It was developed by a subsidiary of TennRich International, a Taiwan-based electronics component and rechargeable battery producer.

The phone went on sale in the U.S. from April on a company for US$70, and a company spokeswoman said it sold about 2,000 units in its first month. The company plans to launch in Europe and Asia this year, and is also marketing the handset to rental car companies and mobile operators. The pricing of the device in Asia and Europe has not been finalized.

This isn't the first mobile to use disposable batteries for power. The FrvrOn basic handset manufactured by Olive Telecom in India has a traditional rechargeable battery but can also run off a single, replaceable AAA battery.