LG and Sprint are using Earth Day (April 22) to launch the green-credentialed LG Optimus Elite smartphone. The successor to the LG Optimus S, the new handset features Android 2.3, a 3.5-inch capacitive touch-screen, 800 MHz processor, plus a 5 MP rear-facing camera and camcorder with flash.
Sprint will launch the LG Optimus Elite on Sunday April 22 but release details for its no-contract brand, Virgin Mobile USA, are yet to be announced.
This smartphone's casing is made of 50 percent recycled plastics and it is also free of hazardous materials such as PVC, halogens, mercury and phthalates. Its charger exceeds the requirements of the EC Code of Conduct on energy efficiency in terms of no-load consumption, consuming only 0.03 watts of power when plugged into a wall socket without being connected to the phone.
The packaging also boasts green attributes. The version sold from Sprint is fully recyclable, is printed with soy ink and the paper is 87 percent post-consumer and glueless. That figure goes down to 30 percent for the Virgin Mobile USA version. Most of the thermoform plastic (up for 70 percent) contains a combination of either post-industrial or post-consumer waste. The Virgin Mobile USA version comes in fully recyclable packaging that uses soy inks, and contains up to 30 percent post-consumer paper.
This is also the first Virgin Mobile product to be enabled with Near Field Communication (NFC). This capability makes it possible to access mobile payment services such as Google Wallet, which is already supported by mainstream retailers such as Bloomingdales and Macy's, to name but a few.
Sprint is launching the LG Optimus Elite for $29.99 on a two-year service agreement.
Source: Sprint