Apple ups the recycled materials in its new iPhones

The company is putting recycled tin in its phones' logic boards.

Joan E. Solsman Former Senior Reporter

Joan E. Solsman was CNET's senior media reporter, covering the intersection of entertainment and technology. She's reported from locations spanning from Disneyland to Serbian refugee camps, and she previously wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. She bikes to get almost everywhere and has been doored only once.

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Three Folio Eddie award wins: 2018 science & technology writing (Cartoon bunnies are hacking your brain), 2021 analysis (Deepfakes' election threat isn't what you'd think) and 2022 culture article (Apple's CODA Takes You Into an Inner World of Sign)

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Shara Tibken Former managing editor

Shara Tibken was a managing editor at CNET News, overseeing a team covering tech policy, EU tech, mobile and the digital divide. She previously covered mobile as a senior reporter at CNET and also wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Shara is a native Midwesterner who still prefers "pop" over "soda."

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Joan E. Solsman

Shara Tibken

Sept. 12, 2018 11:38 a.m. PT

2 min read

Lisa Jackson stands in front of a projection of an iPhone. — At Apple's iPhone event on Wednesday, executive Lisa Jackson touted the company's environmental record.
James Martin/CNET

Apple's newest iPhones are using recycled tin in their logic boards, and cover glass that's 32 percent bio-based plastic, the company said Wednesday during an unveiling event for the smartphones. The news marks the company's latest attempts to mitigate the effect its products have on the environment.

Lisa Jackson, Apple's executive who oversees environmental issues, made the announcements as she restated some of Apple's environmental bona fides, like moving all its facilities to using only renewable energy.

Apple, which in August became the US' first trillion-dollar company, has been soaring during the past few years, largely thanks to the success of the iPhone. Apple makes about two-thirds of its revenue from the device, and the gadget also has helped the company's services businesses -- which includes the App Store and Apple Music -- grow quickly.

Last year's iPhone X proved to be popular, despite its higher price tag. Apple sold 41.3 million iPhones in its most recent quarter, nearly flat compared with the previous year's 41.03 million but better than some analysts expected. The company said the device has been its best-selling iPhone since it hit the market in early November, and it's helped the average selling price of Apple's devices jump above $700. In the fiscal third quarter that ended in June, the average selling price of its iPhones climbed to $724 from $606 a year ago.

Still, the popularity of the iPhone X wasn't enough for Apple to hold onto its position as the world's second-biggest smartphone vendor. Instead, China-based Huawei leapfrogged Apple by shipping 54 million handsets in the quarter, up 41 percent from the previous year. Huawei's gain came despite the fact it's been all but shut out of the US market. It's the first time in seven years that Apple and Samsung -- still No. 1 -- haven't controlled the top two spots.