Samsung debuts corn-based E200 Eco cellphone

Samsung's new E200 Eco cellphone may not stand out very much based on its specs, which include a 1.3 megapixel camera and MP3 player functionality, but the company is hoping that folks will take notice of it for another reason: its casing is made of corn. Or, more specifically, a corn-based bioplastic, which has some drawbacks of its own but is becoming more and more commonly used these days. No word on a release 'round these parts just yet, but the phone (which also comes in packaging made from recycled materials) will be available in Europe sometime next month.

[Via HotHardware]

[Motorola 3G Victim @ Aug 14th 2008 3:56PM]

If they want to sell it in Europe I hope they aren't using GM corn to make the bioplastic for the case.

[required @ Aug 14th 2008 4:22PM]

Good point and I wish we had a voice in the matter the way they do as I don't like genetically modified foodstuffs.

[NHAnimator @ Aug 14th 2008 3:12PM]

Question: If it tastes like Fritos, what's to prevent me from licking it?

Thanks in advance.

[Mike @ Aug 14th 2008 3:45PM]

The store security guards.

[bolezhinkov @ Aug 15th 2008 1:29AM]

I had a bunch of pens that were made out of that stuff when I was younger. I was interested in what it was like so I just ate the cap from one. it was yellow and the pen was green like corn, get it? anyways it took a long time for my chewing and saliva to break it down and it was sort of like . . . plastic . . . in my mouth with a faintly sweet taste for some reason. I wanted to make sure it wasnt just something that was on the cap so I ate another. or at least mashed it up some. they all taste a little sweet.

so careful about that with your new phones.

[tbone @ Aug 14th 2008 3:14PM]

gee, why eat corn, when you can put it in your gas tank or make a cell phone out of it? i hate this ethanol crap

[DZ @ Aug 14th 2008 3:55PM]

If i could only hit the + sign 300 times for your comment

[kjb434 @ Aug 14th 2008 4:16PM]

DZ, I'm there in supporting that comment!

Ethanol is a crime against humanity! Taking corn out of impoverished people across the planet to fuel our cars.

Just drill for the oil dammit. There's more than we know what to do with on the planet.

[Jamison Davies @ Aug 14th 2008 6:13PM]

Or, if the government eliminated subsidies, then the price would rise enough to give people incentives to grow more corn, and then within a season or two we could have hugely increased supply at the same price. We could feed people and make phones. Instead we have one of the most expensive farm bills in history, and we all have to suffer for it, especially the hungry. Also, eliminating the outrageous tariff on sugarcane-based ethanol from Brazil would free up plenty of corn that is used for ethanol that is vastly more expensive than it needs to be.

[mike @ Aug 14th 2008 7:36PM]

@jamison: That may be the most intelligent comment (aside from the good jokes) I have ever seen on engadget. Agriculture subsidies are the real problem beneath many global economic/political issues. There are some places in Africa where the price of cotton is so low because of agriculture subsidies that farmers can't make money even if the only expenses are field tools, water, and seeds.

[Dan Halen @ Aug 14th 2008 3:15PM]

We just keep inching closer to becoming giant walking stalks of disease ridden corn.

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/King_Corn/70080822?lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strkid=342496362_0_0

[Najakwa @ Aug 14th 2008 3:51PM]

we are corn. this phone is.........PEEEEEOPLE!

[Brent @ Aug 14th 2008 3:16PM]

Corn...is there anything it CAN'T do?

[Nick K. @ Aug 14th 2008 3:28PM]

Your mother.

Never mind.

[MARSHAK @ Aug 14th 2008 7:12PM]

turn into poo. I swear, every time it just comes out as corn again.

[Chris @ Aug 14th 2008 3:27PM]

Where I work they switched the "flatware" to corn based bio-plastic, and they suck. The tines on the fork won't even survive a salad. I have to go back and get another one because they break so easily.

[required @ Aug 14th 2008 4:19PM]

Potato starch is more common in disposable cutlery. Perhaps suggest it as a replacement.

[iEye @ Aug 14th 2008 3:28PM]

well the Apple cell phone has reception problems, lets see if corn does any better...

[rick @ Aug 14th 2008 3:32PM]

Is this the phone the "Man Vs. Wild (Marriott)" guy is going to be using?

