RIM BlackBerry scored the worst in GoodGuide’s list of green cell phone manufacturers. According to an article by Wendy Koch, USA Today, BlackBerry only earned a 3.3 rating, mostly for the company’s environmental record. Nokia took top honors, with Samsung coming in second. Apple’s iPhone also scored in the lower half of the manufacturers, again not because the material in the iPhone is toxic, but because Apple itself has problems with its “ethical policies and performance.” Nokia scored as the top green manufacturer. 26 of 30 of the top cell phones scored were made by Nokia, each scoring 7.7 or 7.6 out of a possible 10 points. Nokia C6 scored best overall. This is pretty impressive.

Did Your Cell Phone Make the Green List?

“Our highest-rated cellphones have energy-efficient chargers and are made of environmentally preferable materials,” says a scorecard of 596 cellphones from 16 manufacturers by Good Guide, a company that rates products for their health, environmental and social impacts. The ranking says the top scorers are made by companies “implementing green production practices and takeback recycling programs.”

IDC (International Data Corporation) has its own list of good and bad manufacturers. The IDC study analyzes the sustainability efforts of 10 manufacturers. It ranks these manufacturers by their overall sustainability strategy, packaging, materials, energy, and end-of-life programs.

“Mobile operators play an important role in handset sustainability,” says Stephen Drake, program VP, Mobility and Telecom. “While they do not produce mobile phones, they are instrumental in driving the design, packaging, and materials used in handsets and are in the forefront in device lifecycle management from procurement to takeback. As the connection to the end customers, they can also influence end-user purchasing and are therefore critical players in the sustainable handset ecosystem.” IDC had this to say about the top 5 manufacturers on their list (alphabetically):

AT&T, for its broad focus on trying to pick sustainable handsets
Deutsche Telekom, for is focus on the raw materials in the mobile phones on its network
Sprint Nextel, for its efforts to develop eco-criteria that have been used to develop a specific line of green mobile phones
Telefonica, which has developed an eco-rating system for handset being sold in the United Kingdom
Vodafone, which is focused on materials sourcing for mobile phones on its network

How important is it to you that you support “green” manufacturers? Do you recycle your old cell phones? According IDC, only 10% of cell phones are recycled. In a world that is filling up with e-waste, it is important to consider alternatives. See my blog Give Your Gadgets a Green Burial. Perhaps you will decide to donate your cell phone to a charitable cause. Working together, we can make a difference.

Support for CellPlaza.org is provided by batteries4less.com, the leading online retailer of camera replacement batteries, cell phone batteries, chargers, mobile accessories and cordless phone batteries. Buy a HTC Incredible Battery online at batteries4less.

Wonder what impact your cell phone has on the environment? GoodGuide has just published a report rating the top 5 “virtuous” cell phones. The ratings are based upon not only environmentally safe practices, but also takes into consideration the social attributes as well? “Social attributes?” you may ask. This rating has to do with the safety and labor policies of the company manufacturing the cell phones. GoodGuide ranks individual models and manufacturers on 3 levels: health, environment, and social attributes. 576 phone models were rated.

GoodGuide Lists Top “Virtuous” Cell Phones

Which phones were rated highest by GoodGuide? According to an article posted by Martin LaMonica, GreenTech, “Nokia phones hold the top spot with a model that contributes to a score of 7.7 out of 10. That’s followed by phones from Samsung, Motorola, Palm, and Sony Ericsson. BlackBerry and its phones are at the bottom, with the lowest score a 3.3 out of 10. Phones from LG, Garmin-Asus, Casio, and Sharp contribute to scores that are largely between 4 and 5.” Apple’s iPhone came in just about middle of the ratings.

How are the ratings derived? Rating the environmental attributes, GoodGuide took into consideration the cell phone’s standby power consumption, as well as the use of recyclable materials used in the packaging and the phone itself. Those products not using bromide flame retardants and PVC are rated higher. Cell phone radiation emissions are not factored in, as there is no consensus about the amount of radiation allowable.

The social attributes rating is based on several factors. Compliance with labor laws is only one aspect. Another consideration is how a manufacturer rates on policies and practices related to conflict minerals, according to the Enough Project. Employee safety is another big concern affecting the ratings. The ratings even include the ethics of the manufacturer.

Are consumers concerned with how their cell phone rates by GoodGuide? I’m not sure too many people are even aware there is a rating like GoodGuide’s. However, as more awareness grows, consumers may make their cell phone purchases based not only on the features the cell phone offers, but also may take into consideration some of the issues rated by GoodGuide. What’s your take on the cell phone ratings? Do you see yourself consulting the ratings by GoodGuide before purchasing another cell phone?

Mobile phone users in the European Union will soon have universal chargers for many of their devices. According to an article by Don Reisinger, CNET.com, “DigitalEurope, the continent’s largest digital tech organization, has delivered a sample of a universal mobile phone charger to European Commission vice president Antonio Tajani. The EU said that the sample now paves the way for consumers to get their hands on devices that support the universal charger in the very near future.”

Europe Will Soon See Universal Cell Phone Chargers

“I welcome the rollout of new chargers for mobile phones based on the new EU standard,” Tajani said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “This is genuine good news for the European consumer. Now we await the arrival of the new charger and compatible mobile phones on the shelves.”

