as the gesture ends or the phone is put down, the clock display would turn off, conserving the limited harvested energy.

Why This Matters This isn't just a cool gimmick; it offers significant benefits:

  • True Battery Independence: Get the time at a glance, anytime, without touching your main battery or even the power button. This means more main battery life for apps, calls, and everything else.
  • Ultimate Convenience: A "magical" interaction – just pick up your phone, and the time instantly appears. No taps, no button presses.
  • Sustainable & Innovative: Showcases practical "energy harvesting" in a consumer device, pushing boundaries for self-sufficient tech.
  • Extreme Energy Efficiency: By using a low-power accelerometer as the trigger and only lighting a few pixels on demand, the system is designed for minimal power draw, making kinetic power a viable source.

This concept combines existing low-power sensing (accelerometer), efficient display technology (OLED/AMOLED's true blacks), and cutting-edge energy harvesting, creating a genuinely innovative user experience.

Answered by DTS Engineer in 844306022

If you'd like Apple to consider adding the functionality you have described, please file an enhancement request using the Feedback Assistant. If you file the request, please post the Feedback number here.

Also, please review Apple's Unsolicited Idea Submission Policy.

If you're not familiar with how to file enhancement requests, take a look at Bug Reporting: How and Why?

If you'd like Apple to consider adding the functionality you have described, please file an enhancement request using the Feedback Assistant. If you file the request, please post the Feedback number here.

Also, please review Apple's Unsolicited Idea Submission Policy.

If you're not familiar with how to file enhancement requests, take a look at Bug Reporting: How and Why?

Feature Idea: Autonomous, Motion-Powered Clock Display on iPhone.
 
 
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