Apple has a very strange patent outed, one that seems to refer to a dual screen laptop with a second screen mounted on the outside of the casing. That screen would have multiple laminated layers, that offer a touchscreen interface and also sollar cell functionality.

Apple patent2

This means Apple could be considering new laptops that are solar powered and with touchscreen controls on the outside to show the status of the device, like notifications or battery life for example. The strange thing is that we only see a very small rear screen, not enough to charge the device if it has a solar panel integrated.

Since the screen is so small, the possibility of using it for notifications and messages seems very likely, rather than solar charging. There’s also mention of an antenna in the documents, similar to the one present on modern iPhones, formed around the outer edge of the new screen. I can’t help but wonder if Apple is actually thinking of making a laptop with a detachable tablet…