In this era of smartphones, for a company to release a flip phone would likely be considered blasphemous. Samsung clearly doesn’t seem to care. It announced the SCH-W789 Hennessy Android flip phone back in 2013. Now, the South Korean company is at it again with the Master series.
The Master series of phones, announced on Samsung’s Flickr page, will be composed of 2G and 3G flip phones that have a faux leather stitching design on the front and back, like the recent Galaxy Note 3. Regardless of the data speed, each Master phone will have a 3-inch screen and a proprietary “easy user interface.” While the Master series won’t have the bells and whistles of a modern smartphone, the phones will be equipped with a pedometer and FM radio.
The Modern series flip phones will come in Metallic Silver, Mont Blanc Black, and Wine Red. While it’s understandable to question Samsung’s reasoning for releasing such phones, Samsung argues that the Master series is targeted at middle and older generations that can’t maneuver around a smartphone.
Samsung will be selling the Master series in South Korea for 240,000 won (~$234), with the company announcing no plans to bring the flip phones to the West. In other words, if you want to take a trip down nostalgia lane, you’ll have to settle for importing.