Sony Ericsson's Greenheart Line Introduces New Options for Eco Cell Phones

Eco-friendly cell phone options continue to expand with more mobile manufacturers striving to eliminate the harmful carcinogens found in typical handsets.  We've already seen Samsung's efforts, with the super chic, solar powered Blue Earth and the bioplastic Reclaim on the Sprint network.

Sony Ericsson is making the mobile industry even greener with the latest additions to their eco-friendly Greenheart line of phones and accessories.  Joining the C901 camera phone and the recycled Naite, the Elm and Hazel promise users even more technology in a green package.  A noise shield Bluetooth kit, also made of recycled materials, is also a part of the Greenheart family.

About Greenheart

Sony Ericsson's Greenheart line strives to encompass everything an eco-friendly cell phone should be - great looking, feature packed, and planet safe.

• Handsets give new life to water bottles and CDs rather than producing new plastic;
• Locally sourced water-based paints lower VOCs and decrease CO2 emissions;
• Harmful substances like PVC and Beryllium are completely eliminated;
• Phone chargers are Energy Star compliant and feature an unplug reminder;
• Small, lightweight packaging reduces transport emissions by at least 80%;
• E-manuals, stored within the phones, saves about 13,000 trees;

Greenheart phones also come with eco-friendly applications, including WalkMate, EcoMate, and the Eco Calculator.  By 2011, Sony Ericsson plans to have all their products and accessories within the Greenheart line.

The Elm and the Hazel

Both of the latest Greenheart handsets feature fun and functional applications, including a camera, video and music player, and an innovative Widget Manager that allows convenient access to social networking applications like Twitter and Facebook.

The eco-friendly cell phones also boast Noise Shield and Clear Voice features to filter out background noise for a clearer, crisper call experience and Intelligent Volume Adaptation to further enhance call clarity.

Visit the Greenheart website for additional information.

Sprint Goes Green With New Eco Mobile Accessories

Truly green cell phones, like the Samsung Blue Earth, are not yet available to US subscribers but Sprint's new eco-friendly mobile accessories are making the market a bit more sustainable.  Sprint was recognized by the EPA in October, 2008 as a 'Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal Setter' after promising to reduce emissions by 15% before 2017. The company has also vowed to recycle at least 90% of their phones by the same deadline.

Two eco-friendly accessories have joined the Sprint product lineup, with a promise of more green mobile goodies to come:

The Universal Hybrid Charger is manufactured by Solio and uses 

stored solar energy to charge your cell phone, iPod, or digital camera. Solio offers a variety of clean energy charging solutions that store power for up to a year. The solar phone charger requires 8 to 10 hours of sunlight for a full internal charge - enough to charge your cell phone twice - and includes an optional wall or USB plug for faster recharge.

100% recycled fabric phone cases are supplied by Nite Ize and are universal carrying cases available in 2 sizes to accommodate most handsets. Nite Ize offers a variety of durable phone cases, but this is their first eco-friendly option. There are 2 versions to choose from - regular Tone with a convenient belt clip or Tone Nite Club with additional space for lipstick and ID cards. Both models are available in 2 colors.   

We can't wait to see more eco-friendly cell phones and accessories made available to US subscribers! 

Source: Sprint Releases Eco-friendly Accessories

Samsung Inches Closer to the Green Cell Phone Finish Line

The race to make the first green cell phone is apparently almost over - and it looks like Samsung may be the first to the finish line!

Samsung's Blue Earth is currently on exhibit at the GMSA Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona and will be the first functional solar powered cell phone on the market when it makes its expected debut in the UK later this year.  

The handset, created to resemble a smooth pebble, pushes the right environmental buttons with its BFR and PVC-free design.  The casing is made of recycled bottles and the back of the phone boasts a solar panel said to create enough power to keep a full charge during use on a sunny day.

When solar power isn't enough, Blue Earth's charger operates on less than .03 watts of electricity.  Battery life shouldn't be too much of a concern for Blue Earth users though - the phone's 'eco-mode' allows custom settings for the screen and backlight, as well as Bluetooth settings, to maximize energy efficiency.  

All the environmentally-friendly features of Samsung's Blue Earth deserve an eco-gimmicky sidekick.  The 'eco-walk' feature is more than a handy pedometer!  In this mode, you can count your steps while tracking the carbon you've saved by walking instead of driving - counted with a display of colorful trees.

Specifications, pricing, and other details regarding the Samsung Blue Earth are not available (at the time of posting), but the phone is planned to launch in the UK in the latter part of 2009.  We can't wait to see what's next for green cell phones!