DoCoMo SH-08A Solar Hybrid Phone

DoCoMo has announced that it is working on the Solar Hybrid phone, which is a “solar-powered” phone that is also rugged enough to be “waterproof”, according to DoCoMo. On the feature side, it comes with a 8 Megapixel camera, which makes us think that it is great for those who like going outdoors.

Now, let’s clarify what DoCoMo means by “solar-powered”. The phone cannot run on solar power alone, so you should see this as “solar assisted”. Here’s the bottom-line: 10 minutes in direct sunlight will yield 1 minute of talk time. Also, “waterproof” really means “water-resistant”: the phone can stay in the water for 30mn and no deeper than 1 meter. [Docomo announcement]