Samsung's latest phone takes advantage of E-Ink technology to make texting and dialing easier.
Traditionally, phones that flip horizontally and vertically can lead to confusion, because number keys in standard phone mode have to double as letters when the phone is held sideways for texting. The Alias 2 solves this problem with low-powered E-Ink displays that choose the keys' location and direction based in the way the phone is opened.
Featurewise, the phone has solid but standard features, such as Bluetooth, GPS, visual voiceail, a 2-megapixel camera and a MicroSD card slot.
E-Ink is popular for its use in the screen of Amazon's Kindle e-readers. Motorola was the first to use the technology in a phone, first on a screen in the FONE F3 and then for the keypad in the ROKR E8. Still, those purposes are just cosmetic. Gearlog says the Alias 2's keys could technically display anything, which could make for some neat gaming and media player applications.
Verizon is carrying the E-Ink phone for $79.99 with a two-year agreement and $50 mail-in rebate. Some of the features above, like visual voice mail, carry an extra monthly fee.
