Nokia introduces pedal-powered mobile phone charger

Mobile phone maker Nokia has introduced a new mobile phone battery charger that is able to recharge phones using power generated by cycling.

The new charger, which can be mounted on handlebars with a connection to a dynamo used to collect energy from the bike’s wheels, can fully recharge a phone in two-and-half hours (assuming the rider has an average speed of 15km per hour for one hour).

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The company expects to release the device by the end of 2010 with a price tag around $18.

"Bicycles are the most widespread means of transport in many markets around the world, so this is just one more benefit to be gained from an activity people are already doing," said Alex Lambeek, Nokia VP, during a launch in Kenya.

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Organizations such as World Bicycle Relief, which aims to provide low-cost bicycles to residents in several African countries, could work with Nokia to provide this technology to residents.  Mobile phones are growing in importance in the emerging market, but there is a serious lack of organized power grids that dampen the use of electronics.

The ability to travel while also charging a mobile phone could be extremely beneficial in emerging markets.  The company also plans to market the device within Europe in areas with high numbers of bike riders, such as Amsterdam, which has many bike commuters.

Nokia has struggled to find ways to stay relevant in the booming smartphone market, and continues to lose marketshare to Apple, Research In Motion, and other manufacturers.  The company is still the No. 1 smartphone maker, but has looked for new ways to expand its practices. Targeting emerging markets could help.

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It’s unlikely Apple and RIM will worry too much about this charger, but I applaud Nokia for developing such a technology.

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