Not to be outdone by Samsung's new Blue Earth handset, LG Electronics has announced its own new solar-powered cell phone (mobile phone). The surprisingly attractive handset features an array of tiny solar panels built into the cover of the phone.
According to LG, just exposing the solar panel to the sun for a mere ten minutes, will charge the phone with enough juice to make a three-minute call. But no pricing or release date have been announced.
A solar-powered mobile phone aimed at consumers without access to electricity goes into production this month (April).
The first cell phones to be manufactured will be sold in Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu in June. Digicel Group, the mobile phone company that will distribute and provide network coverage for the cell phone, predicts a market of 700,000 customers across Central America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific.
People without access to electricity often pay brokers to charge their phones, according to Tom Bryant, director of procurement and distribution for Digicel Group. "It's a lifestyle necessity for many," he says. "But many of these brokers are expensive and you don't get a full charge either."
Samsung's Blue Earth handset might just be taking the green thing to a whole new extreme.
Made from PCM, a recycled plastic from water bottles, the phone boast an "eco" mode for efficiently adjusting screen brightness, backlight duration and Bluetooth usage, and an "eco walk" app / built-in pedometer to tell you how much CO2 emission you've saved by walking instead of driving.
Quite a few ecogeeks were excited when Samsung revealed its solar-powered cell phone, the Samsung Blue Earth.
However, many bemoaned the fact that the green technology was only coming packaged in a pricey smart phone. Well, for budget-minded environmentalists a solar-charged cell phone may be in store for you as well!
Chinese handset maker ZTE has unveiled the Coral-200, an economy handset featuring high-tech Dutch solar cells that provide 15 minutes of talk time for every hour of sunlight. The detail that makes this solar-powered phone really stand out is the wallet-friendly price of $40.00.
