SpareOne may be the world's most useful emergency cell phone. It debuted today at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona and runs on a single AA battery, providing up to 10 hours of talk time and 15 years (yes, years) of talk-ready stored power (based on Energizer(R) Ultimate Lithium AA battery, included with the phone.) Because AA batteries are the most widely used batteries in the world, that makes it quite useful, even in the absence of electricity.  Take that, Apple and your 'we don't want you to replace the battery ever' mentality.

 SpareOne also has an emergency call button (such as 911 or 112) and it will access emergency services with or without a SIM card and transmit the phone's current location. That makes it possible for use as urgent response during a crisis or natural disaster, when AA batteries may be the only power source available. Assuming there is cell coverage, of course.

 Standard features are also built in, like the ability to pre-program important phone numbers and auto text reply. Users may swap the SIM cards from their primary cell phones that have lost power, and continue to send and receive calls using their existing phone numbers. SpareOne also comes with a micro SIM adapter to work with iPhone SIM cards. 

Created by XPAL Power, the battery technology company behind leading portable power brands PowerSkin(R) and Energizer(R) Energi to Go(R), SpareOne is a dual-band GSM cell phone with patented technology enabling it to be powered using any AA battery (Alkaline, NiMH or Lithium).

"In addition to providing a vital lifeline during emergencies, SpareOne is a perfect back-up phone that you never have to worry about keeping charged," said Alan Cymberknoh, SpareOne Project Director at XPAL Power.

 SpareOne, will be available mid-March to ship worldwide. Pre-orders currently are being accepted at http://www.SpareOnePhone.com. Different GSM versions of the phone for the Americas and Europe/Asia/Africa/Oceania will be available.