Vodafone has recently launched the VF 247 in India, which is due to go on sale this August for 1,500 Indian Rupees, or roughly $32. Vodafone says that the device only needs to be in the sun for 8 hours to get a full charge. Said full charge gives you roughly a week of standby time and 4 hours of talk time. Unlike other low cost handsets that have massive battery life, this one doesn’t … and I’m assuming this was a bill of materials issue. Solar phones are nothing new, Samsung has been a pioneer in that area of the market, but a solar phone for this price is down right impressive from a parts sourcing perspective.
Features? You’re kidding right. It’s a barebones phone meant for people who live in a part of the world where electricity is considered a luxury item. Their neighborhood cell towers are most likely powered by diesel generators. The VF 247 does have an FM radio though, which is vital as it can be the only way to get news and entertainment, as well as a bright LED on the top of the device which functions as a flash light.
I seriously wish I could provide you with more details, such as detailed specifications. Extremely curious to hear how thick this thing is. But I’ve got no data, and a terrible picture to boot. This news item isn’t even on Vodafone’s press site, we got a tip [Thanks Nikhil] that pointed us to The Huffington Post of all places!
[Image via Greenlaunches]