Motorola to offer phone made from recycled plastic bottles
Written on 11:07 PM by ChaoticMedia
'Touch tablet,' flip phone, rechargeable TV remote and femtocell in a picture frame also to be shown
Matt Hamblen
January 6, 2009 (Computerworld) Motorola Inc. is still in the midst of plans to spin off its mobile handset division in 2010, but will show off a new cell phone made from recycled plastic water bottles at the Consumer Electronics Show later this week.
The Moto W233 Renew is described by Motorola as the "world's first carbon neutral mobile phone." Because it is based on recycled plastics, Motorola said today that 20% less energy is needed to produce the phone, compared to the standard plastic process.
To further the green theme, the Renew will come to customers in a box that is reduced in size, and with brochures printed using vegetable-based inks on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
The conservation theme carries over to the phone itself, with up to nine hours of talk time, meaning users can talk more, charge less and reduce energy usage, Motorola said. Details about pricing, availability, carriers and device specifications were not immediately available. The device was shown in a greenish-yellow skin.
Motorola will also present the Motosurf A3100, a mobile device it describes as a "touch tablet" to be used for data access over HSPA and Wi-Fi wireless networks. It runs Windows Mobile 6.1.
It also has a flip phone, the Motorola Tundra VA76r, that provides push-to-talk capabilities for workforces. The phone will run on AT&T Mobility networks. Others details on the Motosurf and Tundra were not immediately available.
Among other products, Motorola's home and networks division will show a femtocell that CES officials are honoring for innovative furniture design. The KeepMeConnected Femtocells CDMA 9100 Series is a low-cost wireless access point, but unusual because of its touch screen inside a digital picture frame. It will be available from carriers this year and will provide a voice-over-Internet soft phone, a spokesman said.
Motorola is also showing what many TV watchers have been begging for since the invention of the remote control device. The remote, to be available through IPTV carriers this year, is rechargeable and includes a feature similar to the infamous "Clapper" device, allowing a user to find it when lost.
The remote control sits in a base station powered by a wall socket or a USB connection to a set-top device. The base station provides recharging, and also has a switch that triggers an audio tone and flashing lights on the missing remote.
Motorola is also showing a home network device with a WiMax modem and a Wi-Fi router combined. Called the wi4 WiMax CPEi775, it will be available through service providers later this year, Motorola said.
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