"Increasingly, we are seeing more tech vendors deciding not to talk about things like feeds and speeds but rather about how eco-friendly their devices are," said Michael Gartenberg, vice president of mobile strategy for Jupitermedia. "As long as it remains a concern for consumers, we are going to continue to see vendors use it as a marketing tool to differentiate their products."

An Environmentally Responsible Design

Motorola is touting the Moto W233 Renew as a device that reduces your carbon footprint without sacrificing quality. The plastic housing is made from recycled water bottles and is itself 100 percent recyclable. Motorola claims it is the world's first carbon-neutral phone.

Through an alliance with Carbonfund.org, Motorola offsets the carbon dioxide required to manufacture, distribute and operate the phone through investments in renewable energy sources and reforestation. The phone has earned Carbonfund.org's CarbonFree Product Certification after an extensive product life-cycle assessment.

"Today, natural resources, energy and time are more precious than ever before," said Jeremy Dale, corporate vice president of global marketing at Motorola Mobile Devices. "From the product's design, to the packaging, to our partnership with Carbonfund.org, we wanted to ensure that this device makes the right impact with consumers and the environment."

Standing Out from the Crowd

Motorola also addressed environmental concerns with the packaging. Motorola reduced packaging size by 22 percent and the box and all the materials inside are printed on 100 percent recycled paper. The handset maker includes a postage-paid recycling envelope that encourages consumers to return their previous mobile phone for recycling at no cost.

"Motorola didn't really talk about how thin the phone was or its form factor or fashion. It really was about the idea of eco-friendliness as a selling point. Clearly, for some consumers that's going to be an issue," Gartenberg said. "If all things remain equal, that's a nice way to stand out a little bit from the crowd."

Pushing Social Connectivity

While the Renew focuses on social responsibility, the Motosurf A3100 focuses on social connectivity. This touch tablet offers a customizable home screen layered on top of the Windows Mobile 6.1 software. Many of the phone's applications can be accessed with the tip of a finger, a stylus, or an omnidirectional trackball.

"We developed the Motosurf A3100 as a true social smartphone," said John Cipolla, senior vice president of product development for Motorola Mobile Devices. "Home-screen personalization and access to a whole host of applications gets the info you want -- fast, and at your fingertips."

Renew will first be available at T-Mobile USA in the first quarter. The Motosurf A3100 will be available in multiple regions beginning in the first quarter, including Asia and Latin America.