Good Day Sunshine: Solar Phones Abound

Few details of the sun-powered device were available yesterday. ZTE is expected to showcase the device at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, and start selling the device in June.

According to ZTE, the device is powered by a single mini solar panel on the back of the handset. An hour in the sun will charge up the device enough for a 15-minute call.

The green phone, created with Digicel and Intivation, is called the Coral 200 Solar and comes in a candy-bar form-factor. The exact specs were not immediately available. It's likely that the Coral 200 Solar won't be the most advanced device to come out of the Mobile World Congress, considering it is geared toward enabling people in emerging markets to make phone calls. The device is expected to run about $40.

ZTE is one of many device manufacturers to unveil a solar-powered device at the Mobile World Congress. Earlier this week, Samsung unveiled the Blue Earth, a touch-screen handset made from recycled materials that uses solar power to charge the battery.

According to Samsung, the Blue Earth is also free from harmful chemicals like brominated flame retardants, beryllium and phthalate. Samsung said it would require 10 to 14 hours in direct sunlight for a full charge, which would result in four hours of talk time. For those with access to a power supply, the device includes a conventional plug-in charge.

Handset maker LG also debuted a prototype of a solar model at Mobile World Congress. While LG's device does not yet have a model name, the company said it can recharge itself with natural light. According to LG, 10 minutes in direct sunlight offers enough juice for a three-minute call.