What if the New 2015 MacBook’s terraced batteries are only the beginning?

Apple’s emphasis on battery life is likely to take to a whole new level, with the strong possibility that one day we could begin measuring the battery life of our MacBook or iPad, by the day, rather than by the hour.

According to a patent filed Tuesday, March 17, and titled “ Fuel Cell System to Power a Portable Computing Device”, iOS and MacBook devices could be powered by alternative energy sources, including hydrogen and methanol-based processed.

While the patent outlines that there might be challenges associated with this concept, the working principle will likely allow iPhones, iPads and MacBooks to run for days, or even weeks, on a single charge.

The patent describes the batteries housed into an external battery pack supporting charging ports for all portable Apple devices, including the MagSafe connector. Connected devices will be granted two-way communication with the unit, and receive data over the power connector, such as battery levels, temperature and voltage.

As for most Apple patents, this concept in particular may or may not see the light of day, but if there is one thing we have learned about Apple, it’s that battery life is a definite priority.

The new MacBook is a great example, for its unusual battery configuration is an indication of a will to integrate alternative energy sources into production devices, as soon as technically feasible.