2009 Sharp SH002

Solar powered mobile wallet

	CDMAEVDO Network	1seg Digital TV	NFC Osaifu Keitai
	N/A Biometry	5.2 Megapixel	N/A Optical Zoom
	327ppi 480 x 854px	3" Screen Size	ASV LCD Type

It's the year 2009 #pastfuturetechnology.

I've been looking forward to these posts as I'm going to cover some of the most innovative devices I've ever come across.

In 2009, the SH002 became the first device on KDDI au's network to feature a solar panel, which converts sunlight into energy to charge the phone's battery. A mere 10 minutes of sunlight can provide 1 minute of talk time or 2 hours of standby time. Not only that, but the device is also dust and waterproof up to the IPX5/X7 standard.

The phone requires direct sunlight, and charging the phone works pretty seamlessly when outdoors, or inside by placing it on a windowsill at a 60-degree angle as long as the windows aren't tinted or reflective. On the external display, the sun icon will indicate the power output – the more "radiant" or "full" the higher the charging output.

The SH002 features a 3" WVGA+ rotating ASV LCD, 5.2Mpx camera, Osaifu Keitai NFC wallet, 1Seg TV receiver and the usual KDDI au services that are standard in 2009.

Ever since I got these phones (both the 002 & 007), I've only charged them via the mains charger a couple of times to revive the battery after long inactivity, for the rest of the time I leave them charging in the sun for an hour every day which keeps them on permanent stand-by.

The innovation is so ingenious that I'm baffled by why we haven't seen more of these panels in our smartphones today. The technology isn't meant to be the only means of charging the battery, but it certainly is a great fallback when doing outdoorsy stuff and also an important one for emergency situations and power outages (Japan is rather prone to natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons).

Sharp have really thought about this technology and to be able to fit something so efficient into a slim and powerful mobile device – these aren't low-end spec phones – is a huge achievement.

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