Hand-crank unit keeps cell phone from dying

By Dave Carpenter
Associated Press

Motorola's FreeCharge, a windup charger for cell phones, provides power for four to five minutes of talk with 45 seconds of cranking. It will cost about $65. Associated Press

But hold the phone — a retro innovation by Motorola Inc. may put an end to those sudden-death calls.

In a throwback to the gramophone and hand-cranked phone box, Motorola is introducing a windup charger for mobile phones that should make it easier to stay in touch — or harder to get away, depending on your point of view.

Developed with London-based Freeplay Energy Group, maker of windup radios and flashlights, the FreeCharge is designed to keep dying phone batteries alive when you're away from a power outlet. Cranking the handle for about 45 seconds provides four or five minutes of talk time and several hours of standby time.

The 11 1/2-ounce handheld device, about twice the weight of the average cell phone, consists of a small generator that can be connected to the phone using a plug-in module.

FreeCharge ships to retailers in March and will cost about $65.

Innovations have been sought for years to extend battery life. But is FreeCharge just another thing for geeks to lug around?

Motorola product manager Gary Brandt acknowledges few U.S. mobile-phone users will want to carry it around.

Rather, FreeCharge is aimed at the recreational market — boaters, campers, fishermen — along with those who want to keep it for emergencies and peace of mind, he said. It even contains a flashlight.

For now, FreeCharge is compatible only with phones made by Schaumburg, Ill.-based Motorola, the world's second-biggest cell phone manufacturer. By April it will adapt to phones made by Nokia and Ericsson, said Brandt, who was involved with its development.