Tear down images of the Samsung SCH-W899 Dual Screen clamshell handset have popped up and looking at the design, it’s a rather interesting design choice. First the cool features, the “Sch” has two 3.3″ Super AMOLED screens sitting in what looks like a back to back configuration. The primary screen is for palming the phone for smart computing. Then, when users want to make a phone call, they flip it up “old school” and the second screen comes to life.
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Other features include being powered by 1GHz Qualcomm SnapDragon processor (likely a single core), 512 MB of RAM, a 5MP rear facing camera with LED flash, and dual SIM slots. Dual SIM slots is interesting as it may portent a phone which can operate in dual phone link configuration. The phone tested running Froyo out of the box, but will it get Gingerbread before hitting the market? The phone is also only approved as a GSM device, which would only put AT&T-Mobile as a major carrier in the running should it come to the US.
Having the back to back design like this gives the users some options, but the real downside is that the screens are independent, meaning you have two screens that can’t work together to double the real estate, which would be the obvious benefit of a dual screen design. It really is a lost opportunity, because if Samsung had been able to engineer a turn around flip latch, ala the Kyocera Echo, it could’ve been a very interesting feature. And what can you do on one that you can’t do an the other. It’s really a strange design.
[via WirelessGoodness]
