Yeah, so this is how Sammy does up a dual-hinge flip in its domestic market. It looks a good deal like the U740 that we get over here -- in fact, if it weren't orange, it'd be a dead ringer from the outside -- but flip 'er open and you'll notice that the QWERTY keypad we get here has been replaced by a more traditional numeric type. The reason? Well, it seems the SCH-B6550 here does T-DMB mobile TV, so it'd make sense that users would want a convenient way of setting it on a surface and getting their couch potato on. Like the U740, the B6550 does 1.3 megapixels from its camera, but ups the display from 220 x 176 to full QVGA resolution. We're not sure how we feel about the orange, but then again, we're not sure how we feel about the original U740's champagne, either.

Ladies and gentlemen, get those typing thumbs fired up -- it's so close now, we can almost feel that dual hinge flipping to and fro in our hands. Sources tell us we can expect at least an online launch of the Samsung U740 on February 14, with units filtering into stores about a week later. Full retail should run $320, one year contract pricing at $250, and two year at $200 with a $50 mail-in rebate. Continue on for more visual stimulation!

[Thanks, anonymous tipsters]

A lot of phones, pictures of phones, and mockups of phones grace our desks in an average week; some leave more of an impression on us than others. Looking at pictures of this W44S from Sony Ericsson left us forever marked with deep feelings of fear, awe, respect, and a genuine hope that we might one day see such immaculate pieces of equipment in our own lands. We're not sure we can put our finger on what did it for us. Was it the glossy exterior, available in your choice of black, silver, or green? The gorgeous, Bravia-branded display? The beefy dual hinge? The digital radio and TV tuners? Seeing how we'll likely never have an opportunity to run our hands across this beauty's softly-sculpted lines, we may never know for sure -- but customer's of Japan's KDDI au can find out when the W44S drops next month.

[Via Akihabara News]

Mixed in with the hoopla surrounding the MediaFLO-capable U620 yesterday came another gem: more details on the dual-hinge U710, which has apparently turned out to be the U740 (you say "po-tay-to," I say "po-tah-to"). Like the U620, the U740 is destined for Verizon and -- in theory, anyway -- offers the benefits of a full QWERTY layout while maintaining the usability and portability of a clamshell. Specs should include a 1.3 megapixel cam, microSD expansion, Bluetooth, and that all-important EV-DO radio, though we still don't have word on a drop date.

Major Korean manufacturer launches dual-hinge clamshell on largest GSM network in the US. Said clamshell disappoints; disappears without a successor. Manufacturer goes for another launch, this time on largest CDMA network in the US. What might contribute to the U710's success on Verizon where Cingular's D307 failed? For starters, if these pictures are any indication, the U710 doesn't look so much like the solid block of child-safe plastic its ancestor resembled. Add in some LBS, an honest-to-goodness camera, A2DP, and external music controls, and it looks like Samsung might just have a winner on their hands this time around for the non-smartphone types out there that dig the QWERTY.

[Thanks, Martin A.]

DS and PSP be damned -- if you happen to be in Korea, that is. Looking a bit like a D307 on performance-enhancing substances, Samsung's new SCH-B450 is designed with entertainment in mind, and it's packing enough tech to make the 2-megapixel camera possibly the least interesting feature of the device. Frankly, the spec sheet is a bit overwhelming: you get TV-out, A2DP, a motion sensor for Wii-like interaction, a game-friendly keypad, 3D acceleration, S-DMB reception, Immersion's VibeTonz, and that clever (yet frighteningly fragile-looking) dual hinge design. The B450 is sadly destined for Samsung's home market only, but we can always pick up a D307 and play make-believe, right?

[Via Akihabara News]