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Samsung shines a light on first solar cellphone
But it's no iPhone 3G S
Samsung has spent the last few months talking up solar-powered handsets, but its first commercially available model has finally been unveiled. It’s called Crest Solar.
Samsung's Crest Solar: 60 minutes in the sun yields ten minutes' talk time
Also known as the E1107, the phone isn’t powered exclusively by solar cells. But the sun soakers will generate between five and ten minutes of talk time from an hour-long charge, Samsung claimed.
The manufacturer also pitching Crest Solar as the perfect phone for anyone looking for ways to cut their energy consumption and save cash.
Samsung hasn’t said much about the phone’s connectivity options. But the solar-powered talker does have a few interesting features.
For example, Mobile Tracker ensures that if the handset’s SIM card is swapped then a message is automatically sent out, presumably to the original SIM card’s number.
The handset can also fake an incoming call – useful if you want to get out of a sticky situation — and, in some regions, alert you to the proper prayer times.
Other features include an FM radio, MP3 ringtones, games and a setting that turns the phone into a torch.
Samsung’s Crest Solar will be available in Europe later this month, but a price hasn’t been heliographed. ®