Samsung W2017 release date, specs, rumors: premium flip phone only intended for Chinese market

A promotional image for the Samsung W2017Samsung

After months of speculations, the Samsung W2017 is finally announced, and it will have flagship features. However, the latest phone is only meant to be released in China.

Samsung's new handset packs the powerful octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, aided by 4 GB of RAM. It also contains 64 GB of internal storage, which is expandable via a microSD card. The clamshell design phone also contains two 4.2-inch 1080p, Full HD, Super AMOLED screens inside and out. Both screens are in the top section of the device, while the bottom half offers a feature-phone style keypad, Sam Mobile reported.

Additionally, it will also contain a 12 MP rear camera that contains an f/1.9 aperture lens capable of recording 4K videos. The front comes with a 5 MP camera that can be used for selfies. The phone works on 4G networks, dual-SIM support and contains a 2,3000 mAH battery. It comes with a 127.8 x 61.4 x 15.8 mm dimension and weighs in at 208g. A metal unibody is used for its frame, International Business Times added.

The Samsung W2017 also features a fingerprint scanner and fast wireless charging. It runs on Android 6.0 and offers support for Samsung Play. It contains Always On Display (AOD), first seen on the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge handsets, that constantly shows important information to its user all the time. The AOD feature automatically disables when the battery level has reached a specific level in order to conserve energy.

Other reports suggest that the new smartphone will have a retail price of more than 20,000 yuan, or approximately $2,952, and will have Gold and Silver color options. No release date has been announced by the South Korean electronics manufacturing giant.

Many phone aficionados considered last year's model, the W2016, as a Galaxy S6 in a clamshell design because of its specifications. It contains an Exynos 7320 SoC, 3 GB of RAM, and 64 GB internal storage. It then came with a 16 MP main and 5 MP secondary cameras. However, it arrived with a 3.9-inch display screen only.

The Samsung W2017 is speculated to be made available next month or early next year.