[Updated] Samsung’s high-end flip phone without headphone jack now official

Update: It turns out the W2018 didn't have a headphone jack, either, so this isn't the first Samsung device without one. Apologies for that, we guess this is the problem with devices like Samsung's flip phones, which are too limited in coverage and availability for us to know everything about them. We'll try to do better next time, though.

Original story follows

It's official: Samsung finally has a smartphone that doesn't come with a headphone jack. It's a flip phone – the W2019 – that won't come to markets outside China or South Korea, but this is the first solid indication that the headphone jack may disappear from the company's mainstream flagships next year. After all, the Dual Aperture camera on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 debuted on the W2018 last year, so it's certainly something to be concerned about if you've been hanging on to Samsung smartphones because of the headphone jack.

Samsung W2019 specs are flagship-grade, as expected

But let's talk about the W2019 here. As expected, underneath that classic flip phone design is a phone with flagship specs. The W2019 has a Snapdragon 845 powering its two Full HD Super AMOLED displays, along with 6GB of RAM and 128GB RAM on the base model (just like the Note 9; there's also a 256GB model). The rear camera setup is also the same as the S9 and Note 9. There's a primary 12-megapixel sensor that can switch between F1.5 and F2.4 aperture and a secondary 12MP telephoto sensor for Live Focus and 2x optical zoom shots. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor with F2.0 aperture.

The W2019 also gets a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a dedicated Bixby key. There's a 3,070 mAh battery that's charged via a USB Type-C port, and it looks like there are Type-C earphones – or maybe wireless ones – that Samsung will offer along with the phone. However, it's unclear if Samsung is offering a dongle in the box for when you would want to charge the phone and listen to music using wired audio gear. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, and we're guessing it will be eligible for the One UI and Android Pie update.

And yes, the W2019 has a traditional keypad and navigation keys when you open it up; the outer display has software navigation keys like recent Galaxy phones. The device will be sold in silver and gold. The W2019 price isn't known, but you're easily looking at a price tag that will rival what Samsung's foldable phone is expected to cost.