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[M] Return of the Flip Phone

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From the «Erikson, where are you?» department:
Title: Return of the flip phone
Author: evilviper@pipedot.org
Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2015 02:36:42 -0400
Link: http://pipedot.org/story/2015-08-05/return-of-the-flip-phone

Flip phones were all the rage in the 1990s - they were the ultimate fashion
accessory. And despite being overtaken by smartphones the world over, the flip
phone paradoxically remains very popular in technology-obsessed Japan.
Flip-phone shipments rose 5.7 percent in 2014, while smartphone shipments fell
5.3 percent[1], down for a second year. The handsets have been dubbed
'Galapagos' phones because they have evolved to meet unique Japanese standards
and tastes. This may also be attributable to users in Japan paying some of the
highest smartphone fees among developed nations, while flip-phone rates are
among the lowest. Many Japanese, accustomed to years of deflation, are content
with old-style flip-phones offering voice calling, email and basic Internet
services. Also, Japanese electronics companies Panasonic Corp and NEC Corp have
pulled out of the consumer smartphone business, unable to compete with Apple
and Samsung, but they still make flip-phones, competing in a crowded
competitive market.

Though it may be easy to mock such a low-tech choice of phone, a recent trend
observed by MailOnline has seen classic 1990s models by Nokia, Ericsson and
Motorola commanding four-figure sums on eBay and other resale sites. While they
may lack features, these retro phones are simple to use, have batteries that
last the week and are practically indestructible compared to their smartphone
equivalents. And now, LG has decided to join the party.

LG has launched a new model of flip phone, branded the "LG Gentle"[2]. Despite
the 90s design, chunky physical buttons and 3MP camera, it comes with numerous
modern features and the budget handset can perform many more tricks than flip
phones from the 90s. The handset has a 3.2-inch colour touch screen and runs
Android Lollipop 5.1, a modern 1.1GHz quad-core Snapdragon 2010 processor and
1GB of RAM, supports 4G LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS... The phone has launched
in Korea, but there is no news as to whether it will be rolled out elsewhere.

Links:
[1]: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2957635/ (link)
[2]: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3180077/ (link)


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Thread

[M] Return of the Flip Phone RS Wood  <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2015-08-09 18:23 +0000
  Re: [M] Return of the Flip Phone JAB <here@toadsfoot.net> - 2015-08-09 14:07 -0500
  Re: [M] Return of the Flip Phone Whiskers <catwheezel@operamail.com> - 2015-08-09 20:27 +0000
  Re: [M] Return of the Flip Phone Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-08-10 04:25 +0000
    Re: [M] Return of the Flip Phone JAB <here@toadsfoot.net> - 2015-08-10 00:17 -0500
      Re: [M] Return of the Flip Phone Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-08-10 13:53 +0000
  Re: [M] Return of the Flip Phone RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2015-08-17 18:19 +0000
    Re: [M] Return of the Flip Phone RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2015-08-17 18:32 +0000
      Re: [M] Return of the Flip Phone JAB <here@toadsfoot.net> - 2015-08-17 16:00 -0500

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