Earlier on today, we covered the unveiling of NTT DoCoMo’s latest devices – of which there were 12 in total – and while devices that go on sale in the Japanse market might mean little to us right now, the region is perhaps a test bed for new designs and features. The Japanese are obviously pretty clued up when it comes to their technology and they’ve been the first to successfully sell some pretty crazy designs but, this latest from NEC is perhaps the strangest and most awesome to come out of Japan for a while now.
NEC’s MEDIAS W is a device that has two screens and while I know that you’re thinking this has been done before, badly, this time around it looks like NEC could have a winner on their hands. The MEDIAS W is made up of two 4.3″ displays that look like a normal form-factor at first, but then the rear of the smartphone flips out to reveal a second screen and BAM! You’ve got a bigger device in your hand, just like that. The concept of it all sounds wonderful but, as was the case with Kyocera’s Echo, the software could well hold the device back.
Hardware wise the device comes with a dual-core Snapdragon S4 clocked at 1.5 Ghz, an unknown amount of memory – hopefully 2GB – and unknown storage but, an open microSD card slot and a 2000 mAh battery. Packing two screens into a device does create a thick phone and at 12.1 mm this is no Xperia Z. The idea behind the MEDIAS is that you shouldn’t have to carry around a massive device just to get more screen estate and that with a sort of folding design you can get the best of both worlds. When you flip the device into double-screen mode there’s a combined resolution of 1080 x 960 – making each screen a disappointing qHD – and one of the screens can be used for things such a web browser or to extend the launcher. One of the cooler things about it all though is the ability to flip an app into dual-screen mode to get a desktop version of a site at a moment’s notice. Of course, not all apps work and there’s no word on what apps will be supporting the device but, one thing’s for sure – this thing is awesome.
I want one.
[Via: Android Police]