14 companies have signed a memorandum of understanding with the EU to make their devices compatible with the standard. That standard requires participating companies to use Micro-USB connectivity or an adapter if their phones don’t support that interface. Motorola Mobility, Nokia, Research In Motion (BlackBerry), and several other companies signed on. Perhaps most surprisingly, Apple also agreed to make its devices compatible with the standard.

Reducing electronic waste is the impetus behind the standardization. How many of us have a drawer full of useless chargers for our old phones? Having a universal charger for a whole bunch of electronic devices only makes sense. The trend must already be taking hold in the States, because luckily my Droid X and my Noisehush Bluetooth mobile headset both use the micro USB chargers. Since they both came with a wall charger, I have a spare that I keep in my suitcase for traveling. My car charger will work with both. Even my Amazon Kindle uses a micro USB charger. This definitely simplifies my life.

Vendors can use this as a cost cutting factor. According to Don Reisinger’s article, he believes that many mobile phone manufacturers will follow what the printer manufacturers have been doing for years. Most new printers don’t come with a USB cable. You must either use your old one, or buy a new one. You can imagine that this saves the manufacturers a bundle. Mobile phone manufacturers will be able to do the same once everyone is on the same page. If the micro USB charger is adopted by all, you will most likely see the cable being an option to be purchased.

Let’s give kudos for this standardization. It’s about time!

Rumors are flying at the close of this year. There is of course the ever-present rumor that Verizon will have the iPhone. Also in the rumor mill is that Finnish cell phone manufacturer, Nokia, will be releasing a Smartphone based on the Windows 7 Phone platform. Nokia is reportedly in negotiations with Microsoft about producing a Nokia branded Windows 7 Smartphone.

Nokia Rumored to be Releasing Windows 7 Smartphone

Nokia emphatically denies rumors. Nokia denies that it is even considering adding the Android or Windows OS to their bevy of devices. But according to Eldar Murtazin, a highly respected Russian tech blogger who reports on such rumors, since Steven Elop (former head of Microsoft Business), has taken over Nokia from ex-CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, there are open talks between Microsoft and Nokia. Murtazin claims that the first Nokia WP7 devices will reach Europe in Q2 2011. He bases his claim on the delay of the forthcoming Nokia E7 into 2011, reliability problems with the N8, and the recent cutting of hundreds of staff,  many of whom were associated with the development of Symbian 3. Nokia has also faced criticism over its Symbian 3 operating system, which runs on the Nokia N8, for its lack of features and difficult usability. In denial, Nokia gave the following statement (and there’s no big surprise since they rarely release information): “We have nothing to announce and have a long-standing policy to not comment on rumor or speculation.”

Nokia remains committed to the Symbian and MeeGo devices. But according to Softpedia, during the Microsoft TechEd Europe 2010 conference in Berlin, they had the chance to talk with Nokia officials, and Nokia stated loud and clear that they remain committed to Symbian and MeeGo. (MeeGo is scheduled for release in early 2011.) However, since the company continues to lose market share in the Smartphone market due to rival companies bringing devices that use Android, Windows Phone 7 and other mobile operating systems, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Nokia shifted its focus.

Are you tired of the rumor mill yet? I sure am. There are always rumors flying around about Verizon iPhones, Nokia Windows 7 phones, etc. With all the lawsuits filed among the major manufacturers, I’m surprised anyone is considering collaboration. You need a score card just to see who is playing with whom. While it’s nice to be in “the know,” rumors aren’t facts.

Apple is fighting for all its worth. The mighty Apple is in the middle of lawsuits with Nokia, HTC and Motorola, to name a few. Nokia and Apple are currently in court, each claiming the other violated patent infringements. The 2 companies have been suing and countersuing since 2009. It doesn’t look like it’s going well for Apple though. According to an article by Dean Wilson, TechEye.net, the International Trade Commission (ITC) is backing Nokia in the lawsuit with Apple.

Apple and Nokia Battle It Out in Court

Nokia has sued Apple, accusing them of 10 patent infringements. Apple is claiming that the Symbian and S40 operating systems violate its patents. Does anyone else feel like they need a score card? Apple also has lawsuits and countersuits with Motorola and HTC over the Android OS and the multitouch screen technology. It seems like Apple is spreading itself a bit thin with all these lawsuits. I’m sure the lawyers are feeling pretty fat these days. As for Apple, this lawsuit could take a big bite out of the Apple. According to an article by Barb Dybwad, Mashable.com, “Analysts have now had a chance to crunch the numbers and estimate that Apple could face shelling out between $200 million and $1 billion to satisfy the suit if successful — and go on to say that Nokia has a pretty good case.”

Who’s on first? HTC and Microsoft signed patent agreements and have now released the new Windows Smartphone. In October Google joined Apple in a countersuit against Microsoft after Paul Allen, Microsoft founder, sued Apple and another 10 tech companies. Google is supporting HTC and Motorola in their lawsuit against Apple. Is anyone else a bit confused about who is which team?

