Following several leaks and rumors, the new Samsung W2016 is now official. The dual-screen flip phone sports a sleek metal design and intriguing specs, albeit not at the premium segment of the smartphone market.
Flip phones may be a thing of the past for many, but heavyweight companies such as Samsung and LG apparently want to bring them back. Unlike old flip phones, however, the new models now come with a more stylish build and far more functionality than their ancestors. Initially leaked as the Galaxy Golden 3, Samsung's new flip phone now made its debut as the W2016.
The new Samsung W2016 flip phone runs Android and boasts two Super AMOLED touch screens measuring 3.9 inches, both sporting a WXGA resolution of 1,280 x 768 pixels. In addition to the dual displays, the W2016 also comes with a T9 physical keyboard, as expected from a flip phone.
Amid a slew of rumors, the new Samsung W2016 officially surfaced in all its glory on Samsung's China website. Its pricing and availability, however, still remain undisclosed for now. The listing on Samsung China does have a buy button, but clicking on it retrieves an error and a message that the page is currently unavailable.
When it comes to the rest of its specifications, the Samsung W2016 listing doesn't reveal too much, but Phone Arena notes that the handset packs an octa-core Exynos 7420 processor clocked at 2.1GHz, paired with a hefty 3 GB of RAM. Other specs include 64 GB of storage capacity, a 16-megapixel main camera and a 5-megapixel front shooter. A 2,000 mAh battery powers the device, likely delivering a long-lasting performance considering the phone's resolution and display size. Moreover, the Samsung W2016 also comes with wireless charging for extra convenience, as well as fast charge technology, something few expect from a flip phone.
In terms of design, the Samsung W2016 rocks a stylish metal chassis reminiscent of the premium Galaxy S6 or Galaxy Note 5, albeit in flip form. The handset comes in either gray or golden color options and looks quite sleek overall.
On the software front, the W2016 dual-screen flip phone runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box, with Samsung's own TouchWiz on top. The handset further supports 4G connectivity, dual-SIM, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, GLONASS, and microUSB. Based on the listing on Samsung's China website, the W2016 flip phone is fit for China Mobile networks for now.
No information is currently available regarding when or if the Samsung W2016 will make its way to other markets as well, but more details should come to light shortly.
