Green Handset Shipments Expected to Reach Nearly 400 Million by 2017

Global Information Inc. would like to present a new market research report, "Green Mobile" by Juniper Research.

Juniper Research forecasts that green handset shipments will reach 392 million by 2017  more than ten times the number the company expects to be shipped in 2012: 31 million. Of these green handsets, defined by Juniper as those containing 50% or more recyclable materials and free of certain hazardous chemicals, over half will be green smartphones in five years time.

The Green Handset & Tablet report predicts that handset vendors will increasingly follow the Samsung Replenish approach, currently available through US carrier Sprint, which offers an eco-friendly Android smartphone, made with 82% recyclable materials. As the smartphone market continues to mature, environmental credentials will become even more important, and represent an opportunity for vendors to differentiate their products in a crowded marketplace.

Key findings from the report include:

• Mobile network operators can play a crucial role as green champions due to their unique customer-facing position, including recycling initiatives and providing eco-ratings at point-of-sale.
• Smart devices are smart because of the cloud, and vendors need to consider the impact of data centres as part of the impact of smartphones and tablets.
• Convergence in smart devices has a positive impact on the environment by reducing the number of devices owned, and therefore charged.

A Product is for Life

"Most companies have environmental strategies, but the devil is in the detail  and this where we are seeing differentiation. Our research tells us: if you cant measure it; you cant improve it, and understanding which of the many processes have the highest environmental impact is crucial," says Daniel Ashdown, author of the report.

Strong environmental credentials go far beyond eco designs though, and Junipers report gets to grips with the environmental impact of handsets and tablets throughout the life cycle of these products. Different stages within the life cycle have relatively more/less environmental impact, and the report highlights where vendor strategies should focus.