A serious concern on the usage of electronics and more importantly cell phones, is the ecological implications they have. The digital wastes have a lot of negative impact which is basically a cumulative recipe for disaster for our planet earth.

In wake of these concerns, the companies like Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson have focused their research on ecologically less damaging mobile phones for the concerned users.

  • Already available in the UK, Samsung’s Blue Earth Phone is the latest offering on solar-powered mobile phone market. It is a touch screen smart phone that  generates its own battery requirements with a built-in solar panel on the back. Also is that it is made from post-consumer recycled content—PCM, which is a plastic made from recycled water bottles. Its  charging mechanism does not produce toxic chemicals like phthalates, brominated flame retardants (BFR), and beryllium and is delivered in recycled packaging.
  • Sony Ericsson’s latest two launches, the Elm and the Hazel—are creating the most hype. The GreenHeart project aims to integrate environmental advances across Sony Ericsson’s entire product lines, these phones are loaded with eco-friendly features. Both are made of recycled plastic and are made without toxic chemicals and come with energy-efficient chargers to lower energy losses. More interesting is how they are packagedminimally and use eco-friendly paints.
  • LG recently launched a cell phone with solar cells embedded in the actual phone. A slim-line phone with simple, sleek design features, the LG POP  can capture enough energy for 2.25 minutes of talk time in about 10 minutes of charge-time. And it is PVC-free and made without BFR.

The focus on these phones are a clear cut indication that the eco-concern of the users is getting addressed by the makers. But to become a success, users will have to get used to dismantling their old phones for these, which will also create eco-concerns. Will users be ready to dig out the extra for these green gadgets?

Let’s keep our fingers crossed and wait for the future.

Already available in the UK, Samsung’s Blue Earth Phone is another take on the solar-powered mobile phone. It is a touch screen smart phone that can generate its own power with a built-in solar panel on the back.What makes this mobile device even more green is that it is made from post-consumer recycled content—PCM, which is a plastic made from recycled water bottles (recycled waste).

Additionally, it has a super efficient charger (where traditionally you lose a lot of wasted energy), and is made without toxic chemicals like phthalates, brominated flame retardants (BFR), and beryllium, to name a few. Plus, it’s delivered in recycled packaging, too.

By Kar

Dr. Kar works in the interface of digital transformation and data science. Professionally a professor in one of the top B-Schools of Asia and an alumni of XLRI, he has extensive experience in teaching, training, consultancy and research in reputed institutes. He is a regular contributor of Business Fundas and a frequent author in research platforms. He is widely cited as a researcher. Note: The articles authored in this blog are his personal views and does not reflect that of his affiliations.