All those flip phone fans now have a chance to grab them, as the South Korean giant Samsung recently unveiled a flip smartphone during an event in China.
Called the Samsung W2018, the device packs comparable specs to other company offerings like the high-end phone like the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8, albeit with one major difference. Samsung’s new W2018 is the first smartphone to feature the world’s widest aperture. It has a rear 12MP camera with the widest F/1.5 aperture and the ability to step to f/2.4 as needed.
The Samsung W2018’s f1.5 aperture will help the smartphone capture significantly clearer images in low-light environments while also allowing users to create a higher degree of bokeh effect even with a single camera. Samsung has also apparently used some kind of a software trick that will allow the phone intelligently aperture between F1.5 and F2.4 in well-lit environments. The camera has large 1.4um pixels, dual pixel autofocus and OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) feature. It also has a selfie camera with f/1.9 aperture and delivers 5MP images.
Besides these, the smartphone features two 4.2-inch full HD AMOLED (1080 x 1920) displays – one outside the shell and one inside – with the front-facing one protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and features 6GB of RAM. The phone is available in two storage models, including 64GB and 256GB of on-board storage and a microSD slot. It has a 2,300 mAh battery, dual SIM slots, a USB Type-C port, and runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat software with an update to 8 Oreo coming next year. There is a fingerprint sensor just next to the rear-facing camera while there is also a dedicated Bixby button for Samsung’s voice assistant software.
The Samsung W2018 will be available in Black, Gold, and Silver colors. While there is no information on the pricing, it is expected to be on the higher side. The Samsung W2018 will be available soon in China through China Telecom. However, it is not expected to hit the US markets anytime soon.