Nokia N79 Eco to ship without charger

Nokia's upcoming N79 Eco will be the first handset from the company to include the option of buying the device without a charger and in a smaller box.

"We understand you don't always need another charger. So, when you buy this Nokia N79 online, it comes without one. All we're asking is that you keep hold of your old Nokia charger, and use it again," says a statement on the company's web site.

Nokia has often been praised for using only a handful of standard chargers across its entire range of phones, meaning that customers can often reuse existing units when upgrading to a new phone.

The N79 Eco is part of a trial aimed at saving energy and reducing waste, and Nokia has promised to donate £4 to WWF for each unit sold.

Furthermore, as there is no space needed for the charger, the box is smaller and cuts down on unnecessary packaging.

The N79 Eco is currently available only from the Nokia UK online store. The site asks visitors to complete a survey to determine whether more Nokia devices should offer the charger-free option.

Nokia also sells a high-efficiency charger, which promises to use only 10 per cent of the standby power used by conventional chargers, meaning lower energy usage if the charger is left plugged in.