Olive Telecom India announces AAA-powered handset
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted March 8th 2010 12:28AM
posted March 8th 2010 12:28AM
Looks like someone else out there thinks that non-removable batteries are seriously uncool. Olive Telecommunications' FrvrOn V-G2300 is a GSM phone with a 1.5-inch color display and an FM radio -- small potatoes, right? That is, until you take into account the fact that it's dual-powered: not only does it pack a rechargeable Li-ion battery, but should that run out you can get an additional hour's worth of talk time from any standard AAA battery. Indeed, this is a pretty sweet deal if you're living / traveling in an area without consistent power. Throw in a decent price point ($37) and we're guessing this would do pretty well in Madhya Pradesh. Get a closer look for yourself after the break.
Ahhh. I remember the days of batteries.
I would steal them from the TV remotes all the time.
@hellojoaquin
Amen to that. Still do it occasionally when I actually need them for something.
On another note, any mobile communication device that helps connect people for sub $40 is a win.
@hellojoaquin
and use it in ur walkman haha
Need to run Android!
j/k
@hellojoaquin
just keeps going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going . . . . . . . . . . .
Why can you only get these in India? WE'RE supposed to be the technologically advanced culture.
@camroncake probably stuff like these are required in India ! we have power cuts every damn day ! try charging a phone here lol ! US has 24hour power lol !
@hellojoaquin
Well, those Eneloop lite batteries will work wonders in this phone.
1699 Rs = approx. $39.50 USD (if using 43 Rs = $1 USD)
@skyblaze Not the Chinese junk batteries that are the only ones that are seems to be available in India. You'd be lucky if they went at all brand new out of the package, forget about keep going going going. If they did work, they'd last a minute or two. And forget about using them in digital cameras.
If they're trying to be green, they're failing miserably.
AAA Batteries = More batteries being thrown away.
@mtnDewFTW
they are trying to be accessible, and convenient.
@mtnDewFTW
We forget that recycling and being picky about our waste is an incredible luxury.
@mtnDewFTW
It also have a lithium battery. They are being innovative if you ask me. I wouldn't mind having this as a backup handset.
@mtnDewFTW
AAA is just the size, there are also rechargeable AAA batteries, but i guess the point is to be able to put in an alkaline you can buy everywhere, and not carry around small batteries in your pocket. And it is very questionable if an alkaline AAA battery will give 1 hour of talk time.
I could see my friends now
Friend:Hey its look like your phone going to go dead, wanna use my charger?
Me:No its ok, you have any AAA's? Think the battery is running low.
Friend: wtf.....
@AlienSix
being funny fail
this is the most eco-friendly invention ever!
Just when tv remotes thought they were safe...
This is brilliant! Now, lets get a smartphone that can use 2 AAA's as backup for a couple of extra hours of push email!
@CeluGeek a decent Alkaline AAA is around 1200 MAh at 1.5 volts. More advanced ones are around 1800-2000 MAh. so essentially having 2 AAAs would likely be the same if not more capacity than what your smartphone's standard battery could provide. Probably closer to a day's worth of push email than a couple hours.
@CeluGeek If you have a USB chargeable smartphone I am almost positive they have a AA to USB plug battery backup. I think it takes 4 to get the voltage up, but given a decent set of rechargeable batteries that should give you 4.8v @ 2800mA
How is this not eco friendly? Batteries can be recycled .. also where do the "dangerous" elements that make up a battery come from? Oh yeah the earth .. so to the earth it can be returned to .. batteries are eco friendly if properly disposed or recycled.
I guess this makes sense for India because there are tiny shops all over the place selling batteries.
@JS but that's the thing... it's for India. People barely "properly dispose of" batteries correctly in the more "civilized" nations. They certainly aren't going to do it there. I'd even bet they don't have a proper, or crude, system for collecting recyclables.
@Brent1700 I hope by "civilized" you mean "developed" :-x
@Brent1700
uncivilized asshole
It will very handy when you are on travel and out of primary power supply. No need to carry your charger adapter and just buy the battery and you are connected. kudos guys.
