Throwing down some sort of Captain Planet voodoo, Samsung has managed to take a bunch of plastic bottles and recycle them into the Blue Earth, a solar-powered touchscreen phone backed to the brim with eco-friendliness.
If you opt to hoof it rather than drive, the Blue Earth has a built in pedometer that calculates how much CO2 you’re keeping out of the air. Run out of juice during your stroll? The back of the phone is decked out with solar panels, allowing you to charge up wherever you are. Well, as long as the sun is out. And “wherever you are” is outside. You know what I mean.
Of course, solar panels aren’t efficient enough to charge you up the way a good ol’ 2 prong can, so they include a standard charger in the (recycled) box). But don’t feel guilty: it’s designed for energy efficiency and, like the handset, free of harmful materials.
The Blue Earth will launch in the UK in the second half of 2009, and it probably won’t be alone. We’re hearing a good number of manufacturers talking about solar phones for Mobile World Congress, primarily for emerging markets where power outlets aren’t necessarily common place – so keep an eye out for more.
