Mobile phone maker Nokia has launched an innovative bicycle charger, alternative charging solution for people with no access to electricity, or where access is limited.

Providing free and environmentally friendly electricity for mobile phones, the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit consists of a charger and dynamo, as well as a holder to secure the phone to the bike.

When the kit is installed, the dynamo – a small electrical generator – uses the movement of the wheels to charge the handset through the standard 2mm charging jack used in most Nokia mobile phones.

“You must look at a number of things when it comes to power management – such as ensuring the phone’s operating system is as power-efficient as possible,” said Alex Lambeek, vice president at Nokia, during the launch in Nairobi, Kenya. “Now, with our innovative bike charger, people get even more freedom to use their Nokia without worrying about battery life.”

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. “This is a great solution to a real challenge, whether people will use it due to limited access to electricity, or to be more environmentally responsible,” said Mr Lambeek.

Nokia has said the kit will be available before the end of this year in selected retailers and Nokia online and branded retail.

Eco-friendly

The Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit captures free and eco-friendly energy from bicycling. The kit consists of Nokia Bicycle Charger DC-14, Nokia Phone Holder for Bicycle CR-124, and Bottle Dynamo for Bicycle.

The charger starts and stops charging when the bicycle speed is 6 km/h and 50 km/h, respectively. It is reaches efficiency of a normal charger, e.g. corresponds to Nokia Compact Charger AC-3 when speed is 12 km/h. Total charging time varies between devices

Easy to install and fun to use

With cable ties, nuts and bolts provided in the sales box, the charger is easy to install and detach.  One can also blaster music from the mobile phone while bicycling and charging. And like in normal electricity charging, you check charging status from the screen of the mobile phone.

The bicycle charger DC-14 is compatible with all Nokia devices (mobile phones and accessories) with a 2mm charger jack. It works with normal and electrically assisted bicycles where bottle dynamo can be installed

Nokia launches new handsets

At the same time, Nokia has released four new Nokia Cseries mobile phones it says lie in the category of their cheapest handsets.

At a media conference in the Kenyan capital, Nokia unveiled its latest Cseries mobile phones with three new products under the Nokia C1 name, as well as the new dual-SIM Nokia C2 which will follow at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010.

The most affordable of the Nokia C1 trio (C1-00) is priced at EUR 30 before taxes and subsidies and is the first Nokia mobile phone to feature a 2-in-1 double SIM solution. “By simply holding down a key, people are able to switch between SIM cards. This enables them to take advantage of reduced call rates, flexibility when traveling from one country to another, or helps with sharing a phone within a family and still use their own SIM,” said Mr Lambeek. “This is a great added convenience feature considering the low price of the phone.”

Nokia C1 owners will also benefit from a standby battery time of up to six weeks, the longest ever for a Nokia mobile phone, especially useful in those parts of the world where access to electricity is sometimes limited.

The standard flashlight – often someone’s only means of bright light – is paired with a vivid color screen and FM radio with standard headphone jack, meaning the Nokia C1 is as much about entertainment as it is about convenience.

The Nokia C2 features a dual SIM with dual standby capability. Along with the many capabilities of the Nokia C1, the Nokia C2 can also keep both SIM cards active; meaning calls and text messages can come to either number while the phone is on. The first SIM card on the Nokia C2 sits underneath the battery and the second is ‘hot-swappable’, a feature unique to Nokia which means it can be removed and inserted when the phone is on.

Ovi life tools

Where available, the Nokia C2 also offers a wide range of information covering healthcare, agriculture, education and entertainment via Nokia’s Ovi Life Tools, as well as the email account for the developing world, Ovi Mail. In addition to Ovi Mail, people’s favorite consumer email and chat accounts can be pushed direct to the phone via Nokia Messaging. Listening to music is simple with the FM radio and music player, with a massive amount of music storage with the phone supporting micro-SD cards of up to 32GB.

The second and third devices in the Nokia C1 family (C1-01 and C1-02) are both single SIM products, and Nokia’s most affordable devices offering microSD compatibility, enabling people to store up to 32 GB of music, photography, or whatever other media suits them.  Their estimated retail prices are EUR 39 and EUR 35 respectively.

Both new devices bring very individual designs and exciting colors, bright color screens, web browsing over GPRS and access to Nokia web services such as Nokia Messaging. In addition, owners of the Nokia C1 (C1-01) will also be able to take video and photographs using the built-in VGA camera.

The Nokia C1 (C1-00) is expected to ship in the third quarter of 2010, with the Nokia C1 (C1-01) in the early fourth quarter, and the Nokia C1 (C1-02) and Nokia C2 towards the end of the fourth quarter 2010.