After the world’s first partly automatic car phone system, the Mobile System A, was launched in Sweden in 1960, cellular communication hasn’t looked back. The technology was given a major boost by the launch of 1G cellular communication in 1979 by NTT, which was followed by 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, 3.5G and now 4G is spreading its wings. The technology is loved by one and all, but the sheer pace at which the technology is making itself better is creating a problem for the planet. With better technology users are urged to change their phones frequently, adding harmful e-waste to the landfills.
The figures here are startling – more than 1.2 billion cellphones were sold worldwide in 2009, which increased global cellphone user base to 3.3 billion. The problem isn’t only about the emissions related to manufacturing these number of phones, but it gets worse as a recent study concluded that about 426,000 cell phones are discarded in the United States alone each day.
Pollution caused by mobile phones containing toxic mercury, cadmium, lead, and other materials, has come to the forefront of public awareness. Major handset manufacturers have accordingly put greater emphasis on environmental protection, bringing forward a variety of low-carbon and environmentally friendly cell phones to meet consumer needs.
Mobile communication going green
This rise in awareness has now made companies think about next-generation of cellphones and communication systems that will obviously be better on the tech front but will also be much greener.
• Solar powered base stations
In India, which has one of the biggest cellphone markets in the world, the government has proposed solar powered cellphone towers. Moreover, China Mobile, the leading telecommunication operator in China, has setup the world’s largest solar energy-powered base station cluster.
• Using radio frequency for charging cellphones
Though a normal cellphone doesn’t consume much energy, but considering the entire number of cellphones being used, the energy demands are definitely big. Nokia is trying to counter the perils with a cellphone that will make use of ambient radio waves to charge its battery. The Nokia prototype device is capable of harnessing about 50mW of power from these ambient radio waves, which is enough to keep the phone running in standby mode for an indefinite period of time.
• Solar powered cellphones
The need to harness renewable energy is also being recognized by companies like Samsung, LG and Sharp. While Samsung launched a solar-powered cellphone, the Blue-Earth, LG soon followed it with its own solar-powered device dubbed the Pop. The trend soon saw Sharp unveiling two new solar powered phones in China.
The future is green
With solar powered cellphones and phone that are made using environmentally friendly materials already on the market, the future does seem green. Here is what we can expect from the cellphone industry in the near future:
• Solar powered concept cellphones
Since solar panels can be made in any size, texture or shape, they do seem perfect to power mobile electronic devices such as cellphones. There is no dearth of stunning designs that could end up in your pockets sooner than you think. Moreover, several gadget manufacturers are also proposing cellphone chargers that are powered by solar energy. Click on the image above to check out few concept solar powered cellphones and chargers.
• Kinetic energy powered concept cellphones
Solar power seems practical to power electronic devices, but since most solar panels work only under broad daylight, charging these devices after sunset is a problem. This issue can be resolved with kinetic energy that utilizes motion of any form to generate electrons. Industrial designers have sought the opportunity to design several concepts that rely on motion instead of the sun to power handheld devices.
• The new generation of cellphones
Apart from harnessing renewable energy in the form of sunlight, wind or movement, there is no dearth of designs that are powered by unconventional sources of energy like a cold drink or alcohol. We all know that fuel cells can do the wonders by even generating electricity from water and that’s what drives the concepts discussed in the slideshow above.
• Renewable energy powered concept chargers
If you don’t like your cellphone to have an onboard solar panel or a wind turbine, there are several chargers in the design phase that harness clean energy to juice up your device.
