Emergency phone holds charge for 15 years

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- A U.S. manufacturer of mobile phone accessories say its new cell phone can hold its charge in a desk drawer or car glove compartment for 15 years.

Meant as an emergency phone, the SpareOne was introduced at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas by XPAL Power, PCWorld.com reported.

The dual-band GSM handset that uses a single, off-the-shelf AA battery comes with an Energizer Ultimate Lithium L91 battery which allows the phone to hold its charge, if unused, for as long as 15 years, XPAL Power said.

The no-frills phone is designed for situations where one's primary mobile phone has either lost its charge or isn't available, the company said, such as roadside emergencies, tourist excursions, and various outdoor adventures.

The low-cost SpareOne has a variety of potential uses, XPAL said.

The phone "can be left in a car for emergencies, used by hotels that want to pre-program concierge numbers for guests, passed to children or parents to maintain an open line of communication -- it's essentially designed to make and receive the most important calls, no matter what," said Alan Cymberknoh, SpareOne project director.