Sprint and LG have announced the availability LG Optimus Elite. The eco-friendly device will be available on Sprint's 3G network, and arrives this month.

Both Virgin Mobile (Sprint's prepaid brand) and Sprint will offer the device. "With the introduction of the LG Optimus Elite, we felt it was critical to continue our eco-friendly-focused partnership with Sprint, and by extension, Virgin Mobile USA," the press release said.

The device will arrive on Earth Day - April 22 - and will be available in Titan Silver and White for Sprint, at an incredibly low price - $29.99 - with a two-year contract and a $50 mail-in rebate that is available via Sprint's reward card. The phone will be available in retail stores from May 18, though there is no news on timing or pricing for Virgin Mobile.

The phone has UL Environmental Platinum Certification - the "highest level of environmental performance" recognised by UL Environment. LG and Sprint have launched eco-friendly devices, with the LG Remarq in 2010 and the LG Rumor Reflex and LG Viper earlier this year.

"[The] LG Optimus Elite is a dynamic and affordable green option for customers who want to go green without sacrificing the latest features," David Owens, vice President of Product Development, Sprint, added.

The device runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and sports a 3.5-inch capacitive display. The internals are an 800MHz processor, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and camcorder with flash, and mobile hotspot support for up to five devices. NFC is in, meaning the Elite will be the first Virgin Mobile USA device to support Near Field Communication and Google Wallet.

Continuing the eco-friendly theme, buyers can also download "Box" on the Elite to get 50GB of free cloud storage which has an estimated value of $250. The promotion is exclusive to LG until June 22.

"It was important to both us and consumers that we offer a competitively priced, full featured smartphone that takes advantage of the latest advancements in green mobile technology," said Tim O'Brien, vice president of marketing at LG. In 2011, Sprint was ranked third in Newsweek's "list of greenest companies."

The company is also offering eco-friendly cases - ECOClear - to protect LG Optimus Elite and other devices from bumps and scratches. ECOClear cases are made out of wood pulp and provide added protection from damage, thereby potentially extending the life of Sprint devices. "They are available for the LG Optimus Elite for a special price on Sprint.com of only $15.99 (plus tax) in clear or for $17.59 (plus tax) in translucent green," Sprint said.

(reported by Jonathan Charles, edited by Surojit Chatterjee)