LG has become nostalgic, announcing an old-style clamshell handset running Android. The LG Gentle, ‘the world’s first smart flip-phone’, will be released in Korea soon.
Android Central points out that LG wants to return to a time when clamshell phones were popular – especially in Asia, pre-smartphones. These units, with a physical (T9) keyboard, make typing fast even for new users. Because of this, the Huffington Post expects the Gentle to be popular with business users. The phone will also be less distracting, as it won’t have all of the features of a new smartphone (although 4G connectivity is built in).
The specs are what most people would expect from a clamshell: a 3.2″ LCD display with 480 x 320 resolution, 4GB of storage, 1GB of RAM and a 1.1GHz quad-core processor. The rear camera has 3MP resolution.
As an entry-level unit, LG will charge KRW155,000 ($130) for the Gentle. It will also be launched in Europe, where it will be known as the LG Wine Smart.
