There aren’t many smartphones on the market with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 808 processor with 6 CPU cores. But you know what else there aren’t many of? Smartphones with clamshell designs.
It looks like Samsung is taking aim at both shortages. The Samsung SM-G9198 features Qualcomm’s hexa-core chip and a numeric keypad and a 3.9 inch display which folds down over that keypad.
The smartphone passed through the TENAA website recently. That’s China’s version of the FCC… and both agencies have a habit of spilling the beans about upcoming devices through listings on their websites.
In the case of the SM-G9198, the phone appears to have a 1280 x 768 pixel Super AMOLED display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a microSD card slot, a 16MP camera, and Android 5.1 software. It supports Chinese 4G LTE networks.
While it’s possible Samsung will offer this phone in markets other than China, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for it to show up in the United States or Europe, where clamshell smartphones are even less common than they are in Asia.
Update: Samsung has officially launched a different flip phone in Korea. The LG Gentle sports a 3.2 inch, 480 x 320 pixel display, Android 5.1 software, and a keypard. It has entry-level specs and an entry-level price. The $170 phone features 1GB of RAm and 4GB of storage.
via SamMobile
Put a Snapdragon 810 in it and use it as a mini waffle-iron.
great screen protector ..
Clamshell phones are also popular (for some strange reason) in Japan. The phone might still be brought to the US for seniors and those not obsessed with gadgetry, like the Jitterbug phone.
Not really strange, they’re heavy gadget users and spend a lot of time on their phones… Physical keys have a advantage when you can’t always concentrate on what’s on the screen, like when you’re walking on a crowded street, or driving, etc. and it’s too noisy to use voice dialing, etc. and they tend to spend most of their time out on the streets…
While clam-shell’s means the screen is naturally protected without needing to get a case and thus more pocketable and less prone to get cracked screens… Easier to avoid accidental dialing when in the pocket (like butt dialing)… is usually open to more easily be decorated/customized, which is also very popular there… fits the contour of the user’s face more comfortably and reduces instances of pressing the screen against the user’s face… slight advantage of keeping the speaker nearer the ear and the mic nearer the mouth of the user… Smaller form factor when closed makes them easier to store and save space for other gadgets…
Smartphones with physical buttons need to come back to the USA. Not everyone in America is a caveman insistent on finger-painting and grunting at their screen.
Isn’t blackberry making an android slider phone with a keyboard?
(Why does swifkey keep repeating every word I type! Only happens on this site! It’s driving me crazy.)
ThisThis idis aa ecmwhat example oo what itiis is doing