Samsung has recently unveiled its next-generation high-end flip phone, during a launch event in China, and it’s an absolute monster. Called the Samsung W2018, the new device is the successor to the W2017 that was unveiled last year with a dual-display setup and a fingerprint scanner. The South Korean giant has partnered with China Telecom to launch the new smartphone on its 25th anniversary in the country.
Samsung W2018 packs comparable specs to other company offerings like the high-end phone like the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8. It features two 4.2-inch full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) AMOLED displays – with the front-facing one protected by Gorilla Glass 5. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, paired with Adreno 540 GPU and 6GB of RAM. The smartphone packs a 2,300 mAh battery, dual SIM slots, a USB Type-C port, and runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system with an update to 8 Oreo coming next year. There is also a dedicated Bixby virtual assistant support in Chinese.
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 company has 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 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. There is also optical image stabilization (OIS) support to reduce blurs even when the shots are captured with some jerks or shakes. The device also has a 5-megapixel front camera with f/1.9 aperture. The back camera sensor also supports 4K video recording, while the front sensor has full-HD (1080p) support.
The Samsung W2018 will be available in two storage models (including 64GB and 256GB) with Black, Gold, and Silver colors. While there is no information on the pricing, it is expected to come with a premium price tag (considering the previous models, including the W2017 and W2016) and be exclusive to the Chinese market. It is not expected to hit the US markets anytime soon.
