After releasing the sturdiest smartphone early this year, Kyocera announced that it will show off a sample of a solar-powered smartphone at the Mobile World Congress next week.
The prototype is classified under the company's TORQUE line dubbed as TORQUE KC-701. The smartphone is the rugged version of TORQUE SKT01 model. For the solar charging feature of the handset, Kyocera partnered with French company SunPartner Technologies' Wysips Crystal panel. The new feature using renewable energy uses a combination of optical and photovoltaic technologies into a thin layer embedded in the screen display.
Adding this new feature is not entirely a surprise since the company works on solar panels and distributes solar electric systems. However, the inclusion of solar charging functionality is a clear advantage for the smartphone since other smartphones in the market lack this feature, especially since the battery of most smartphones last for less than a day with extensive usage.
If the technology will push through and the majority of the market will pick it up, the feature will most likely be seen in other smartphones in the next few years. In its home court country, Japan, Kyocera is one of the top brands trusted by most consumers.
Earlier this year, the company took the veil of the Kyocera DuraForce, which is a 4G/LTE smartphone that is able to withstand harsh environments and accidents. It is a prime feature lacking in Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy handsets that have brittle screens and must be handled with care. Furthermore, the handset belittles Sony's water resistant and dustproof feature as the DuraForce has IP68 dustproof, waterproof and Military Standard 810G protection.
Kyocera DuraForce boasts a 4.5-inch screen display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution, quad-core 1.4 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, 8-megapixel primary camera and 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 16 GB internal storage with additional external storage of up to 32 GB, and 3100 mAh battery.
The specs and features of the solar-powered TORQUE smartphone are still undisclosed, but it will most likely be announced at the trade show.
