The first solar powered full-touch screen phone, Samsung ‘Blue Earth’, will soon be available in shops. The eco-friendly phone is small enough to fit in your pocket.  The phone symbolizing a flat, shiny pebble is part of Samsung’s environmental initiative. The company wants to reduce its CO2 emissions, eliminate the use of hazardous substances and encourage cell phone recycling.

How does the phone work? On the back of the phone there is a solar panel which generates enough power to complete a call. You would have around four hours of talk time with a full solar charge of around 10 to 14 hours. A conventional plug can also be used to charge the handset. The phone has an Eco Mode to save energy by lowering the backlight levels, and switching off Bluetooth. The body of the phone is made of PCM, which is a plastic extracted from recycled water bottles.

Minimal packaging made entirely from recycled paper makes the Blue Phone even greener. The phone also includes has a pedometer, CO2 emissions calculator, and comes with an energy efficient charger that uses standby power lower than 0.03W. The phone and charger are free from harmful and toxic substances such as brominated flame retardants, beryllium and phthalates.