Feb 03, 2014 12:10 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Apple is actively trying to develop the latest and greatest way to charge their devices, like solar power, but it is unclear when that new technology will come out.

According to the New York Times, Apple is making its highly anticipated iWatch, but is exploring solar-powered batteries for the iPhone and iPod. While the smart watch may be in production, Apple has not given any clues for when to expect it to hit the market, so consumers may not even see it in 2014.

For a long time, the Cupertino, Calif. tech giant has been working to improver battery life. Mobile devices are capable of more than many consumers could ever imagine, so battery life has become even more important.

"Give me a better battery because it doesn't last long enough," Mujeeb Ijaz, chief technology officer at A123 Systems, told the NYT of what consumers deem important in their choice of mobile phones. A123 Systems invests in startups that explore new battery technologies and also makes batteries for electric cars.

"That need wasn't there five years ago," he said. "Now it's a matter of the market and the developers coming together and saying, what is the need and how many R&D dollars do we put in?"

9to5Mac reported in Sept. that Apple was seeking engineers with solar power experience to design batteries for mobile devices. The job description said the position would be to "assist in the development and refinement of thin films technologies applicable to electronic systems."

Apple's biggest competitor, Samsung, may have phablets and smart watches on the market, but PC Magazine reported that will not rush Apple to produce the same. Samsung is also not the first company to release a smart watch, a wearable technology far from perfected.

Apple seems ready to wait for their battery to be developed before making iPhones with larger screens or Bluetooth smart watches that can send emails and make phone calls.

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