Science

Samsung Just Revealed Its Flip Smartphone, and It Looks Incredible

The company can't say no to a flip phone in 2017.

by Mike Brown
Samsung

Samsung still loves the flip phone. The W2018, unveiled Friday, offers a variety of features in a design that merges a 2000s Motorola Razr-esque device with a modern smartphone.

This latest model marks 10 years for the China-only smartphone line, aimed at raising money for charity. The foldable design hints at the company’s future experiments with retro flip phone looks.

GizmoChina reports the W2018 has a metal and glass combination in both gold and platinum color choices. The front has a super AMOLED display measuring 4.2 inches with full HD resolution, covered with Gorilla Glass 5. It has a zinc alloy biaxial hinge that folds out to reveal a second 4.2-inch screen with full HD resolution, alongside a numeric keypad with directional buttons.

Note that this is unlikely to be the rumored “Galaxy X” foldable smartphone. That phone, which is set to offer a fully foldable screen, has appeared in a variety of concepts, one of which has a five-inch screen that opens up into an eight-inch screen. Business Korea said on Friday that the device is expected to launch next year.

View a concept video Samsung released in 2013 of how this works in real life:

But while Samsung’s mythical folding phone sounds fascinating, there’s plenty of interest with the W2018. It has a Snapdragon 835 processor, 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 256GB of storage depending on preferences, with a microSD slot for expansion. A five-megapixel front camera is paired with a 12-megapixel rear camera with a super-bright f/1.5 aperture. A 2,300 mAh battery charges up via a USB-C port. The device runs Android Nougat 7.1.1, and features a Bixby voice assistant button for easy access to Samsung’s feature.

All of these features are likely going to cost a pretty penny. The device comes with a concierge service at airports and other venues, for easy repairs and quick fixes. With the W2017 costing around $3,000, don’t expect Samsung’s upgraded model to come cheap.