[Source: University of Washington]
The new device is powered by the energy from the sun and nearby radio waves. Compared to modern phones, this special device is much smaller and looks similar to a calculator. It also allows skype calls, in which it can receive and transmit the human voice with its base station.
Although there are many benefits to using a battery-free phone, the device still lacks the ability to transmit and receive callers’ voices at the same time. Users must click a button to talk and must have it connected to an earphone to listen at all times. However, the device still has a custom base station in which the method to transmit and receive radio signals exists. Also, just like the original cell phones had, standard cellular network infrastructure and wi-fi technology will soon be integrated in as the product develops more.
The device has yet to show any more surprising elements, but this new cell phone, without a battery, only needs a small amount of energy to work. The machinery used to create this cell phone possess the power budget of 3.5 microwatts and the phone charges itself using the ambient radio signals transmitted from the base station within a range of 31 feet, or from harvesting ambient light through a tiny solar cell.
[Source: University of Washington]
