New Delhi, June 10: Electronics major Samsung on Wednesday launched the world`s first solar-powered mobile phone, priced at Rs 2,799 in the Indian market.
The handset, `Solar Guru` (Guru E1107) enables users to
charge the battery using solar energy.
"The Solar Guru has been developed keeping in mind the
needs of Indian consumers, especially customers residing in
areas where the electric supply is unstable," Samsung Country
Head (Mobile Division) Sunil Dutt told reporters here.
The handset has the capacity to provide around 5-10
minutes of talk time with one hour of solar charging. This is
apart from the normal electric charging.
It has other features like FM radio, MP3 ring tones,
embedded games and torch light.
"The handsets would be imported from Korea and will be
available in the Indian market from the middle of this month,"
Dutt said adding that in the next few months, Samsung would
also look at manufacturing the handsets from its facility in
Noida.
The company plans to extend the solar-power feature to
its other handsets and would use the technology in its
high-end phones as well.
"We are looking at introducing Samsung Blue Earth in the
fourth quarter of this calender year, which is a high-end
touchscreen phone," Dutt said.
Samsung Blue Earth is a a pebble-shaped, solar-powered
touchscreen phone, which was showcased by the company at the
Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona.
The company claims that the handset is free from harmful
substances such as beryllium and phthalates, and is made out
of recycled material.
Bureau Report
