Nokia has developed a mobile phone battery charger driven by bicycle power.
The new charger, aimed at developing markets, allows cyclists to plug their handsets into a charger on their handlebars.
It would typically take two-and-a-half hours for a cyclist riding at 15km/h to fully charge a battery, Nokia said.
The device will be available by the end of the year at a retail price of about $18, FT.com reported.
“Bicycles are the most widespread means of transport in many markets around the world, so this is just one more benefit to be gained from an activity people are already doing,” Alex Lambeek, Nokia vice-president, told FT at a launch event in Nairobi, Kenya.
The charger underlines the importance to Nokia of developing markets. While its share of the high-end smartphone market continues to shrink, it is the dominant handset supplier in countries such as China and India, thanks to its brand and scale economies.
It needs value-adds such as this charger to fend off competition from low-cost Chinese handset vendors.