Motorola lauds world’s first “carbon neutral” phone

by Stevie Smith - Jan 12 2009, 13:00

With a recent environmental report suggesting Web browsing could be creating up to 0.2g of carbon dioxide every second, any suddenly guilty eco-conscious consumers looking to offset that online usage should perhaps consider embracing Motorola’s new “carbon neutral” Renew W233.

Moreover, the American handset manufacturer’s aptly titled green device is made of recycled plastic bottles, consumes around 20 percent less energy than a similarly styled phone, and doesn’t even come with the added eco-burden of Internet access – because it doesn’t have any.

Other green points taken into consideration by Motorola include a 22 percent reduction in packaging requirements, 100 percent recyclable printed materials, and even a postage-paid envelope for future post-in recycling of the handset.

And, adding to the phone’s eco credentials, Carbonfund.org has given the Renew 233 its CarbonFree product certification.

Of course, the lack of online connectivity will likely alienate a great amount of prospective buyers (eco-conscious or otherwise), but the Renew W233 is certainly worth considering for those keen to do nothing more than embrace a simple mobile phone that’s kind to the environment.

Beyond its florescent green design aesthetic, the little dual-band GSM handset comes with a modest 1.6-inch display screen, Motorola’s proprietary CrystalTalk noise reduction technology, up to 720 hours of talk time, and also a microSD slot for data storage.

Sadly, Motorola’s claims of reduced power usage seem directly connected to the Renew’s glaring lack of features, which sees the handset devoid of online connectivity and even something as standard as a built-in digital camera.

Unveiled by Motorola during last week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the Renew W233 has yet to be officially priced.

In terms of regional availability, the phone is expected to hit the U.S. market before the end of Q1, while Europe should receive it in the latter half of 2009.

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