Just as pocket-sized solar gadget chargers are becoming popular, SunCore, a five-year-old startup, wants to take things to the next level with its Novacell light charger--a gadget charger that can use room light, sunlight, or even a flashlight to juice up electronics.

The charger, which connects to cell phones via a USB connection, gets light from the entire light spectrum--indigo to violet. SunCore is also working on light-powered batteries that can be used on almost any existing phone (sorry, iPhone users, you don't have a removable battery).

China is getting the Novacell charger first, with an $800,000 test order going to China Mobile followed by a $21 million order if all goes well. But the rest of us might not have to wait much longer for light-powered batteries. Cell-phone manufacturer HTC has ordered 100,000 batteries for a test run, and Research in Motion (manufacturer of the Blackberry) is also testing out the product. No word on how much a light-powered battery could add to the overall cost of a cell phone, however.

If test runs of SunCore's technology are successful, it may signal the end of purely solar-powered electronics chargers. It just doesn't make sense to stick a pricey piece of equipment out in the sun for eight hours where it can be stolen, lost, or forgotten about.

[Via Physorg]