O2 Launches Greener Handset
07 Oct 2009 10:22 
Products and Devices
• Sony Ericsson Naite reduces CO2 emissions by 15 per cent
• Customers can choose a gift for ‘themselves or the world’ worth up to £150
As part of its drive to embed Sustainability at the core of its business, O2 today announces the launch of the Sony Ericsson Naite. The handset, which will be brought first to market by O2, is the first of the manufacturer’s GreenHeart range and sees its overall carbon footprint reduced by 15 per cent*.
Made from recycled and recyclable plastics the ‘Naite’ also comes with a low power consumption charger, reduced packaging and an e-manual which together see CO2 emissions from transport reduced significantly. Additionally, the e-manual on the phone reduces paper usage by 90 per cent.
Packed with all the usual features customers have come to expect including a 2 mega pixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, an FM radio and an expandable memory up to 8GB the ‘Naite’ offers customers all they could want packaged in a responsible way.
Customers who buy the Sony Ericsson Naite will also benefit from a free gift or experience. They have a choice of taking a gift for themselves, which include a solar powered charger, family Eco days out and organic food hampers, or giving a donation to charity. With this option customers can pay the salary of a teacher for a month, help the care of a vulnerable child or even contribute towards a PlayPump™ roundabout water system in Africa.
Sally Cowdry, O2’s Marketing Director, said: “Not only is sustainability a key issue for us as a business, but we know that it’s also important to our customers. The Naite is a key part of our strategy to bringing products and services to our customers which can help them reduce their energy consumption. It’s about making their decision to buy a greener device easy with an affordable and feature-packed phone, but which also has a greatly reduced carbon footprint.”
The Sony Ericsson Naite is free on selected pay monthly tariffs and £97.86 on Pay & Go. The Naite is available through our network of O2 stores and at O2 online at www.o2.co.uk.
O2 is committed to placing sustainability at the heart of its business strategy, both by bringing sustainable products and services to market and by reducing its own carbon footprint. Earlier this year, O2 became the first mobile operator to be awarded the Carbon Trust Standard in recognition of saving 47,000 tonnes of CO2 over the last three years. This week O2 also signed up to the 10:10 energy reduction commitment.
Watch O2’s Head of Environment, Gareth Rice, talk about the new Sony Ericsson Naite at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=demrbFzLzvM.
*15% claim based on a full environmental Life Cycle Assessment and compared against the 2008 W890 handset. Methodology reviewed by Forum for the Future.
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About O2 UK• Telefónica O2 UK Limited is a leading communications company for consumers and businesses in the UK, with 21 million mobile customers and 527,126 fixed broadband customers as at 30 September 2009.
• Telefónica O2 UK Limited is part of Telefónica Europe plc which is a business division of Telefónica S.A. and which owns O2 in the UK, Ireland, Slovakia, Germany and the Czech Republic, and has 46 million customers.
• In 2006 Telefónica Europe acquired Be*, the UK fixed broadband provider, and in October 2007 O2 launched its broadband service using the Be* network.
• O2 is the naming rights partner of The O2, the world-class entertainment venue.
• O2 was ranked highest in customer satisfaction for both UK mobile and fixed broadband customers according to the J.D. Power and Associates UK Mobile and Fixed Broadband Studies 2009.
• In February 2009 O2 became the first UK mobile operator to be officially certified with the Carbon Trust Standard in recognition of O2’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint and the 15% reduction in energy consumption achieved over the past three years.
• O2 was launched on 1 May 2002 and now has more customers than any other UK mobile network.
• O2’s UK mobile network covers 99% of the UK’s population. O2’s 3G network covers over 80% of the UK population and is fully HSDPA-enabled, providing speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps for customers with an HSDPA-enabled device.
• Telefónica Europe also owns 50% of the Tesco Mobile and Tchibo Mobilfunk joint venture businesses in the UK and Germany.
• For further press information about O2 go to
http://mediacentre.o2.co.uk