Samsung unveils solar-powered phone
The South Korean manufacturer put its “Blue Earth” phone on display at the Mobile World Congress, with industry insiders keen on its mini solar panels located on the back of the phone.
“This type of device would be ideal for developing markets where workers have long hours and don’t have access to electricity,” commented Nick Lane, chief researcher at consultancy Direct2 Mobile.
“It would also interest consumers with an eye on the ‘green’ aspects, or companies and their corporate social responsibility programmes.”
The device is to be launched initially in Europe in the second half of 2009 and is likely to be out of the price range of a worker in the developing world. A Samsung representative said it would be a mid to high-end handset.
A full charge taking 10-14 hours in the sun would offer about four hours of talk time. The phone can also be charged normally, with the solar panels used to top up the battery to extend its power.
Fellow South Korean manufacturer LG Electronics also put a prototypesolar-powered phone on display but the company has no launch date or name for the device.
The Mobile World Congress is the world’s biggest mobile phone show and brings together 60,000 industry insiders from 1,200 companies.
All the major network operators are present and rumours abound that Dell is preparing to launch a range of sophisticated smart phones enabling users to surf the internet, send emails or watch videos.
Sales of mobile handsets are set to fall this year for the first time according to market research group Gartner, but demand for high-end phones is set to increase. As well as the launches and new industry initiatives, the economic crisis is set to cast a pall over the gathering with cost-cutting and survival the new concerns of an industry that has become accustomed to constant growth.
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