With the continuous emergence of gadget-loaded, slimmer phones on the market, it’s hard to go a day without seeing someone else wielding a novel piece of cellular phone technology. One of the newest tweaks in the industry is a solar-charged phone. 

As early as June of 2007, a Japanese company, HiTech Wealth Communications, was selling their S116, a cell phone with a “trickle-charged” battery that could even absorb energy from indoor lighting. The pricey $510 phone, according to an article by EcoGeek, gave users “40 extra minutes of talk time” for the charge accumulated by an hour of direct sunlight.

In the last two weeks, several phone companies announced a new generation of solar phones. 

ChannelWeb reported on Wednesday that ZTE’s Coral 200 Solar, a “low-cost, solar-powered mobile phone” will be “geared toward enabling people in emerging markets to make phone calls.” The company predicts that the phone will cost about $40, allowing users to talk 15 minutes for every hour in the sun.

ZTE’s release was only two days behind LG’s announcement of an “eco-friendly phone” which they plan to release “in the European market at the end of this year,” according to the company press release. The phone boasts a similar charge-to-talk ratio, in comparison with the ZTE’s “rural” model, with a predicted three minutes of active use provided by ten minute’s charge in sunlight.

Taking the cake for the “greenest” technology, however, is Samsung’s new and cutely named “Blue Earth” touch-screen cell phone. An article on www.WindowsITPro.com extolled the virtues of the phone, stating that “the packaging comes from recycled paper, and the battery charger is a ‘5 star energy efficient charger.’” An “eco-mode” is included, of course. But, the real hook is the built-in pedometer, which gratifies the phone’s prospectively eco-friendly owner with “how many trees [they’ve] saved” by reducing CO2 emissions.

If you’re gearing up to join the new “renewable” craze in phones, you may have to wait. Unfortunately, it may be a while before any of these phones come our way.

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