Sony Ericsson GreenHeart

As expected, Sony Ericsson on Thursday pledged itself to an environmentally friendly track with the launch of its GreenHeart line. The C901 GreenHeart and Naite (both links active soon) are both made of at least 50 percent recycled plastic and have ambient light sensors that dim the display to save power. Apps onboard each also encourage non-car transportation with the C901 comparing walking routes versus driving, while the Naite has a carbon footprint calculator for trips.

Both drop paper manuals in favor of building them into the phone menus. The Naite also has a new low-power charger that reduces the amount of energy sent to the phone, particularly when it's already at a full charge.

Of the two, the C901 bar phone is the most advanced phone and has a 5-megapixel camera with a xenon flash and face detection. It has at least assisted GPS functionality, including geotagged photos, and has a motion sensor for rotating the display as well as for gaming. Memory Stick Micro continues to provide storage. Sony Ericsson ships the 3G-aware C901 by the end of the month and notes a version will be ready for North American carriers, albeit only with 2G (EDGE).

The Naite is closer to a mid-range bar design with its camera stepping down to 2 megapixels and without the location or motion features outside of Google Maps. However, it adds North America-native 3G and backs away from Sony's proprietary Memory Stick in favor of more universal microSD cards. Shipments should start during the summer.

By Electronista Staff