HELSINKI: Dutch cyclists chatting on
the mobile phones are an ubiquitous site in the bike-friendly city of Amsterdam
and soon they will be able to charge their mobiles with bike
power.
Nokia Oyj introduced a bicycle charger on Thursday aimed at
developing countries with limited access to electricity, but the cellphone maker
said the idea could catch on in Europe where cycling for work, shopping and
errands is a common lifestyle.
The charger, which can be fitted into
any Nokia phone with a 2mm charger jack, uses a dynamo to generate electricity
from the movement of the wheels, Nokia said in a
statement.
“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,” Alex Lambeek, Vice President
at Nokia, said.
The price of the charger kit, which also includes a
holder for securing the phone to the bicycle, will vary according to market, but
in countries like Kenya, where the product was introduced on Thursday, it would
be around 15 euros ($18), a Nokia spokesman said in a statement.
To
begin charging, a cyclist needs to travel around six kilometres per hour, and
while charging times will vary depending on battery model, a 10 minute journey
at 10 kmh produces around 28 minutes of talk time or 37 hours of standby time,
the spokesman said. The faster you ride, the more battery life you
generate.
The charger is set to become available through selected retailers
and the company’s online store before year-end, Nokia said.
The
four new phones the company also introduced in Kenya on Thursday target
developing markets, a key growth area for the Finnish company, and also contain
features designed for the needs of people in countries where access to
electricity is limited, such as a six-week battery standby time.
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