Samsung announced their Blue Earth device, an eco-friendly smartphone powered by the sun. This fully touchscreen phone is expected to be available in Sweden by the end of this month, followed by France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal, and other European/Asian countries.

So one would expect a solar-powered smartphone to skimp on features, yes? Well, it sure doesn’t look like it based on these specs:

• Quad-band GSM/HSDPA connectivity
• 3.0 inch WQVGA capacitive touchscreen
• 3.2 megapixel camera
• MicroSD slot
• Stereo FM radio
• Bluetooth with A2DP

What sets Blue Earth apart from other phones is that the back panel is lined with solar cells that charge the phone in direct sunlight. Not only that, the device’s casing is made from recycled plastic, is packed with recycled paper, is able to go into an “eco-mode” power conservation mode, and is bundled with a 5 star energy efficient charger. Now that’s what I call green…err…Blue.

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