Samsung and ZTE claim solar handset firsts
Published: 16 February, 2009
READ MORE: Samsung | ZTE | Handset
We've had Motorola's phone made from recycled water bottles, and now the Mobile World Congress is set to see another contribution to environmentally friendly handsets, solar power. Samsung and ZTE are both claiming to have the first such devices.
Samsung may not be showing up with the hoped-for Android smartphones, but it will show its Blue Earth solar touchscreen device, and is promising a whole range of eco-friendly products.
Blue Earth is shaped like a shiny, vivid blue pebble and has a solar panel in the back. It is made from recycled plastic extracted from water bottles, (like Motorola's) and also claims to be free from harmful substances such as beryllium.
Even the user interface is designed to focus on environmental issues, with a one-click 'eco mode' resetting features like backlighting and brightness to maximize energy efficiency. There is also an 'eco walk' function, which allows the user to count their steps with a pedometer and calculate the number of CO2 emissions and/or trees they have 'saved' by walking instead of taking the car.
Meanwhile ZTE, in collaboration with mobile operator Digicel, and a Dutch start-up called Intivation, is also planning to launch a low cost solar handset, targeted at emerging markets.
Samsung will also be showing off a phone with an embedded projector, using Texas Instruments' DLP Pico technology. "This is an exciting time for the mobile phone industry as we transform the limitations of the mobile phone," said Wonsik Lee, VP of the R&D planning team, in a statement. The W7900 product can project pictures over 50 inches and supports Powerpoint presentations, a 5-megapixel camera and high resolution color OLED touchscreen. It will come to Korea this month and Europe "soon".
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