Samsung reveals Android flip phone

Flip phones are making a comeback thanks to Samsung.

The company has been rumoured to be working on a flip phone that runs Android, and the South Korea tech giant confirmed those rumours this week by posting an image of the device on its Chinese website.The phone, called the SCH-W789, is displayed on Samsung’s mobile products website in China, and has two 3.3-inch touchscreens, with one placed on the exterior and the other inside the phone. It runs Android 4.1 and can hold two SIM cards, a feature popular among phones in the country.

Both touchscreens have a resolution of 320 by 480 pixels. The phone uses a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, and is powered by a 1,500 mAh battery. In addition, the device has a 5-megapixel camera and also a microSD slot for expandable memory, according to product specifications on the website.

Rumors of the flip-phone had previously referred to it as “Hennessy.” In an email Thursday, Samsung declined to disclose its strategy for the product, but said the phone will be launched next week by mobile carrier China Telecom for 4999 yuan ($811). It is not clear whether the SCH-W789 will only be sold in China.

It’s not the first time the company has introduced a dual-screen flip-phone in the country. The SCH-W689 is a similar phone that comes with room for two SIM cards, but uses Samsung’s own Bada mobile OS.

In 2010, the company also introduced another Android flip-phone in China called the W899. But the phone was specifically meant for high-end business executives willing to spend, said Jessica Kwee, an analyst with research firm Canalys. The W899 is currently sold for around 5800 yuan ($941).

Samsung’s newest flip-phone, the SCH-W789, is likely a premium device with limited stock, and made for people who want to differentiate themselves from other smartphone users, said CK Lu, an analyst with research firm Gartner.