Samsung Blue Earth (Samsung GT-S7550)

Discontinued
25th October 2009

The Samsung Blue Earth (or GT-S7550) was first announced way back in February 2009, and we were beginning to think that this particular phone would never actually make it to market.

What makes the Blue Earth interesting is a large solar panel on the back, so it is possible to recharge the handset by using sunlight. It doesn't just stop there, the Blue Earth is made largely from recycled plastics, comes with an ultra-efficient charger and even the cardboard box it comes in can be re-used as a photo frame or pen holder if you desire.

We have seen a few solar devices before, for example the Samsung Crest Solar E1107. But previous solar-powered phones have been very basic, the Blue Earth is a much more upmarket device.

The Blue Earth has changed a lot since the first time we saw it, so our initial expectations are no longer accurate. This is a 3.5G device with WiFi support, GPS and a large 3.0" 400 x 280 pixel touchscreen display. On the back is a 3.2 megapixel camera, and the Blue Earth also comes with a multimedia player, FM radio and microSD expandable memory to store media files and data.

From the specifications, it is clear that the Blue Earth is no shrinking violet when it comes to technical features. This does mean though that power demands will be a lot more than a basic phone, and as a result, there's a fairly hefty 1080 mAh battery included. Samsung say that the Blue Earth's solar cell can give 10 minutes of talktime from an hour's charge in sunlight, which sounds pretty useful. The cell appears to be similar to the one in the S8000, so we guess that the Blue Earth has a talktime of at least 4 hours.. this means that taking the phone from zero charge to full charge would actually involve leaving the phone in the sun for 24 hours or more.

To be honest, we think that the solar panel is only marginally useful. But we are impressed by the use of post-consumer waste (i.e. recycled plastic bottles), and the Blue Earth is also free of PVC and other potentially harmful substances.

One other problem with the solar panel is security - the phone itself is expected to retail at something like €400, which makes it potentially an attractive device to steal. Some care will need to be taken with it to make sure that it isn't left unattended.

As for the software, the Blue Earth has all the other usual features plus an "Eco Walk" application that encourages to get out of the car and pound the pavements. The GPS receiver supports Google Maps, which is good for a lot of things but not great for using in the car.. although the solar panel would be ideal for this task.

Overall, this is an attractive and well-specified handset that does make some serious attempts at reducing the environmental impact it makes. Some people will get more use out of the solar panel than others, but if all else fails then it is at least something that will impress your friends.

Samsung say that the Blue Earth is due in Sweden sometime this month, with other European and Asian countries to follow.