Samsung W2018 flip phone finally launched with f1.5 aperture, lowest f-stop ever in a smartphone

Samsung finally took the wraps off its latest flip phone, the W2018, at an event in China on Friday. As previously rumoured, the phone comes with flagship-level specs and the world's widest aperture ever featured in a smartphone.

Sporting a metal and glass combination body, the Samsung W2018 is powered by the Snapdragon 835 SoC, coupled with 6GB of RAM. The phone runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and features a 12MP rear camera.

Unlike the recently launched Galaxy Note 8, the rear camera on the W2018 sports a single sensor. However, it's the world's first handset to come with the widest smartphone aperture of f1.5, which is lower than the f1.7 sensors that the South Korean tech giant has reportedly incorporated in its mainstream devices.

The Samsung W2018's f1.5 aperture will help the phone capture better images in low-light conditions while also allowing users to create a higher degree of bokeh effect even with a single camera. Samsung has also apparently deployed some kind of a software trick to allow the phone intelligently switch aperture between F1.5 and F2.4.

Before Samsung W2018, the LG V30 was said to have the lowest f-stop in a smartphone camera. LG incorporated an f/1.6 lens into the LG V30's dual camera, delivering 25 percent more light to the sensor compared to an f1.8 lens.

Other than the widest aperture lens, the rest of the Samsung W2018 specs are almost the same as revealed by various earlier leaks. The phone features two 4.2-inch Full HD displays, with the front-facing one protected by Gorilla Glass 5.

The phone is available in two storage models, including 64GB and 256GB of storage options. The front camera has a 5MP sensor while the 12MP rear camera comes with Optical Image Stabilization feature.

There is a fingerprint sensor just next to the rear-facing camera while there is also a dedicated Bixby button for activating the voice assistant as previously rumoured. The Samsung W2018 has a USB Type-C port and carries a 2,300mAh battery.

The Samsung W2018 will be available through China Telecom in China. While the exact price of the phone is still unknown, rumours have it that the phone may cost as high as $2,000.

Take a look at the hands-on video of the Samsung W2018 below: