I'm fully in favor of using solar power for phones. However, the need to charge it during the day (a sunny day, that is), is indeed not so handy. Therefore I'm using a separate solar charger, which stores its solar power in an internal battery, making it possible to charge my phone at night. This works just fine. I use a solar charger with 3 quite powerful solar panels and since I have bought it, around 4 months ago, I have been operating my (conventional, i.e. not equipped with a solar panel itself) phone exclusively on solar power.
ecogreen - 15 years ago
If you really think on how people use cell phones the phones themselves really don't see too much sun. So i think a solar charger for a cell phone sounds cool but really is not efficient or effective or even necessary. If you really want to be green with a cell phone produce one from recycled cell phone parts, or non toxic chemical parts and make them small, use less materials and make the batteries themselves more efficient. If you want to charge it with the sun i suggest purchasing solar panels for your hole house that way the sun will charge whatever you plug into your wall outlets.
Steve - 15 years ago
Why is this even a question? Modern phones have scads of features which are not taken advantage of by all users of those phones. Yet we pack the features in, in case they might be useful to some subset of users.
Solar charging should be just another feature - not especially virtuous, or ostentatious - but part of the 'something for everyone' approach most cell phones seem to take.
jim - 15 years ago
Just Eco-Bling. No way will this fly. I have tested many solar chargers for my cellphone, and none of them delivers the amount of charge needed to be even somewhat useful. And I live in California. Just don't want to leave my phone out in the direct sunlight for 8 hours every day...
Andy - 15 years ago
I think there are lots of easy ways to charge your phone with a built-in solar charger! How hard would it be to place that phone on your desk next to a sunny window instead of leaving it in your pocket? Perhaps get a backpack / laptop bag with a translucent pocket to keep the phone charging on the go... The more sources of energy generation the better
brainiac27 - 15 years ago
I do think it is just eco-bling. My phone is either in my pocket continuously or on my bedstand at night. No chances for "off grid charging". It seems the only way to use the panel is to have in sit outside in the sun. Based on the size of what the panel could be, it would take a full day to charge most phones if they were off. Compared to the 3 hour charge from an outlet and the small power consumption, I'll stickwith my wallwart.
I'm fully in favor of using solar power for phones. However, the need to charge it during the day (a sunny day, that is), is indeed not so handy. Therefore I'm using a separate solar charger, which stores its solar power in an internal battery, making it possible to charge my phone at night. This works just fine. I use a solar charger with 3 quite powerful solar panels and since I have bought it, around 4 months ago, I have been operating my (conventional, i.e. not equipped with a solar panel itself) phone exclusively on solar power.
If you really think on how people use cell phones the phones themselves really don't see too much sun. So i think a solar charger for a cell phone sounds cool but really is not efficient or effective or even necessary. If you really want to be green with a cell phone produce one from recycled cell phone parts, or non toxic chemical parts and make them small, use less materials and make the batteries themselves more efficient. If you want to charge it with the sun i suggest purchasing solar panels for your hole house that way the sun will charge whatever you plug into your wall outlets.
Why is this even a question? Modern phones have scads of features which are not taken advantage of by all users of those phones. Yet we pack the features in, in case they might be useful to some subset of users.
Solar charging should be just another feature - not especially virtuous, or ostentatious - but part of the 'something for everyone' approach most cell phones seem to take.
Just Eco-Bling. No way will this fly. I have tested many solar chargers for my cellphone, and none of them delivers the amount of charge needed to be even somewhat useful. And I live in California. Just don't want to leave my phone out in the direct sunlight for 8 hours every day...
I think there are lots of easy ways to charge your phone with a built-in solar charger! How hard would it be to place that phone on your desk next to a sunny window instead of leaving it in your pocket? Perhaps get a backpack / laptop bag with a translucent pocket to keep the phone charging on the go... The more sources of energy generation the better
I do think it is just eco-bling. My phone is either in my pocket continuously or on my bedstand at night. No chances for "off grid charging". It seems the only way to use the panel is to have in sit outside in the sun. Based on the size of what the panel could be, it would take a full day to charge most phones if they were off. Compared to the 3 hour charge from an outlet and the small power consumption, I'll stickwith my wallwart.