Chinese mobile phone maker Umeox Mobile announced this week at Mobile World Congress 2011 that it has developed a solar powered smartphone; the company plans on selling the phone by the second half of 2011.
The Umeox Apollo - named for Greek god of the sun - is equipped with a solar panel on the back that will keep the phone running when no electrical outlets are available for a standard charge. The smartphone will have many of the standard features available on other smartphones and will run on Google's Android operating system.
The company has developed two versions of the smartphone: One will be sold in Europe and Asia, while the other model is best suited for U.S. networks. Umeox said at the smartphone's unveiling that it will only take 2.5 hours of exposure to the sun to charge the phone's battery.
Both versions of the smartphone will be available for sale during 2011, and a company spokesperson said that some consumers have already placed preorders for the smartphone. Aside from its solar panel, the Apollo also comes with a 3.2-inch display, 1 GB of internal storage and a 3-megapixel camera