With smartphones increasingly becoming me-toos, here is one that strikes a different chord. The new Samsung Galaxy Folder 2, however, isn’t exactly a whole new development though. Rather, it is a modern take on a yesteryear concept of a flip phone.
So what you have is a device that flips open to reveal a 3.8-inch display on the top and a keypad on the lower half. The rest of the specs are hardly anything to be too excited of. The 3.8-inch panel has a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and boasts of an 8-megapixel rear shooter. Then there is a 5-megapixel cam at the front as well, front as it means when you have the top flipped open.
At the heart of the Folder 2 is a 1.4 GHz quad-core chip that works in conjugation with a 2 GB RAM along with 16 GB of storage. Power comes from a 1,950mAh battery which again is removable one. Running the entire show is Android 6.0 with Samsung UI running on top.
The Folder 2 comes with slots for dual sims and supports Bluetooth 4.2. The handset features a social app button and a pedometer as well. The handset will also be available in 3G and 4G LTE versions. As for the choice of colors, there are either the Black and Burgundy options to choose from.
The Folder 2 has already been launched in South Korea where it costs 297,000 won. That translates to around $260, which is rather hefty for a device packing in mediocre specs at best. But then the handset is least likely to be launched on a worldwide scale.
The first gen Folder 1 was largely confined to a few countries in Asia, with China being one of them. Samsung too has stated they are targeting the middle-aged crowd with the new Folder 2. That also is the reason Samsung used to justify the inclusion of 15 special ringtones that it believes will appeal to the ‘audible spectrum’ of its targeted clientele.
Meanwhile, Samsung also has another flip phone, the W2017 in the making that sports better internals, including twin displays. The handset will be targeted at the flagship segment though it remains to be seen if that too will remain confined to Asia or will see a wider launch.
