World’s First Bamboo Smartphone

Bamboo Smartphone

Adzero is world’s first bamboo Smartphone but this is not the first time bamboo has been used in the design of technology products. For example, Bamboo Bicycle was first showcased in 1894; Asus used the natural material in laptops and PCs a few years ago and over the years bamboo, a vegetative fiber which grows in many parts of Nigeria, has been used mainly for temporary structures like fencing of buildings, in rural areas, while in Urban areas it is predominantly used on construction sites as support during concreting.

Bamboo might just be another world’s most sustainable resources. It is the fastest growing grass and can shoot up a yard or more a day. ADzero –a new innovative Smartphone made of bamboo which is receiving backing from a technology entrepreneur, was meant for the Chinese market but it attracted a lot of interest at a London Design Week. The Adzero is a prototype running Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. It will be available at selected independent UK retailers by the end of 2012. “I can’t wait to see my mobile phone in shops this year,” said Woodhouse.

A design student from Middlesex University in the UK will see his unique mobile phone made from bamboo hit the UK market in 2012.

The new smartphone – called ‘ADzero’ - is made from four year old organically grown bamboo specially treated for durability. Like many phones it will include a camera, but ADzero features technology called a ‘ring flash’ not available on any current mobile phone. A circular photographic flash around the camera’s lens ensures very even illumination and minimises shadows. The unique handset is made from as many materials from sustainable sources as possible.

The sleek new phone is approximately half the weight of an Apple iPhone, while boasting a larger screen and runs on the Android system.

The phone is designed by Kieron-Scott Woodhouse, a 23-year-old Middlesex University student from Shepherds Bush, who designed a mobile phone in his spare time after getting frustrated with the lack of variety in the mobile phone market.  After posting his creations on forums and websites, he was contacted by a technology entrepreneur who wanted to bring his ideas to life.

The pair joined forces with a hardware engineer and within weeks had set up a company to manufacture the phone.

Kieron-Scott’s smartphone was initially intended for the Chinese market, but after receiving an enthusiastic reception at a design show in London during London Design Week 2011, his company ‘A.D.’ plan on launching the phone in the UK first and then open up to other markets.  The company will target ‘design aware’ retailers and boutiques in the UK.