Solar-powered cellphones are still rare these days. But, that may soon change, if Sharp has anything to say about it. Sharp has announced that their thinnest mobile phone solar panel is now available to cellphone manufacturers around the world to use in future hardware. The LR0GC02 Solar Panel module comes in at just 0.8mm thick, helping it secure the title of “World’s thinnest solar panel.”
Sharp hopes to make solar-powered cellphones more convenient by slimming down the solar panel itself. But, all that thinness comes at a price, the LR0GC02 Solar Panel is only capable of outputting some 300 mW of power. That’s not nearly enough to power a smartphone on its own, but it could be used to keep a traditional Li-ion battery topped-off when in sunlight.
If you’re still trying to imagine what a 0.8mm thick panel looks like, try imagining a 100µm thick piece of dust and then shave off 20µm. Better now? Good.
[Akihabara via: Pocket-lint]