Is the world picking on Apple? Earlier this month a class action suit was filed in California against Apple claiming that Apple maliciously released an upgrade for its 3G and 3GS iPhones that messed up the operating system. The lawsuit claims that Apple’s intent was to frustrate people with the iPhone 3G so that they upgrade to the iPhone 4G. They are dubbing the iPhone 3g, the “iBrick.” It seems to me that nothing is being accomplished other than the lawyers are all extremely busy and getting rich.

Stay tuned for updates on the Smartphone Wars. We will keep you posted with updates and the outcome of this multi-company legal battle. Surely some sanity will prevail? Perhaps not. After all, there are billions of dollars at stake and money makes people insane and obviously creates strange bedfellows.

What’s your take? Should Apple prevail? Is the technology truly theirs alone? Or do the other manufacturers have valid claims to the patents? Let us hear from you.

Microsoft may need to buy a cell phone maker in order to compete in the highly volatile market. Although Microsoft has announced the new platform, Windows Phone Series 7 (WinPho 7), it may need to buy RIM BlackBerry or possibly Nokia to stay in the game. (Experts think it would be cheaper to buy HTC, however, with more marketability.)

Windows Phone Series 7 may not save Microsoft

Unless most of its competitors, Microsoft doesn’t make its own devices. RIM, Palm, Apple, Nokia and Google all make their own Smartphones, but Microsoft relies on others to market the Windows operating system on cell phones.

Microsoft doesn’t need to buy a cell phone manufacturing company. It doesn’t actually make the Zune or XBox 360 either. In addition, Microsoft is keeping the Mobile 6.5xx around for a while, possibly renaming it Windows Mobile Classic. The “Classic” may appeal to the Enterprise crowd more than WinPho 7, which uses more of an iPhone style form factor.

Is Microsoft in a sinking ship? Not likely. With their vast resources, they just need to refocus their attention. Perhaps a new partnership would be better than going into the cell phone manufacturing business.

Apple, Google, BlackBerry, Nokia and Palm are all fighting for the number one spot. With more and more demand for content rich apps on Smartphones, the very competitive market is the driving force for these companies. So how is the Smartphone war going?

The Smartphone War

Apple has held the number one spot for the past 3 years. But the mighty Apple iPhone is losing ground. Apple’ stock prices have flattened. The iPad isn’t the fix all that was predicted by Apple. Verizon won’t be carrying the iPhone this year, which would have boosted the iPhone sales. Is Apple in trouble?

The new Android trend is catching on quickly. With new devices, new apps and new service providers, the Droid is gaining momentum. Google’s willingness to upgrade the Android when new features come out is part of the draw. HTC has several Droids with more being released. Motorola has a Droid with Verizon and Google even has an HTC Droid of its own, an unlocked Smartphone available through Google’s website.

BlackBerry, once the leader for email syncing, is losing ground. Perhaps with Google Mail being available on the Droid, the BlackBerry needs to upgrade. With all the features being offered on other Smartphones, BlackBerry needs to get on the bandwagon and offer more.

Nokia, the Finnish manufacturer, is seriously in trouble in the Smartphone market. Nokia had no new device to show off at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona. With the trend moving towards feature rich Smartphones, Nokia better “smarten up.”

Palm is struggling to keep up. They released the new Pixi hoping to compete in the market, but sales have been weak and the lack of cash flow is crippling Palm. Palm has moved to a partnership with AT&T, which will hopefully bring in more phone sales. The analysts predict Palm is going to continue to be pulverized.

Where are you headed with your next phone? With the unlimited talk, text and web browsing options being reduced in price from the service providers, the new Smartphones are much more attractive to me. How about you?

Nokia just rolled out its new Maemo phone, after 5 years in development. It combines their Linux Maemo software platform with Intel’s Linux based Moblin to create the new platform, MeeGo.

Intel and Nokia plan a merger on new cell phone

The MeeGo announcement came last week at the Mobile World Congress fair in Barcelona, Spain. The MeeGo is direct competition to the Apple iPhone and other Smartphones. Nokia understands that getting out a phone that will appeal to the consumers is the key to the race. But will anything really replace the popular iPhone? When AT&T loses it exclusivity this year, other providers will be able to sell the iPhone. I predict it will triple in popularity, replacing the new trendy Droids as well as the BlackBerry phones.

For those Linux fans, this is another way to slap at King Kong (Microsoft). Will Microsoft even feel the blow? It’s doubtful. Still it’s nice to see that free enterprise competition out there.

Daizi Xheng, a Chinese developer has modified a Nokia cell phone to use Coca Cola as a fuel source. The fuel source could be any sugary solution, but Coke is widely available.

Coca Cola, not just a soft drink

The bio battery phone uses an open fuel cell battery that you refill with Coke. If you aren’t careful pouring in the Coke, your phone could get quite sticky! The developer claims one full battery last four times as long as the standard Li-Ion battery it replaces.

This battery/phone may not be as eco-friendly as you might think. Consider the packaging of the Coke, the transportation, etc., as all part of the cost. Of course if you use canned Coke you can recycle the cans.

This biofuel battery is a cool idea but perhaps not very practical. Still, I give the developer a thumbs up for being inventive.