The world’s first solar charged phone was unveiled in Kenya by telecom provider Safaricom, falling in line with the company’s going green policy.
Branded Simu ya Solar and manufactured under partnership with ZTE, the handset is made from recycled materials and has an in-built solar panel that charges the phone using the sun’s rays. Simu ya Solar, which also comes with a conventional charger, will be retailing at all Safaricom shops and dealer channels countrywide at a price of $38 (KSh 2,999). This is before the product goes regional.
"Solar power is definitely the way to go as it is cheap, green and renewable. This solar-charged phone will come in handy, particularly in the rural parts of the country which are without grid electricity and urban areas which are suffering power rationing," said Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph.
"Our subscribers will now not have to take their phones to merchants for charging and wait all day for their handsets to charge in order to make calls. They can now talk all day and night, without worrying about the level of charge and charging costs," he added.