Anyone have an idea of what radios are in this thing. I'll be in India in a few weeks, might see if this is available to pick up as a decent middle-east backup phone.
@CrossCheck Ah frick, it does say GSM...dammit.
you dont 'have to' buy this product just because you can use AAA .
You can buy any phone. there are so many traveling chargers just around $3 which uses AAA batteries for charging your phone.
@Nokia N900 Yeah true, but a $37 phone to keep stuffed in my emergency backpack with an extra prepaid SIM card in it is always a nice thing...and running off of a single AAA is nice too. I'd just call this a decent "Oh Sh*t" phone.
@cherryboom
i think you have the wrong game, buddy . . . . .
While mostly all companies in the US are trying to save the Rain Forest in India, India is using throw away batteries to ruin the Rain Forest.... Ironic?
@Jaylittles531
Wow. Rain forest? In India? Utter geography #fail.
@Jaylittles531
India consists of island type environments, coastal, rainforest, highland forest, desert, mountain environment, and everything in between. It's a lot more than a rainforest.
I think that for now, it's more important that someone who has never owned a "luxury" like a phone have more choice, and be able to improve their standard of living and thus help to break the cycle of poverty by pulling themselves up by their own shoestrings (the best way to escape poverty). The fact that all you care about is an extra alkaline in a landfill is pretty sad.
@joshuakarthik
Its a generic term for Environment. Most of the time when someone refers to something like that they say "Saving the Rain Forest" not "Saving the Environment". Just sounds better and FYI there is Rain Forest in India.
@paul34
One Battery in a landfill? Well where there is one there is two and where there is two there is three... I can keep going to 1 million and beyond if you want. Think of how many people live when you can buy this phone and how many may actually buy it. Rechargeable is the wave of the future and has been for some time.
@Jaylittles531
so because our countries got their wealth partially by polluting the world (the cost of clean industries that we avoided would not have allowed us our present wealth by far) , now we are wealthy and we have to deny countries to follow the path of wealth, by applying our rules to developing countries? forcing them to jump to the newest techs that are green, more expansive (thus not possible there) and of course only designed and sold by US (not united states, US here in developed countries).
hmmm! not sure I am 100% right, but at least, it it makes you think a bit more I am happy.
I think this is brilliant...very convenient if you're on the road and you need a quick charge then u just stop at a pharmacy or something.
Finally an Iphone killer .. now at least i can remove the battery !!
You get a free AAA battery with 2 year contract activation. Otherwise the AAA battery is $90...
Let me know when they have a phone that can run off standard rechargeable batteries for an entire day.
@DDragon
Philips Xenium X520:
http://www.gsmarena.com/philips_xenium_x520-2776.php
Perfect for emergency purposes. The self-discharge rate of rechargeable batteries is not good (weeks, a few months at best). But you can keep this phone and a sealed pack of alcalines for years in your car, etc.
I think people are missing the fact that its DUAL POWER. South asia is a devolping region. We dont have the luxury of 24 hours power supply. Sometimes power comes for 8-10 hours only(specially in villages). This product is not meant to always run on AAA batties; but only when you are out of power sourse. Great idea. Will be a huge hit at this price point.
[$37 is the price for unlocked phone.]
@rehan716
I live in a third world country and to have 24 hours power supply is not a luxury but a normal state.
In any case, the goal is to bring a cheap products with a catch (battery less) and not to be more green or to be more usable to use AAA instead of regular batteries.
@
D1Only1
agreed 100%...+1
I bought a cellphone that could switch between a rechargeable battery and regular AAs five years ago in a second hand shop, It still works -- with AAs, not with its own pack.
I kind of fail to see the revolutionary newness in something that was old hat half a decennium ago...
This ain't good. I can never find a good AAA batteries in Thane!
I wonder in what reference is the state Madhya Pradesh used as one where the phone would sell well.
Mind you, Madhya Pradesh is hardly among the most impoverished states of India if that's the the implication!
AA/AAA-powered USB backup packs are a dime a dozen, work with lots of phones. This thing is special only because the backup battery fits inside the (thus overly large) phone case. Yawn.