Novothink rolls out Solar Surge iPhone / iPod touch charging case
By Donald Melanson 
posted March 11th 2010 1:15PM
posted March 11th 2010 1:15PM
It's not November '09 as originally promised, but Novothink has now announced that its Solar Surge charging cases for the iPhone and iPod touch are finally available. Those will run $79.95 for the iPhone 3G/3GS version and $69.95 for the iPod touch version (second gen only, it seems), which are each available only in black or white at the moment (additional colors are "coming soon), and should add between four and eight hours of talk time, or up to 20 hours of additional audio playback. That's, of course, when the charger is fully charged, but Novothink says you can still expect to get between 30 and 60 minutes of talk time after two hours of exposure to direct sunlight.
Well im not going to be the laughing stock with that big ass case for my iPhone.
@ashleythehottiest
Sorry to hijack the first comment, but a lot of people seem to be missing the point here... For one, the case has a battery and can be charged seperate from the phone. IE. Don't need to leave the phone sitting there.
Not much of a case guy myself, can't stand the extra bulk but my iPhone certainly takes a beating for it!
looks like a cool idea! how thick is the case though?
Darn just ordered my ivyskin SmartCase.
Looks kinda bulky for me though.. =/
No iphone 2g love? Sup with that?
@CHICHIgetdaYAYO
It is year 2010 dude, keep up with the technology :))
@Mert
Dude, I'm ridin this phone till the wheels fall of..then ebayin' it :p
Besides I'm waiting until the HD2 comes out(I have Tmo)..then I'll eBay or Craigslist that and get a Win7 phone...
@CHICHIgetdaYAYO
cool story bro
This should be great for long hiking trips without power.
great idea, but that thing is huge. See the pictures on their site:
http://www.novothink.com/products/nt01/
Click the black color and then click the picture of a closeup of it in someones hand.
This is great idea, but I think it's dorky huge. I'd settle for half the capacity if it meant half that size.
Speaking as someone who owns and has used solar chargers on mobiles since Palm Pilot days, .... these things basically don't work. They look good on paper, but solar chargers just aren't useful in day to day use.
You basically have to leave the device on a rock in the sun (and therefore not use it), for most of an entire day to charge it. Needless to say, carrying the device around with you leaves it *hidden* from direct sunlight for 99% of the time you are using it.
The only thing they are actually good for is if you are in lost the wilderness, it's a dire emergency, your phone is dead and you have a day or so of time to charge it up. Then it might actually save your life, but that situation is, well ... rare.
@Gazoobee
Time to invent pants with transparent pockets !
Ohh, wait, this thing doesn't fit in a pocket...
I would think that the device would be cooking inside the case.
So whats the point of buying a nice sleek iPhone then go out and chunk the whole shebang out with this?
It might as well not be a case, but something like an iPhone dock.
Plus leaving it out in the hot sun might damage it, or leaving it in plain sight on a sunny day for the hours it takes to charge will attract thieves - will YOU keep an eye on it constantly?
All in all, a flawed idea.
@Heliosphan
I don't think it's flawed beside the bulk. It can be charged both ways, via the charger + solar energy. Turns out to be quite useful when your on the road during the day and run out of a charger near by. I don't know if this trick would work, but at nights the phone would charge up a bit using bulbs or tube lights... small charges can be handy to make urgent calls in tough times.
This isnt bad for the first generation of them trying to commercialize this.. its only going to get slimmer from here.....just glad people are thinking...cant wait to see this and the regenerating battery from movement together
Yea right leave the iPhone in the sun, that's a great idea geniuses!
@Futbolkeeper Just because there is sun doesn't necessarily mean its hot.
What would make more sense is a hipcase that has solar cells on the top and outside of it. Then you'd be charging your phone just while walking around with it in your pocket. Speaking of which, they could make that kind of thing for this - a way to clip it to your belt, solar panel facing out. Still wouldn't make it thin, though.
I see competition
http://www.arktis.de/iPhone-Solar-Akku-Case_detail_26374.html (German language)
LOL! Imagine leaving your phone or touch in direct sunlight in the summer. what the hell were they thinking. this is SO STUPID!!!!!
Only an idiot would leave their phone in the sun to charge
how often do you leave your iphone sat face down in direct sunlight? stupid idea.
a flip case could work, but solar is still a bad method of energy for devices you keep in your pocket. something that uses kinetic energy would be better suited so that it charges when you walk.
Wouldn't it just be easier to carry a second battery with you? Oh, wait...
I think idea is pretty dumb. You don't want to leave your iPhone/iTouch in the direct sun. Heat is a Lithium Ion batteries killer.
With the almost-guaranteed "iPhone 4" coming out, there's a chance that any change in the form-factor (rumored to be 1/4" taller) may make this device too late for its own good. I was ready to buy it when they first announced it, but now I'll have to hold off.
Only 3 months before the new ones (hopefully) will be announced. Sorry guys.
Stock up for 2012 when there is no power left
Little late to the game on this one guys. :) I've had one of these for about 2 months now, and I love it. Works surprisingly well. And you don't need to leave the phone in the device and in the sun. It has it's own internal battery that will hold the charge until you decide to plug your phone in.