Unit B101 – Technology Context Presentation By Pritanya Fritz SAMSUNG Blue Earth

Introduction Mobile phone manufacturers were not mainly known for their environmental awareness until now This presentation will be a study of the Samsung Blue Earth and it’s positive impact on the environment We will be focusing on: The Design

SAMSUNG Blue Earth Previously, eco-friendly mobiles meant lower-energy consuming mobile phones with very limited feature sets. In 2009 SAMSUNG introduced the “Blue Earth”, the first solar powered touch screen phone. This is a very innovative product as it is the first of it’s kind. It combines the latest multimedia features and stylish design harmoniously, while achieving lower energy consumption and incorporating eco-friendly materials Which includes: hardware: Solar panel Hardware is built without harmful substances Outer casing made from recycled plastic bottles Software Eco Mode functionality Unique interface

Design It designed to represent a flat. Well rounded pebble It has a soothing design with its royal blue casing and clean lines It comes with a unique user interface which is designed to draw attention to preserving our fragile environment.

Recycled Materials Blue Earth is made from Post Consumer Material (PCM), which is extracted from water bottles, helping to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions during the manufacturing process. The device, including the charger, is also free from harmful substances such as Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Phthalate.

Solar Panel The Solar panel can be found on the back; it covers almost the entire battery cover and sits just below the camera lens. By charging with the solar panels users can generate enough power to make calls anytime anywhere Solar power in its essence is collecting and using the energy released from the Sun. Solar energy is considered one of the most eco-friendly energy sources and it helps users reduce usage of energy from non-renewable sources

ECO - Mode The eco-mode allows for even better conservation of power By enabling the brightness of the screen and backlight to be adjusted in order to save energy. Eco – Walk lets the user know how many trees have been saved by walking instead of driving. The eco-interface give the user an even deeper personal commitment to the eco-friendly lifestyle In addition to the eco mode there is also the Eco-Pedometer, Eco- tips, and Eco-calendar

Setbacks for ‘Blue Earth’ Fast growing need for devices Rapid technology change According to Jessica Sandin, businesses rely on the churning out of ever-more sophisticated handsets and making us trade up every year, this will be a setback for this design because the user is always encouraged to trade up to the latest handset which in itself is not environmentally beneficial. Users may be excited by the new innovative design but there is always the appeal of the next new idea.

Conclusion As years gone we have gradually become more aware of the need for energy conservation and the need to reduce CO2 emissions and with that fact Samsung has taken that step to harness our main source of energy (the sun) to benefit us in or everyday life seeing as more than 80% of people use mobiles within the UK. According to JK Shin Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics “in increasing environmental awareness, SAMSUNG is developing ways to reduce CO2 emissions and to save energy at every stage of the product life cycle, as an effective response to climate change.” This has been portrayed in all aspects of this mobile and I believe that it will appeal and attract both gadget lovers and environmentalist alike; overall Samsung has achieved their goal in breaking new ground to protecting the environment

References Image 1 – Samsung Blue Earth(2009) Retrieved from: Image 2 – Samsung logo Retrieved from: Image 3 – Convenient solar charging, Conserve all we love (2009) Retrieved from: 7/gt_s7550ebaxso/ConvenientSolarCharging.jpg 7/gt_s7550ebaxso/ConvenientSolarCharging.jpg Image 4 – Eco-friendly materials, Conserve all we love (2009) Retrieved from: 7/gt_s7550ebaxso/EcoFriendlyMaterials_2.jpg 7/gt_s7550ebaxso/EcoFriendlyMaterials_2.jpg Image 5 – Eco-Mode, Conserve all we love (2009) Retrieved from 7/gt_s7550ebaxso/EcoLifestyleInterface_1.jpg 7/gt_s7550ebaxso/EcoLifestyleInterface_1.jpg

References Contd’d Samsung Launches “Blue Earth”- the First Full-Touch Eco-Friendly Mobile Phone(February, ) Retrieved from: =productnews&news_type=consumerproduct&news_ctgry=mo bilephone&news_seq= =productnews&news_type=consumerproduct&news_ctgry=mo bilephone&news_seq=12422 Samsung Blue Earth(Conserve all we love 2009) Retrieved from: phone/style/GT-S7550EBAXSO/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail phone/style/GT-S7550EBAXSO/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail Sandin, Jessica New Media Age; 9/10/2009, p21-21, 1/2p Mobile usage statistic: retrieved from: mobile-phones mobile-phones