Aix-en-Provence, France, February 16, 2016. Last year Sunpartner Technologies, the French specialist in innovative solar solutions, and Kyocera Corporation, a leading Japanese mobile phone maker, presented the first prototype for a solar-charging display at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015. Since then, to respond to the market’s ever-changing needs, Sunpartner has worked to optimize the power of its pioneering invisible solar component, Wysips® Crystal—and has successfully met the challenge of increasing power-conversion efficiency.
Sunpartner Increases Performance of Wysips® Crystal by 50%
This year, at MWC, the renowned international trade show for mobile tech, Sunpartner Technologies will present a new working demo of a solar smartphone with a high-end screen and outstanding performance (Hall 5 – 5B21).
Sunpartner Technologies’ R&D team has reached an unprecedented level of yield: now only 3 minutes of exposure to light are needed for 1 minute of smartphone talk time in the prototype that has been created with Kyocera—constituting a huge leap forward in solar charging technology for mobile devices.
To achieve this, Sunpartner Technologies has worked extensively on the optical performance of its Wysips® Crystal to integrate a full HD screen using highly innovative techniques.
An Enlightened Prototype
The new working demo phone to be unveiled at MWC 2016 uses a Kyocera smartphone with a 5-inch full HD screen.
The ruggedized, waterproof, drop-proof Kyocera smartphone is designed for outdoor activities (such as construction sites, trekking, or sports). With the addition of Wysips® Crystal, the phone creates its own perpetual energy reserves, producing electricity by capturing ambient light—a crucial feature as the battery life of mobile devices is a major challenge in today’s market.
Installed under the touchscreen during manufacturing, the invisible photovoltaic component Wysips® Crystal guarantees power reserves—while being entirely design-neutral. With the new technology, users will be able to continue to use their devices and access essential applications even when far from a traditional power source or in times of electrical blackout.
Wysips® Crystal is unique because it is the only solar component to combine optics and photovoltaics. Ultra-thin (≤ 0.58 mm), transparent (preserves visual quality and features) and powerful, it works with all types of screens.