Just a few weeks after it passed through China"s Tenaa certification body, Samsung this week launched its unimaginatively named SCH-W2014, the latest in a range of Android clamshells that demonstrate that the flip-phone still has some fight left in it.
As we reported last month, the W2014 is something of an oddball, combining a form factor from yesteryear with a spec sheet that is (for the most part) far more cutting edge.
The Android 4.3 device features one of the most advanced chipsets currently available, Qualcomm"s Snapdragon 800, with a 2.3GHz quad-core CPU, paired with a generous 2GB of RAM. You"ll also find a 13MP primary camera, along with a 2MP front-facing cam for video calls and selfies. 32GB of onboard storage is available, but if that"s not enough, you can expand it via the microSD slot, while dual-SIM support sweetens the deal even further.
The W2014 features not one, but two, Super AMOLED screens: an external display for use when the device is closed, and an internal display to be used in conjunction with the rather old-school T9 keypad. Disappointingly, however, the resolution for both of these 3.7-inch displays is only WVGA (800x480px) - a surprising choice given the higher-end focus of the rest of the handset"s spec sheet.
As Engadget notes, China"s iFeng.com, which got some hands-on time with the handset at its launch, had good things to say about its design and the keypad, but berated the plastics used in its construction - a common criticism of many of Samsung"s devices. The site also noted that, while pricing and availability details have not yet been formally announced, the W2014 is expected to carry a price tag of over 10,000 CNY ($1,640 USD / £1,022 GBP / €1,220 EUR).
That price tag will put it out of the range of many, but even if you"re happy to pay that kind of money for the device, you may well be out of luck unless you live in China, as the handset looks destined to be exclusive to that market.