Vodafone launches solar-powered VF247

Vodafone today announced the Indian launch of the VF 247, its first solar powered handset.

The phone which is targeted at India's huge rural mobile phone market would surely come as a boon to people in rural areas which often suffer electrical supply shortages. The phone will relieve rural consumers of the need to have ready access to an electrical outlet to charge their phones.

The VF launch follows the launch of Samsung's first solar powered phone in India the Guru 1107. According to Vodafone, the VF 247 solar powered phone is self charging on exposure to ambient light. The special inbuilt hardware Sun Boost ensures that the phone can charge in a room under normal daylight which means access to direct sunlight is not needed.

The phone charges to its fullest on direct exposure to sunlight in eight hours and once charged it can run for more than eight days and offering about four hours of talk time. Other features include an FM radio, colour screen and a powerful torch light. More details are awaited from Vodafone.

The phone which is expected to be priced at around Rs1,500 would be available across the country starting next month.