One of the problems with solar-powered gadgets is that they’re usually not too appealing when it comes to design.But that’s definitely not the case with Samsung’s new (and apparently first) solar-powered mobile phone.
Called Samsung Blue Earth, the handset has a rounded case, a large touchscreen display and a solar panel on the back, which can provide extra energy at any time – as long as you keep it under the sunlight.
The phone’s hardware, as well as its energy-efficient charger, are built without harmful substances like Beryllium, Brominated Flame Retardants and Phthalate. Moreover, Blue Earth’s user interface is one-of-a-kind, created in order to “draw attention to preserving our fragile environment”.
Details about the other features of Samsung Blue Earth are currently missing, but it’s said that Bluetooth functionality, screen brightness and backlight duration can be adjusted via an energy-saving mode simply dubbed “Eco mode”.
Samsung should release the Blue Earth sometime in the second half of 2009 – in the UK at least.
