14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung Mobile and Sprint have announced the official launch of their eco-friendly cell phone, the Samsung Restore. The device is an 84% recyclable phone with an outer casing that contains 27% post-consumer recycled plastic. With an entirely recyclable package, powered by an Energy Star version 2.0 energy-efficient charger, an online user manual replacing the classic paper one and environmentally sensitive materials like PVC, PFRs, Phthalates and Beryllium in quantities that are fully compliant with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) standards, the Samsung Restore is truly a “green” phone.
“Samsung Restore builds on the legacy of creating eco-friendly devices that started with Samsung Reclaim,” Kevin Packingham, senior vice president–Product Development, Sprint, said. “It is a full-featured messaging device that offers a full range of multimedia and entertainment capabilities, without sacrificing our commitment to the environment.”
The Samsung Restore is a messaging-oriented handset that sports a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 2-megapixel camera and camcorder, Stereo Bluetooth wireless technology, MP3 player and memory that can be expanded to 32GB with the use of a microSD memory card. The two colors that Sprint customers will be able to choose from are Midnight and Limeade.
Sprint was the first company to introduce green specifications for its devices across the United States, thus playing a very important role in the reduction of the environmentally sensitive materials used in the mobile phone-manufacture industry. Sprint's efforts towards a more eco-friendly mobile industry have positioned the company on the 15th place in Newsweek's 2009 Green Rankings and it is also the only United States telecom in the top 100.
“Following the success of Samsung Reclaim, our first eco-friendly device with Sprint, Samsung Restore furthers Samsung’s overall commitment to creating environmentally sound products without sacrificing impressive features and stylish design,” Omar Khan, senior vice president of strategy and product management for Samsung Mobile, said.
The cell phone is available for Sprint customers starting with June 6, and can be purchased for $49.99 with a two-year contract after a $50 mail-in rebate, from any Sprint store or the company's web page.