Olive Communications Launches AAA Battery-Powered Cellphone
Right now, smartphones are all the rage. Every new phone that comes out seems like a smartphone, and if it's not, it gets overlooked and brushed aside within hours of being announced. Put simply, if a phone can't check your e-mail or update your Twitter status, it really has no place in American society right now. It's an interesting situation, and it has only recently become a reality. We're crediting the iPhone with putting the smartphone so firmly on the map of "must-have" devices, and now that the smartphone has advanced to include Android and webOS, using a non-smartphone just feels like a step back in time.
Still, America isn't the only mobile market in the world, and there are many other needs to consider in other nations. Developing countries in particular have a growing desire to just be connected, so these less featured phones are perfect for those markets. It's one reason why those typical Nokia candybar cellphones are still hanging around, and it's the very reason why India's own Olive Communications has stepped up to the challenge and introduced a new phone of their own.
The new FrvrOn (which is shorthand for "Forever On") cellphone takes a very unique approach. The form factor isn't anything new or special, but unlike most every other phone out there that requires an AC outlet and working electricity to charge it, this phone can be operated by a simple AAA dry-cell battery. There's also a rechargeable Lithium-Ion pack in there for "standard charging," but in a pinch, a single AAA will allow you to make a few calls during an emergency.
The idea here is to compensate for "erratic" power outages and emergencies, with a single AAA battery able to provide life to the phone for an hour non-stop. The phone was obviously designed with India in mind, as the nation is gaining around 15 million new wireless subscribers each and every month. We're anxious to see how this all plays out, and we definitely hope that this enables more users to get connected even in areas where power isn't always something that can be counted on. And honestly, this doesn't seem like a bad emergency item to have in everyone's "rainy day" kit, regardless of nationality.
Still, America isn't the only mobile market in the world, and there are many other needs to consider in other nations. Developing countries in particular have a growing desire to just be connected, so these less featured phones are perfect for those markets. It's one reason why those typical Nokia candybar cellphones are still hanging around, and it's the very reason why India's own Olive Communications has stepped up to the challenge and introduced a new phone of their own.
The new FrvrOn (which is shorthand for "Forever On") cellphone takes a very unique approach. The form factor isn't anything new or special, but unlike most every other phone out there that requires an AC outlet and working electricity to charge it, this phone can be operated by a simple AAA dry-cell battery. There's also a rechargeable Lithium-Ion pack in there for "standard charging," but in a pinch, a single AAA will allow you to make a few calls during an emergency.
The idea here is to compensate for "erratic" power outages and emergencies, with a single AAA battery able to provide life to the phone for an hour non-stop. The phone was obviously designed with India in mind, as the nation is gaining around 15 million new wireless subscribers each and every month. We're anxious to see how this all plays out, and we definitely hope that this enables more users to get connected even in areas where power isn't always something that can be counted on. And honestly, this doesn't seem like a bad emergency item to have in everyone's "rainy day" kit, regardless of nationality.
