Sprint picks Samsung Restore for green thumbs

Earth Day is just a couple of days away, but Sprint and Samsung are getting a head start by introducing their latest eco-friendly cell phone, the Samsung Restore.

Due out this summer, the Restore is a messaging-centric handset with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a midlevel feature set that includes a 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, stereo Bluetooth, an MP3 player, and support for various Sprint services (Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, Sprint Family Locator, and Sprint Football Live).

Joining the Samsung Reclaim, the Restore is Sprint's third green phone and has an outer casing that is made up of 27-percent post-consumer recycled plastic and meets the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) standards, meaning that it has low levels of environmentally sensitive materials (PVC, BFRs, Phthalates, and Beryllium). In addition, the Restore will come with an energy-efficient charger and 100 percent of the phone's packaging will be recyclable. The phone itself is 84 percent recyclable.

Though a specific availability date was not announced at this time, the companies did release pricing details. The Samsung Restore will go for $49.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. You'll also have the choice of two colors: Midnight or Limeade.