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Instead of trying to develop a longer-lasting battery, Apple is attempting to find a way to use icon-like status indicators that will work on the iPhone's display, even when it's locked and the backlight is turned off, thus saving power.

The technology being talked about involves the use of two different backlights, with one consuming dramatically less power than the other.

Apple Insider says: "The primary backlight system may block light from the secondary backlight system except for those one or more regions. Thus, the size and shape of the status indicator may be set by sizing and shaping the transparent or semi-transparent regions of the primary backlight system. In addition to setting the size and shape of the icon, the colour of the icon may also be set by adjusting the colour of the light provided by the secondary backlight system."

A system like this would mean that a number of colored status icons representing anything from text message or email updates, to missed calls or a low battery warning, could be shown with a minimum drain on the battery.