Samsung's W2018 premium clamshell phone caught on video, coming December 1

Samsung remains a keen producer of premium clamshell (or “flip”) phones despite them falling out of favor in western markets. Its latest clamshell model, known as the Samsung W2018 (not to be confused with the Samsung Leader 8 seen earlier this year), has been the subject of several recent rumors, and a couple of days ago, a leaked video gave us what could be a first look at the device in action.

The video appeared on Chinese Social Media website Weibo (via phoneArena), though it’s not clear where the user got the device from. As you can see in the video, embedded below, the device makes use of some of Samsung’s recent design ideas, like the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner beside the camera sensor, but in other areas, it’s wildly different from its latest devices we’ve seen from the South Korean manufacturer.

The W2018 is expected to house a dual-sided, 4.2-inch, 1080p AMOLED display (both sides of which appear to be touch-enabled), as well as a physical keyboard and navigation buttons. It’s also expected to pack a Snapdragon 835 chipset, 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of expandable storage.

As for the front and rear cameras, these are anticipated to come in at 5 MP and 12 MP respectively, while the device is also said to run Android Nougat out of the box. The battery, meanwhile, is rumored to come in at 2,300 mAh — less than you’d find on most modern flagships, though it may charge wirelessly.

Arriving alongside the hands-on video was news of the device launch date: it’s expected to be revealed in China on December 1, as was indicated by a leaked Samsung poster spotted by PlayfulDroid. An official release in Western markets is, however, unlikely.

As a final note, be aware that the W2018 is not the same as the foldable smartphone that Samsung is speculated to be preparing. That device is anticipated to appear next year with a true folding display, not just a folding body.