Inhabitat’s Wishlist of 6 Green Technology Upgrades for iPhone 5

Dear Steve Jobs, Word on the street is that<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jul/07/iphone-5"> you've started manufacturing parts</a> for<a href="http://inhabitat.com/iphone-6-could-have-wireless-charging-and-be-totally-cord-free/"> iPhone 5</a> in anticipation of its fall release, but there are a few last minute requests we'd like to get in. Less packaging and more recycled materials would be nice for starters. Oh, and how about throwing in solar-powered charging and kinetic charging as well? We've got more ideas on how to make iPhone 5 the greenest iPhone yet - read on for our full wishlist of sustainable technology upgrades that we'd love to see incorporated in the next generation of the best-selling smartphone out there.

<h3><a href="http://inhabitat.com/charge-your-cellphone-just-by-moving-with-m2e-kinetic-power/">KINETIC CHARGING</a></h3> How much does your cell phone move every day? If it's in your pocket or bag as you jostle around on the morning commute and dash up the stairs to make your afternoon meeting, chances are it gets quite a bit of action. Well, new tech has got cell phone companies playing around with the idea that that <a>kinetic energy could be used to power your cell phone</a> - something we'd love to see incorporated into iPhone 5 or 6. And if just moving around isn't enough, there are even people developing tech that allows you to <a href="http://inhabitat.com/cell-phone-battery-can-be-charged-by-yelling-at-it/">charge your phone by yelling at it</a>. It may sound crazy but early iPhone 5 adopters might be assuaged if they can turn their frustrations about bugs into more talk time...

<h3><a href="http://inhabitat.com/motorola-renew-w233-cellphone/">MORE RECYCLED MATERIALS</a></h3> According to Apple's report, glass and stainless steel - both highly recyclable substances - are the two main materials used to make iPhone 4. Keeping that in mind, we're really hoping to see Apple announce that iPhone 5 will be made up of a good percentage of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/motorola-renew-w233-cellphone/">recycled materials</a>. Think about how much waste could be reused with a heavy-hitter like Apple buying up reclaimed steel and glass for its phones. Plus, people are really starting to look for green in their phones - if iPhone were made of more sustainable components, it could sway many a buyer trying to decide between it and other smartphones.

<h3><a href="http://inhabitat.com/lg-answers-the-green-call-with-a-yet-to-be-named-solar-powered-handset/">SOLAR POWERED CHARGING</a></h3> <p> We don't have to explain to you how ridiculously sweet it would be if iPhone 4 came with a solar panel on its back. Apparently Apple recognized this too because last year, it <a href="http://inhabitat.com/apple-patents-solar-powered-iphone/">patented the solar-powered iPhone</a>. There's no word yet on when this fabled product will hit the market but we wouldn't be surprised if the iPhone 5's unboxing revealed it to be PV panel-clad.

<h3><a href="http://images.apple.com/environment/reports/docs/iPhone_4_Product_Environmental_Report.pdf">LESS PACKAGING </a></h3> According to Apple's <a href="http://images.apple.com/environment/reports/docs/iPhone_4_Product_Environmental_Report.pdf">environmental report</a>, "the packaging for iPhone 4 is almost entirely recyclable, and its retail box is made primarily from bio-based materials, including fiberboard containing 90 percent postconsumer recycled content." We're glad that Apple has been working on the sustainability of its packaging, but there's always room for improvement. iPhone 4 U.S. retail packaging was 14 percent lighter and consumed 14 percent less volume than the previous generation, so we hope iPhone 5 can up that ante even more.

<h3>OPTIONAL CHARGERS</h3> <p> Reducing packaging materials is just one piece of the puzzle. How about also decreasing the (oftentimes completely redundant) items that come bundled with the new iPhone 5 - namely, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/all-european-cell-phones-to-have-usb-chargers-by-2012/">chargers</a>. How many times have you gotten a new cell phone only to see that it comes with the same exact charger that your old phone used? If Apple could remove the charger from the standard iPhone bundle (and accordingly decrease the price of the iPhone 5), we think users would either just use the one they already own or just purchase one at the Apple store or on eBay. Demand for used iPhone chargers would increase too, decreasing the number of chargers that end up in the trash.

<h3><a href="http://inhabitat.com/nokia-phones-pull-energy-out-of-thin-air/">THE ABILITY TO CHARGE ITSELF BY DRAWING ENERGY OUT OF THIN AIR?</a></h3> As much as this sounds like complete malarkey, charging cell phones using thin air isn't just wishful thinking. A few years back, we reported on Nokia developing new tech that would allow users to juice up their phones by <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nokia-phones-pull-energy-out-of-thin-air/">drawing energy from ambient radio waves</a> in the air. While we still haven't seen radio wave-charged phones come to the market, how cool would it be if the iPhone 5 was the very first?