It's 2017, and Samsung is still launching flip phones

This one is actually quite nice.
 By 
Stan Schroeder
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

You read that right: Samsung still hasn't given up on flip phones.

In fact, the company -- as reported by Korea's ET News, via The Investor -- is preparing to launch a new model in Korea soon.

The device, named SM-W2017, appears to be a new version of an existing device with the same name that only launched in China, and the differences between the two are somewhat unclear. The report says the new device will be similar to the last one, with an odd mix of advanced features, such as wireless charging and fingerprint scanning, and entry-level specs, including a Snapdragon 430 processor.

The most interesting spec is the phone's dual, 4.2-inch, full HD Super AMOLED screens, which would likely make you feel like you're wielding two smartphones at once.

Other specs include a 12-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel selfie cam, a 2,300mAh battery, 64GB of storage memory, Samsung Pay support and resistance to water and dust (this is one of the specs that's not listed on the current SM-W2017's spec sheet).

So why a flip phone? Well, you do get a better dramatic effect in TV dramas, with actors flipping their phones closed when they're angry. And also, two screens!

Samsung has in fact been steadily launching flip phones, albeit mostly in limited capacities and only in select markets. The Galaxy Folder, for example -- a 3.8-inch device with a Snapdragon 425 processor -- might also get a successor in the first half of this year, according to the report. Don't expect to see any of these devices outside of Asia, though.

Topics Samsung

Stan Schroeder
Stan Schroeder
Senior Editor

Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.

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