Nokia launches bicyle-enabled low-price handsets

HELSINKI: The world’s largest mobile phone maker on Thursday launched four low-priced handsets and a recharger that can be connected to a bicycle’s dynamo, charging when the wheels turn. The bicycle charger kit and handsets, some with a standby battery time of up to six weeks, FM radio and flashlights are aimed at users with limited access to electricity. The new devices will be available during the second half of the year, priced between e30-45.

The bike kit has a charger, dynamo and a holder to secure the phone to the bicycle. The dynamo —a small electrical generator uses the movement of the wheels to charge the handset through a standard 2mm charging jack used in most Nokia handsets.



It cuts off at speeds lower than 5 kph and higher than 50 kph. The price of the kit in emerging markets starts at e15 and is likely to cost more in other markets, Nokia said.

The cheapest of the new handsets — the Nokia C series — is the C1-00, expected to retail for around e30. It is also the firm's first model with a 2-in-1 double SIM card solution.