Barcelona , Spain ( CNN ) -- Is it time to start carrying two mobile phones ? With the launch of a new no-frills handset , at least one manufacturer is hoping more people might soon be relying on multiple mobiles . Unveiling its cheapest ever mobile phone , a $ 20 handset with a 35-hour battery , Nokia said the device 's extraordinary staying power could make it popular as a backup for when our main handsets run out of juice or prove too bulky to carry around . As he touted the Nokia 105 at this week 's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona , an annual showcase for the newest hand-held gadgets , the company 's chief executive Stephen Elop suggested that the time has come for some of us to be using two phones . While some might balk at the idea of filling their pockets with yet more technology , the enduring popularity of some existing low-priced models suggests Elop could be right . Modern mobiles might be capable of all sorts of trickery , but thanks to power-hungry screens and processors , many are incapable of staying switched on for long , despite the aid of various apps designed to wring out every last drop of battery power . Not so Nokia 's 105 . Although this barebones device offers none of the internet connectivity of most modern phones , it will be able to sit on standby for more than a month between charges . The handset , which also features a dust and splash-proof keypad and an FM radio , has been primarily launched as a low-end phone that would appeal to customers in the developing world who may have infrequent access to electricity . Nokia hopes that by focusing on budget as well as top end users it can reclaim ground from rivals such as Apple , Samsung and ZTE who have in recent years undermined the Finnish multinational 's previously dominant position . Elop , Nokia 's chief executive , told CNN his company hoped other budget models such as the Lumia 520 , which includes top-end features such as internet and email access and a camera but a lower-end price of about $ 180 , would help it corner this market . Nokia is n't alone in targeting this sector . Earlier this month Microsoft announced a partnership with Chinese manufacturer Huawei to create a sub- $ 150 smartphone specifically aimed at developing markets in Africa . But elsewhere in the world , Elop said his cheapest device would appeal as either a failsafe that users can turn to when their smarter handsets are struck dumb by power outage or as a novelty stand-in for costlier , bigger devices . `` For some people it is their first mobile phone in an emerging economy for example , '' he said . `` For others it might be the device they toss into the glove box of the car as a backup device or maybe something retro chic that they might carry with them to a party and slip into a clutch instead of their larger smartphone . '' Of course , Nokia 's 105 is n't the only no-frills handset on the market . Many manufacturers continue to produce phones that retail so cheaply that some are treated as disposable . Over the past three years , Alcatel 's OT-209 , for instance , has sold in steady numbers to users lured by pre-paid package deals that cost just a few dollars a month . But none of these boast the 35-day battery life that would make them suitable for an always-on emergency standby . Elop is no stranger to multiple mobiles , admitting to CNN that up to 15 devices usually accompany him on his travels , although these are usually consigned to his luggage . `` Normally in my pockets I have four or five , '' he said , adding that his array of handsets usually included rival models that he carried around to keep tabs on Nokia 's opposition . But he declined to reveal the contents of his pockets to CNN on the grounds that at least one of the devices could be a Nokia prototype that needed to stay under wraps .
Nokia chief exec suggests its customers will use $ 20 mobile as a backup . Comment: Phone is part of Nokia 's strategy of cornering budget end of mobile market .