Micromax Launches X259 Dual-SIM Feature Phone With Inbuilt Solar Panel

If a major gripe with your smartphone is that is that its battery runs out before your day ends, this new handset may come in handy. The Micromax X259 - Solar Phone is a dual-SIM, dual-standby mobile that comes with an inbuilt solar panel. With dimensions of 4.6" (l) x 2" (w) x 0.6" (16 mm) (d), the handset sports a 2.4" display, 1000 mAh Li-ion battery that provides a talk time of 4.5 hours, and a 0.3 mp rear camera. Other notable features include FM radio with recording, Bluetooth, and GPRS.

As for the solar panel, the manufacturer claims that the phone can be charged by exposure to sunlight, with three hours of charging resulting in 1.5 hours of talk time. Micromax is certainly not the first to try its hands at such a technology. Nokia had attempted something similar earlier this year, only to kill the project before rolling it out commercially. More pertinently,Samsung had gone so far as to commercially launch a solar-powered phone, called the Solar Guru (Guru E1107) in India over three years ago, but it disappeared without a trace.

The X259 is priced at Rs 2500. While Micromax's move is well-intentioned, I hope it's carried out plenty of field tests to ensure that the handset charges properly in Indian conditions. Otherwise, the solar capability of this device will remain purely a gimmick. What is your opinion on the feasibility of such devices, considering the limitations of current technology? Let us know in the comments.