Samsung Working On Fuel-Cell Powered Cell Phones

An anonymous reader writes "BusinessWeek reports that Samsung plans to build prototype phones that will be powered by Direct Methanol Fuel Cells." From the article: "The deal also marks a huge vote of confidence in a little-known company. MTI Micro, which had sales of $8 million in 2005, is one of a handful of outfits seeking to bring hydrogen-based fuel-cell technology into more common use. Its Mobion fuel cells have already appeared in industrial handhelds from companies like Intermec, a unit of Unova, and have drawn the attention of military contractors developing devices that soldiers will use in the field. Under the deal, which lasts through the end of the second quarter of 2007, the two companies will jointly research the use of methanol-based fuel-cell technologies for use in cell phones. Any patents that come as the result of the research will be assigned to MTI."

Comments

Hurdles

[Rob T Firefly]

Not only is average Joe Sixpack going to be extremely reluctant to go back to having to buy replacement cartridges after getting ued to rechargable batteries, but there is the question of what the cartridges will entail.

What are the safety issues of carrying around a hydrogen/methanol cartridge in a warm pocket, leaving it in a hot car, and other abuses suffered by our current phones? Additionally, as water is usually a waste product of fuel cells, are we all going to have to explain away the spreading damp patches on our trousers more than usual?

What we need is a diesel powered cell phone.

[BigCheese]

It would be rather big and smelly but, people wouldn't talk on it in the car more then once.