Besides the WWF link, the browser on the 3110 Evolve is unremarkable. The low-res display and lack of 3G data connectivity means the mobile web experience is slow and looks a bit basic compared to Nokia’s more sophisticated phones.
You do get the option of using the fine Opera Mini as an alternative to Nokia's browser, and it works well on this phone. You can also skip the browser altogether and use the pre-loaded Yahoo! Go app to get news and other timely information updates. Nokia’s own widgets application, WidSets, provides another option for getting updates from favourite blogs or web-based services.
There’s only 9MB of memory to play with, so you’ll need a MicroSD card
On the basic level of call quality and network holding, the Nokia 3110 Evolve puts in a fine performance. It offers reliably good sound quality and we experienced no network issues. Of course, any planet-saving phone worth its eco salt should offer an energy efficient power performance too.
The 3110 Evolve comes with the same Nokia battery power estimates as the 3110 Classic: up to four hours' talktime or up to 370 hours of standby between charges. That’s no real surprise as they’re essentially the same device under the bio-cover.
Verdict
It’s good to see a major mobile maker upping its environmental awareness in the manufacturing and packaging process. However, the 3110 Evolve is a very small step in that direction. It has a few more green credentials than other phones on the market, but it’s far from being the perfect eco-friendly phone. Anyone thinking of swapping their phone for a greener model would probably do more good by continuing to use their existing model for a while longer.
As a mobile, the Evolve is an unexciting device offering a low-key feature list. Its music player, radio and web-based services mean it's not a back-to-basics handset, but it’s certainly a mobile that’ll sell more for its greenery rather than its gadgetry.
Nokia 3110 Evolve eco-friendly mobile phone
COMMENTS
Nokia have already had solar panels!
Oh yeah of little faith.... "You'll be waiting a while" .... Not true at all. It happened 10 years ago!
The original Nokia 1610/1611/1630 range (circa 1998/1999?) had an optional battery which had solar panels on it.
Admittedly this was an early GSM phone and thus quite large by today's standards, but a benefit of that was the rear surface area of the battery (which just slid straight on/off the back of the phone and therefore was itself the rear panel of the phone) was a fair size.
Mobile manufacturers & retailers eco crimes
"Nokia estimates that if all its phone users across the world unplugged their chargers when not needed, it could save energy equivalent to that needed to power 100,000 average-sized European homes."
Oh great - so it's "our past designs are a massive contributor to global warming so that we could save a nickel on every model, but we're getting so go buy this overpriced low tech phone!".
The most ecological choice is naturally not to upgrade and just soldier on with last years model.
It's worth checking out Greenpeace's site which ranks electronics manufacturers by their "greenness". Last time I looked, Apple got a bad rating, and Sony was towards the top.
green?
"at least Nokia's acknowledging the need for environmental sustainability"
Not so, Nokia's acknowledging the consumer trend to snap up anything with the words 'green' and 'eco' in it's title. Now if only they could get away with calling it the iGreen phone, they wouldn't need to do any marketing, and it'd fly off the shelves 10x faster than ianything ielse i!
What about Frog's concept phone?
Fast Company did a piece on a much greener phone several months ago. It was a concept developed by Frog. No solar cells, but it has a hand crank that can be used for charging. That seems more practical to me.
I'm surprised no one has taken this concept and run with it yet (although the "food sniffer" component seems a bit kooky and could certainly end up on the curb).
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/120/at-frog-being-green-isnt-easy-its-essential.html
@Mark - solar panels
"Still waiting to see a handset with a solar power strip on the back so that it'll charge itself without being plugged into the mains."
You'll be waiting a while - and then a while longer for it to charge. With the efficiency of solar cells (about 15% max) and the environments mobile phones are used (indoors, in pockets, etc) this is totally impractical.
But no doubt someone *will* bring one out, to snag the gullible. I once bought a cheap bicycle computer which happened to boast it was solar powered. I concluded the "solar cell" was a fake - take the battery out even in direct sunlight and it died.
