The first prototype mobile phone handset to be powered by a fuel cell has been launched by KDDI.

In conjunction with Toshiba and Hitachi, the company has announced the creation of a hybrid mobile phone which is in part powered by a small fuel cell.

The three firms have been in development together since July 2004 in an effort to create fuel cells that are sufficiently small and efficient to be used in portable devices such as mobile phones, PDAs and laptop computers.

Using a high-concentration of methanol, KDDI claims that the mobile can be used for long periods without recharging due to its reliance on the fuel cell technology and a lithium ion battery.

As well as its green potential, it is hoped that the battery length – two and a half times that of conventional mobiles – will make the technology popular with consumers, especially given that it can be easily refilled from a compact cartridge.

One of the long-standing difficulties with developing fuel cells for portable devices has been how to make them small enough while still ensuring they provide enough fuel to be commercially-viable.

If KDDI's prototype can be developed into a commercial product in the near future, that problem could be finally overcome.


Ÿ Adfero Ltd