Flashback: Samsung Blue Earth and the short story of solar-powered phones

03 November 2019
Dead battery? For most phones that's the end of the road, but the Blue Earth could be charged by sunshine - a different kind of wireless charging.

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Interesting concept. Hideous design like those rugged phones or pre-Xperia Z water/dust resistant phones. The fact it needs to be charged by the sun for a hour to make a 10 minute call is laughable.

    Whackcar, 03 Nov 2019Although the concept is great, it certainly isn't practical... moreSolar panels have gotten better since 2009. And phones have gotten much bigger. I still think it's a neat idea, even if it send up something like the Garmin Fenix 6X Pro Solar - on that watch the solar cell only extends battery life, but there's no real way to run it only on solar power.

    https://www.gsmarena.com/garmin_unveils_fenix_6x_pro_solar_its_first_partially_solarpowered_smartwatch-news-38931.php

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      • Idealism
      • f}I
      • 03 Nov 2019

      Whackcar, 03 Nov 2019Although the concept is great, it certainly isn't practical... moreYeah ,it’s happened in the past not now.

        Although the concept is great, it certainly isn't practical for a smartphone.

        An hour of sunlight only gave that phone enough juice to make a 10 minute call. That alone makes it unpractical for day-to-day use.

        I guess they could give that feature on "Rugged Phones" though, it would fit over there.

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          • Anonymous
          • vIs
          • 03 Nov 2019

          Another excellent article churned out by GSMarena team!!

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            • Anonymous
            • 3Dd
            • 03 Nov 2019

            LG GD510 Pop with solar panel.

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