Samsung Galaxy Folder 2 brings back clamshell

No, this isn’t a Flashback Friday article. Despite 99 percent of smartphones being bar-shaped touchscreens, the newly launched Android-powered Galaxy Folder 2 clamshell handset is Samsung’s latest throwback product.

As you can tell by the number, this isn’t the first time Samsung has released such a form factor. The first Galaxy Folder came out in July last year with a 3.8-inch, 800 x 480-pixel touchscreen and mostly low-end specs. The newer Folder 2 is obviously better in terms of performance, but surprisingly retains the exact same display.

To speed up the performance, the updated Galaxy Folder is equipped with a much faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset and 2GB of RAM, which is more than the older model’s 1.5GB of memory. The internal storage has been bumped up to 16GB as well, and it can be further pushed using a microSD card.

All these help in powering the Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system and assuring quick shots for the 8-megapixel main camera and 5-megapixel front-facing shooter. The 1,950mAh battery might not seem suffice, but when you consider the smallish, low-resolution screen, there’s no reason to worry.

We’re still waiting for Samsung to provide details on the release dates and prices. All we know is that the Galaxy Folder 2 will come out in China first, and that there’s going to be a large demand from flip phone fanatics who can’t accept the smartphones of today.

Source: Samsung China

Samsung W2017 is the flip phone of your dreams

As cool as it was to see a modern, Android-powered clamshell phone from Samsung last August, the Galaxy Folder 2 didn’t exactly impress outside of its throwback design. Things are a little different now with the launch of the high-end W2017, which is the hottest flippy phone you can probably buy soon.

Emphasis on probably, because you’d have to reside in China or have one shipped to get a hold of the W2017. Yes, it’s currently exclusive to the Chinese market, but that isn’t even the worst part.

Although the exact price hasn’t been confirmed yet, you might have to fork over CNY 20,000, which converts to nearly $3,000. Wowza!

The Samsung W2017 in gold

If that sounds totally outrageous to you, we’d understand, but this isn’t the first out-of-this-world pricing we’ve seen from Samsung. Its predecessor, the aptly named W2016, cost a whopping CNY 9,999 — half as much, but still excessively premium.

So, how does the W2017 justify its price tag? First of all, it has a two 4.2-inch Full HD AMOLED screens — one on each side of the handset’s cover. The outer display has Samsung’s Always On feature, meaning it can constantly stay on to alert you of notifications without significantly draining the battery.

Beneath everything is Qualcomm’s high-powered Snapdragon 820 processor (the same found in Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S7), an ample 4GB of memory, and 64GB of internal storage that you can expand using a microSD card.

For shooting photos and videos, you have a 12-megapixel camera at the back and 5-megapixel shooter on the inside for vanity. The former is more special, as it has a bright f/1.9 aperture for fast shots under poor lighting conditions, as well as 4K resolution video recording.

Gold and black models of the Samsung W2017

The only knock against it is the unremarkable 2300mAh battery, so good luck lasting more than a day with both displays sapping power at the same time. But if the price is something you can manage, ordering a fitting power bank shouldn’t be much trouble.

Luckily, there’s also fast charging to fill up the W2017 in a jiffy, plus a fingerprint scanner that supports Samsung Pay, in case you’re into high-tech payment methods.

While there’s no Galaxy branding to its name, the W2017 does indeed have Android 6.0 Marshmallow as its operating system. We’re guessing the moniker doesn’t matter much to Sammy anymore, since the Galaxy TabPro S convertiblehas the title sans Android.

And before we forget, it’ll come in two colors: black or gold. Choose wisely!

Source: SamMobile

ZTE CYMBAL-T flip phone launched with 3.5-inch display, 5MP camera

ZTE has launched a new smartphone in the US. Dubbed CYMBAL-T, it's a flip phone powered by Snapdragon 210 chipset and sports a 3.5-inch display. It has 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal memory, which can be expanded up to 32GB.

In terms of camera, the phone features a 5MP rear unit and a 2MP front shooter. Connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Support for LTE is also there. The handset runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box.

As for price, the CYMBAL-T carries a tag of $99.95. You can purchase it from the Home Shopping Network, which is also including a car charger, case, app pack, and 1,200 minutes of texts and data with the phone.

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