I really don’t know why we don’t see more of this melding of the new and old school. Sure, there are products on the market that let you charge your phone with batteries or through the car’s cigarette lighter, but these are aftermarket solutions. This one has a slot for an AAA battery built in, letting you rock out with 3 more hours of talk time. Of course, a AAA is a bit chunky by today’s standards; it’s far thicker than my Samsung Trace and wouldn’t even fit comfortably anywhere in my big ol’ Helio Ocean.

Well, Philips’ 9@9j isn’t the sveltest of phones, it looks like, but it’s a cool capability to have if you’re, say, on a business trip and don’t want to try finding a plug in the airport. Although I have to take issue with the name. It doesn’t even make sense in 1337speak.

MWC 2008: Philips Xenium 9@9j phone has AAA battery backup [Tech Digest]