Samsung Could Join LG In Flip Phone Revival

Samsung’s next smartphone could come with a healthy dose of nostalgia after leaked images appeared to show the company is working on a flip phone.

The photos of the device, purportedly called the SM-W2016, reportedly comie from Chinese regulatory authority TENNA, and show a folding design that features two screens, allowing the phone to be used in ‘clamshell’ mode or extended out.

Flip phones were incredibly popular in the mid-2000s thanks to devices such as the Motorola Razr, and have recently enjoyed a burst of publicity thanks to one being featured in the music video for Adele’s new single “Hello”.

Retro

The new Samsung device (pictured left) resembles the Motorola Razr in design, featuring a curved top and lower part with a metallic-looking built-in T9 keyboard, instead of the QWERTY units included in devices such as the BlackBerry Priv.

According to the TENNA listing, both of the screens on the device will measure 3.9 inches with a resolution of 1280×768 pixels – unsurprisingly marking it lower than many devices on the market today.

Running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, the phone will be powered by a Samsung Exynos 7420 processor paired with 3GB of RAM, a reported 64GB OF internal storage, a 16MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera.

Samsung is yet to officially confirm the device, meaning there’s no news on release data or price yet, but it could be that the public will get a look at the new offering either at CES 2016 in January or Mobile World Congress in March. The company had not responded to TechWeekEurope’s requests for comment at the time of publication.

The release would make Samsung the latest company to bring back the flip phone, joining the likes of LG, which revealed its version, the LG Wine Smart, back in August.

The phone, which also features a retro clamshell design and numeric keypad, is available in two colour schemes in several major markets, including France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Kazakhstan and Japan.

“Our goal with LG Wine Smart was to create a smartphone that fans of flip phones could embrace,” Chris Yie, vice president and head of marketing communications for LG Mobile, said at the time.

“Consumers shouldn’t have to miss out on the smartphone revolution because they prefer a particular phone design over another. With LG Wine Smart, they won’t have to.”

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