Be sure to not leave the LCD screen exposed to the sun for long. Not sure how much the phone and circuitry can withstand the heat.

@ Dave

I recall being in rural Southern Sudan this last summer. I was teaching to pastors at one of the local church buildings. Everyone was always clamoring for the few electrical outlets to charge their phone.

I worked at a factory in rural KwaZulu Natal – every electrical socket was filled with a cellular when the operators came to work in the morning. Maybe a single panel can charge a few phones if left through the working day or pads can be shared by family or neighbours – $ 20 is still significant!

My only question is concerning the cell phone itself. How does sitting in the intense sun affect it over time?

I have seen some prototypes of phones with small solar cells on the back hoping someone will actually start selling them… but I do not see them coming into production any time soon. For now, a solution such as this will have to suffice. It’s a great tool, now at a great price.

Great that you picked up on this! I met G24i at Mobile World Congress and was pretty surprised when they told me what the panel cost. It’s about the length and width of an average laptop, and about 8mm deep. It’s made of the same kind of material you find on rucksacks, so seems quite durable, and the solar panels themselves are behind a plastic screen.

There have been numerous attempts to build rugged solar chargers for rural markets, many of which have failed. I have a feeling that these guys might be onto something, and as Dave comments on his own Blog (if you follow the link through) at $20 there’s no reason why panels can’t be provided to teams of remote health workers, field staff, etc.

I’m in discussions with G24i about a number of project ideas, and willbe sure to keep Afrigadget in the loop.

Ken