While the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was studded with mobile phone announcements from Samsung, HTC, Sony and LG, there was a tiny company which not many took notice of. While browsing my old archives I stumbled upon this gem of a phone that doesn’t seem to have a single reason due to which you wouldn’t purchase it.
Umeox Apollo was designed by Intivation who are known for their solar energy related research. The specifications are decent enough for a budget Android phone. A 3.2″ Capacitative 320×480 touchscreen, 512 MB RAM, 1 GB Storage, microSD slot, 3 MP Camera, 3G/HSPDA, Bluetooth and a 1300 mAh battery that is rechargeable through the solar cell. The phone runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) which ensures it will run fast and you can take advantage of the Android Market fully, for now.
From what we could understand from the official documentation, the phone’s solar cell needs just 2.5 Hours of charge for daily consumption but 17 Hours of charge for an empty battery. The company stresses on the fact that the phone is meant to be rugged and takes full advantage of the installed solar-cell.
The best part of course, is the price. The phone will be merely $100 (~ INR 4500) without any contract. According to the company’s representative, the phone should begin selling in Europe, Latin America and India this May. Other countries will be getting the phone too but later.
[via Engadget]
