Why would you want a flip phone? Or, better question, why do companies keep making flip phones? Didn’t those die with the BlackBerry? Maybe not.
Samsung seems to think that there’s still a market for flip phones. They might just be right, too. Or, at least, they’ve created a new flip phone that’s worth being curious about.
The new Samsung SM-W2017 (really, guys, let’s work on those phone names!) is what you might expect it to be. But it also comes with a varied, albeit odd, array of features. Some of those features leave me a bit puzzled, but let’s go ahead and assume that Samsung knows its market.
The Features Abound
With Samsung’s new flip, you’ll get two 4.2-inch, full HD Super AMOLED screens (that’s right, two); a 5-megapixel selfie camera, a 12-megapixel rear camera, 64GB of storage, and a 2,3000mAh battery. This phone appears to be sold only in Asia, so North Americans looking to get in on the flip phone action won’t be able to snag this new Samsung device.
Samsung’s new flip phone aside, why would anyone buy a flip phone or want to make flip phones? There are a few reasons for this. One of those reasons is that Samsung must have an Asian market that wants the flip phone - because the company keeps making flip phones in quite a regular manner. The other reason is a slight desire to return to simpler things.
The North American Obsession With Simple
Call it minimalist. Call it simple. Call it sanity. Things like records and flip phones allow people to go offline. To live off of the grid. To quit mindlessly walking around with noses buried in phones - or, worse, driving with noses buried in phones.
Flip phones take some of the pressure off of things like push notifications. They ease the constant anxiety associated with missing something happening online. They let you make calls. This one lets you take photos too. It’s easy to see why some people would like the simplicity of a flip phone.
But most don’t.
Profitable or Not?
So is a company like Samsung that keeps making flip phones profitable? Does Samsung’s flip phone division actually turn a profit? Or are they just pandering to a small crowd of people that like the idea of a flip phone - or don’t know how to use a smartphone? It would seem mindless for a company to spend money making phones that aren’t actually profitable. In all estimation, yes, Samsung does make money selling and marketing these phones.
It’s also worth noting that Samsung isn’t the only company that’s still making flip phones. A few other companies are selling these phones in and outside of North America. While flip phones aren’t as popular as smartphones, they are still popular enough for some major companies to keep flip phone manufacturing divisions open.
Flip phones are popular with a select few, and very popular with those that have no need or use for a smartphone. Yes, they exist.