For all the battering that Nokia has gotten lately for falling behind in mobile innovation and market trends one thing that makes me admire them so much is that they develop products and services for markets that other mobile brands rarely take interest in. In direct congruence to this habit Nokia unveiled its Mobile Bicycle Charger Kit at a press conference in Nairobi last week.

The goal behind Nokia’s Mobile Bicycle Charger Kit is to provide free and environmentally friendly electricity for mobile handsets. This is especially important for markets like Africa where electricity is largely expensive and not always readily available, especially in rural Africa. At the same time, considering that bicycles are generally a major form of transport it makes sense to turn a simple ride into electricity for your mobile handset.

The Kit consists of a charger and dynamo, as well as a holder to secure the phone to the bike. When the kit is installed, the dynamo – a small electrical generator – uses the movement of the wheels to charge the handset through the standard 2mm charging jack used in most Nokia mobile phones.

Alex Lambeek, vice president at Nokia said at the launch that “You must look at a number of things when it comes to power management – such as ensuring the phone’s operating system is as power-efficient as possible. Now, with our innovative bike charger, people get even more freedom to use their Nokia without worrying about battery life.”

He also added, “Bicycles are the most widespread means of transport in many markets around the world, so this is just one more benefit to be gained from an activity people are already doing. This is a great solution to a real challenge, whether people will use it due to limited access to electricity, or to be more environmentally responsible.” The kit will be available before the end of the year in selected retailers and Nokia online and branded retailers.”