Flip Phone Still Alive: Samsung Reveals Galaxy Folder 2 For South Korea

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The evolution of mobile phones backed by huge functionality and low prices has completely overshadowed flip or candy bar phones. But flip phones are not dead yet, as Samsung has kept them alive with the Galaxy Folder 2, which was released in South Korea this week. It is a follow-up to the original Galaxy Folder flip phone from 2013.

Galaxy Folder 2 has impressive specs

The Galaxy Folder 2 was announced late last year for China, but it appears the Korean firm wants to make it available in one more important market. The specs of the Chinese and the Korean versions are pretty much the same.

The Galaxy Folder 2 boasts some impressive specs, such as a Snapdragon 425 processor, 16GB of expandable storage and 2GB of RAM. However, it has a small screen and battery size compared to today’s devices. It has a 3.8-inch TFT LCD and 1,950mAh battery, which should be fine, assuming that the display and mid-range CPU don’t consume much power, notes Android Police.

Samsung will offer the device in two colors: black and burgundy. It will also come in LTE or 3G. The device has sleek accents and a metal exterior finish that compensates for the old design. The device runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box and is priced starting at 297,000 won or $260.

A mix of retro and modern design

In a press release, Samsung described the Galaxy Folder 2 as a mix of retro and modern design that offers the portability of a flip phone and functionality of a full-fledged smartphone.

Other notable features of the device include a set of physical buttons meant for the camera, contacts and texts and a dedicated button for launching social media apps such as Kakao Talk or BAND. The handset comes with a new widget called pedometer that keeps track of data usage. People with listening issues can breathe a sigh of relief, as the device comes with 15 special ringtones, the company says.

The device also has an “Easy Mode” that increases the size of the icons and texts. The front and rear of the device are quite smooth, and there is a soft touch material as well that offers superior grip. Samsung didn’t reveal details about the device’s camera, but it’s expected to feature an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera.

Flip phones making a comeback

Samsung and Apple rule the smartphone market with their slab-shaped devices, but there has been rising interest in throwback phones. Just last week, Verizon also launched a flip phone, the new Exalt LTE from LG serves. This is Verizon’s first LTE-capable feature phone, and it is also the first Verizon phone without any CDMA connectivity.

Samsung is reportedly working on another flip phone code-named W2017, which will be released on its home turf too. The rumored device will have two screens, compared to just one in the Folder.

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