Toshiba has unveiled a mobile handset about the size of a PDA that is powered by a lithium ion battery charged with a direct methanol fuel cell.

Unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the phone weighs about 160 grams and according to Toshiba can operate for about twice as long as a normal mobile phone.

Toshiba did not reveal the amount of fuel the cell is capable of holding and NEC is also thought to be working on an ethanol fuel-cell for a phone of its own.

According cleantech.com, Angstrom Power recently fitted its Micro Hydrogen fuel cell into a Motorola phone continuing the trend of phones and fuel cells together.

Aron Levitz, a spokesman for Angstrom, said: "The fuel cells we use have very high efficiency."

Charging a mobile will not be anymore complicated than it is now according to Mr Levitz, who revealed that a desktop phone cradle is the likely way forward.

Sources:

Fuel cell-powered cell phones materializing, 13/02/08
http://media.cleantech.com/2446/fuel-cell-powered-cell-phones-show-progress

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