A new, more eco-friendly smart phone is due to be released later this year with a casing made from treated Bamboo.

Designer and Middlesex University student Kieron Scott-Woodhouse, created the Adzero phone from organically-grown and sustainable bamboo because, he said, existing models look far too similar to one another.

Kieron said of the unusual choice of material that it “may seem a strange material to use for a phone, but it’s actually extremely durable; perfect qualities for this kind of application”.

Originally intended for the Chinese market, the phone was shown during London Design Week, where it received such attention both at the show and online that it will now be released in the UK.

This is the latest addition to the Android family, with the Adzero running on the Android 4.0 ICS software. It will be half the weight of an iPhone due to the lightness of the bamboo. It will also have a larger screen and a circular flash surrounding the camera lens.

Details are yet to be released regarding pricing of the phone, but it is expected to be high-spec and sold initially only in independent boutiques.