[Najakwa @ Aug 14th 2008 3:48PM]

Marriott is right, Bear is a loser. Les Stroud kicks Bear Grills arse at surviving.

[Sy @ Aug 14th 2008 3:34PM]

The world is having a food crisis and here we are using corn for gas and making gadgets. Nice going econuts.

[NHAnimator @ Aug 14th 2008 3:42PM]

(I feel guilty for dumping the rest of my Corn Puffs down the disposal this morning. I mean, they were all soggy. And there was only like 5 of them - all clumped together like women going to a restaurant bathroom.)

[Richard S. @ Aug 14th 2008 3:49PM]

I'm all for using corn for gadgets. Because as we all know plastic can't be recycled.

[required @ Aug 14th 2008 4:28PM]

The food crisis is not the only thing on the Worlds table, in fact it's probably the smallest of crisis you antieconut.

[Cameron @ Aug 14th 2008 3:36PM]

This whole eco thing is so corny.

[Richard Garner @ Aug 14th 2008 3:57PM]

Please, no more from Samsung

[nanobis @ Aug 14th 2008 4:13PM]

just another corny gagdet.

[nanobis @ Aug 14th 2008 4:15PM]

just another corny gadget.

and whats with the new comment infterface, maybe we'll get an edit feature?

[steven @ Aug 14th 2008 4:26PM]

has anyone noticed how crappy the render looks especially on the right side of the screen

[zmjjmz @ Aug 14th 2008 4:39PM]

Does it run on the Linux kernel?
Also, above comment is very punny, and what is up with the new interface?

[Chris @ Aug 14th 2008 4:55PM]

@ Richard S.

I guess you are being sarcastic?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_terephthalate

[ridahgadgetguy @ Aug 14th 2008 5:48PM]

i see apple adopting this technology into theyre future devieces , i see icorn coming up with 8 gb and 16 gb flavours and a multi-flavoured 16-pin corn rod connector ;) ;)

[Neoprimal @ Aug 14th 2008 6:16PM]

It's a marketing trick in most cases. One of many to get people who are either genuinely trying to be ecofriendly or 'green' or those that are bandwagonists because it's the new 'in thing' to buy products. Unless the insides of these things are also able to biodegrade fully...or there's someone out there removing the non-biodegradable guts - it's almost moot. Companies figure that 1. they can charge more for 'green' products because the appeal of the thing is to save the environment. So the thing can suck in the worst way and STILL have 'value' to a certain market 2. they get away with murder, because there are 3 types of 'ecofriendly' people out there....the first are ones that do their homework, the second are the ones that are new to the whole trying to not kill the planet thing and the last are the 'it's cool to save the earth' kind and the latter two tend to be the victims, they'll buy anything that's marketed as 'green' or 'ecofriendly' or otherwise without knowing if it really is...like buying a TV because the box says 'Best Picture ever'.

Also, to people being sarcastic about plastic vs bioplastic - although bioplastic is easily recyclable, recycling it isn't necessarily the point. The problem with regular plastic is the process to make it, which fills the atmosphere with poison as well as uses a non-renewable fuel and the problem that crops up when it doesn't make it to the recycling bin. Yes it can be recycled but it's still damaging to the atmosphere, and the earth of course if it doesn't make it to recycling. Keep in mind that not all places even have a recycling program. Most things made of/with plastic end up in a landfill where they get crushed into stuff that sits there pretty much forever. I mean seriously if you've never seen a landfill, look it up. Some areas have landfills that they bury and plant grass on...Florida for instance is completely flat, but you'll come across landfills that look like pretty enormous hills.
If something is made entirely of bioplastic it will degrade over time and obviously corn is renewable so it's cheaper and the process to make it doesn't produce nearly as much poisonous, toxic exhaust as regular plastic. I think it will be a long time until bioplastics can be used in every part of electronic devices, but at least it's a start.

[andy @ Aug 14th 2008 10:40PM]

So this explains why the iphone is cracking!.
jimmy crack corn and i dont care..
ʕ?

[AlphaTeam @ Aug 14th 2008 10:58PM]

So will warranty cover phone disintegration now?

[fatjoe @ Aug 21st 2008 3:56AM]

gg world food prices..