Sprint Goes Green Again

By Kendra Srivastava | Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:21 am
Sprint plans to launch the Samsung Replenish, its fourth eco-phone, on May 8 for $50 with a two-year contract, suggesting a growing consumer interest in green technology.
Built from 82 percent recycled materials, the Replenish is also energy-efficient and features apps from TreeHugger.com and the National Audubon Society. For an extra $30, customers can purchase a solar-paneled back cover to charge the battery. It even comes with a prepaid envelope to send in and recycle your old phone for free.
"We want to make it as simple as we can for our customers to go green," said Dan Hesse, Sprint's CEO. "We are also lowering the monthly rate for this phone by $10 for new or existing customers so it pays for itself within just five months."
As part of its effort to compete with mobile giants AT&T and Verizon, Sprint has tried to differentiate itself with a focus on green devices. Last year, the company was the sixth greenest in U.S. according to Newsweek; Sprint's website outlines its various environmental initiatives, like recycling programs and green apps.

Sprint's earlier green phones, like the Samsung Restore, were also made of recycled materials and met strict standards for environmentally hazardous materials.
The Replenish isn't the only green phone in an increasingly environmentally conscious market. AT&T last year introduced green packaging and mandating that its phones be made from 65 percent recycled materials. Verizon's Motorola Citrus has a casing made of 100 percent recycled plastic.
Looking into the future, Apple recently acquired a solar-power patent that it may use for later versions of the iPhone and iPad.
The Android 2.2-run Replenish resembles the Motorola Droid Pro with its portrait-QWERTY keyboard. It has a 2.8-inch touch screen and a 2.0-megapixel camera.


Sat Apr 09, 2011 7:37 pm
Some of the biggest U.S companies found themselves at odds with U.S. regulators this week, AT&T and Verizon squared off against each other, and a massive leak of personal information raised questions about how companies handle user data. Thu Apr 07, 2011 2:20 pm
Samsung today posted its second straight drop in profit, as consumers delay buying new TVs and gravitate toward competitors in the tablet and phone markets. Tue Apr 05, 2011 2:16 pm
Consumer Reports gave the iPad 2 its top rank, over tablets from Motorola, Dell and Samsung, suggesting Apple's dominance in the sector it pioneered is far from over. Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:56 pm
Amazon may have angered record companies by rushing out its cloud-based music service, while a spate of tech titans are racing to roll out mobile payment systems. Meanwhile, Apple is readying its iPhone 5, widely expected to be showcased at the WWDC conference on June 6. Fri Apr 01, 2011 12:32 pm
Next year's London Olympic games are shaping up to be a showcase for mobile payment technology as companies race for dominance in a potentially massive market.