Samsung Unveils Solar Cell Phone

At this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) yesterday, Samsung unveiled a new touch-screen cell phone that will be of particular interest to environment-conscious individuals and businesses. Termed "Blue Earth," the device is armed with a solar panel on the back--it takes 10-14 hours of sunlight exposure to fully charge the battery, which lasts for 4 hours of talk time.

Additionally, the Blue Earth is composed of recycled plastic, the packaging comes from recycled paper, and the battery charger is a "5 star energy efficient charger." Through 'eco mode', the phone offers easy ways to reduce energy consumption using energy-efficient lighting settings; also, an 'eco walk' function allows you to count your steps with a built-in pedometer to calculate how much CO2 emissions you've reduced by walking (and how many trees you've saved). The Blue Earth cell phone is a part of a push by Samsung to promote environmentally conscious products under the slogan "The Blue Earth Dream: Eco-living with SAMSUNG mobile."

"Samsung's 'The Blue Earth Dream' demonstrates our small but meaningful commitments for the future and our environment," said Mr. JK Shin, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics in a press release. "We are committed to achieving the highest eco-status with our customers and business partners by providing the best eco-products and promoting eco-activities."

Currently, information on the specs and capabilities of the Blue Earth phone is unavailable. To learn more about Samsung's initiatives at this year's MWC, visit www.samsungmwc.com. To learn more about the MWC, which goes through this Wednesday, visit www.mobileworldcongress.com.

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