Micromax X259 solar phone launches in India at Rs. 2,499.

Micromax Informatics Limited has launched a 'green phone' X259.Priced at Rs. 2,499, X259 comes with a built-in solar panel and allows users to charge their phones using solar energy. According to the company, the phone automatically gets charged through solar power on exposure to sunlight.


The smartphone is especially targeted at rural areas where power cuts are high.

Back in April, Micromax had revealed its plans of launching a phone with built-in solar charger. The Micromax X259 is a dual-SIM phone, featuring a 2.4-inch display with 240x320p resolution and 118mm X 50mm X 16mm dimensions. It has a 0.3MP camera. Micromax's X259 multimedia features include audio and video player and FM radio with recording. The device supports GPRS and Bluetooth. The X259 comes with a 1,000mAh battery, which is rated to deliver 4.5 hours of talktime and 200 hours of standby time.

Specifications of the Micromax solar phone are apparently nowhere close to the smartphones we have in the market currently. But then solar phones is quite an innovative concept, especially for countries like India grappling with acute electricity shortage. Hopefully, manufacturers come up with solar-powered smartphones in India in near future.

It's notable that Micromax's X259 isn't the first solar phone in India. In 2010, Vodafone had launched a solar powered mobile phone called VF 247. The Vodafone device, however, cost much cheaper at Rs. 1,500. Samsung India had also introduced a solar phone in 2010 called Solar Guru E1107 with a price tag of Rs. 2,799.