A mobile phone that can be charged by a common pencil battery cell will be launched by next year, promises Techtium, the Israeli hybrid battery maker.

"This technology will be revolutionary, especially for rural areas in countries where availability of power is a major problem," said Daniel Breiting, technical marketing director of Techtium.

The company is talking to various mobile phone manufacturers to make and market these low-cost handsets, says Breiting, adding, "this phone is aimed at markets where cost is an overwhelming driver.

Techtium's TEC 110H IC enables direct power of low-cost phones with disposable batteries, totally eliminating expensive Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries, he said. It would mean a further cut in the cost of these phones, since it eliminates the machinery required to use Li-Ion batteries.

The company has already launched a mobile phone in collaboration with Philips, which not only runs on the lithium battery, but also uses a single AAA battery as a back-up option. As the lithium battery gets recharged, the phone also recharges the AAA, if it is rechargeable. The battery provides up to 2.5 hours of talk-time, claimed Breiting.

"We are in talks with many mobile phone manufacturers. This product should be out in the market by next year. Though it is for the manufacturer to decide where they will launch these phones, it is ideally suited for the low-revenue areas, so emerging markets should be a viable market," he said.

Techtium says it has tied up with consumer durables' manufacturer Foxda, to launch its new phone to run on two AAA batteries. This one is expected to hit the market by the second quarter of the next fiscal.

Mobile penetration in rural India is still low, at under 10 per cent. Operators and manufacturers are trying to get a share of this untapped pie by devising products to cater to the specific needs of this segment.