Motorola to launch eco-friendly phone

Motorola Inc. will introduce three new mobile phones this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, including the first in a developing line of “eco-Moto” products.

The Moto W233 Renew (left) is in line with an unofficial green theme of the 2009 CES gadget-fest, which officially opens Thursday, with several product makers introducing items that consume less energy or are made of recycled materials. Motorola is using recycled water bottles to make the plastic housing protecting the Renew, which will be available at T-Mobile in the first quarter.

Motorola didn’t disclose a price for the Renew, but a spokeswoman said it will be “very affordable.”

The Schaumburg company called it “the world’s first carbon neutral phone.” In an alliance with Carbonfund.org, Motorola said it has offset “the carbon dioxide required to manufacture, distribute and operate the phone through investments in renewable energy sources and reforestation.”

Also, Motorola will include a postage-paid envelope in the Renew’s packaging to encourage buyers to return their old mobile phone for recycling.

Motorola is likely to introduce more eco-Moto products this year, now that the company has developed “green design” standards to study the environmental impact of its products.

For people whose phones gather a lot of environmental detritus because their gadgets hit the ground often, Motorola also will introduce the Tundra VA76r. It’s a phone designed for campers and contractors that can withstand drops, rain and severe temperature swings.

The "rugged" phone (right) will include two microphones to help drown out exterior noise and improve call quality. Motorola calls the technology CrystalTalk 2.

Prices have not been announced, but it will be available from AT&T on Jan. 13.

Finally, the MotoSurf A3100 (left) smartphone will be launched in Asia and Latin America in the first quarter. The touch-controlled phone will run on the Windows Mobile 6.1 software platform.

A Motorola spokeswoman said there are no U.S. plans for the MotoSurf.

That’s a shame since it looks like an interesting product and U.S. consumers are still waiting for a follow-up to the Moto Q smartphone, launched in 2006.