Chinese cell phone recharged by the sun

NANNING, China, June 8 (UPI) -- China-based Hi-Tech Wealth Co. has developed a mobile phone that uses solar energy to recharge itself.

The company also says it is the world's first to use solar power to recharge a phone battery, Tech Shout reported.

Hi-Tech Wealth is an integrated multichannel sales and marketing company in China with a track record of developing and selling telecommunication products in the world's fastest-growing economy.

The solar energy phone has a scale-like solar panel on the top side of the clamshell-design that can also be recharged by light from other sources, including candles. It can provide 40 minutes of talk time after sitting in the sun for an hour.

"With more than 400 million mobile phones in the country, China would save a great amount of electricity if all its mobile phones were recharged by light," said Zhang Zhengyu, chairman, Hi-Tech Wealth.

Many companies around the world are working on similar mobile phones technology, but many are still in the experimental stage. Hi-Tech claims to have developed the most advanced solar power technology and own eight patents with applications for others.

Hi-Tech Wealth plans to introduce six of its light-energy mobile phones in the market this year, and another 30 next year. The cost of solar-powered mobile phone has not been disclosed.