Samsung Godiva spied on camera, ditches physical keyboard
When we heard Verizon might be bringing out a third entry for its Samsung Stratosphere line, the Samsung SCH-i425 Godiva, we wondered how closely it might resemble those other two phones. The Stratosphere line has made it this far with a physical QWERTY keyboard still in tow, but if these leaked images are accurate, and if this is indeed the third installment, then it looks like Verizon and Samsung are looking to break the trend.
The shot, provided by Engadget, confirms the device will have NFC, and other specs are said to include an S4 Snapdragon processor, a 720p display and Android 4.1.2 out of the box. The phone does closely resemble the Stratosphere line in terms of design with its four capacitive buttons sitting on the bottom, so even without confirmation we can tell this will definitely be the annual mid-range offering Verizon and Samsung have been known to provide.
With the Stratosphere being Samsung’s last major device with a QWERTY slider and the Motorola Photon Q being the only other device with such a configuration we’re wondering if the death of the age-old form factor is upon us. Slide-out keyboards are usually reserved for mid-range handsets these days, and with the way things are looking the designation might only exist with entry-level keyboards.
We know there are still more than a few of you out there who appreciate QWERTY sliders, but it pains me to say that those are becoming rarities in this day and age. We’re not sure when to expect this device in retail stores but we’d hope Verizon and Samsung are looking to get it out sooner rather than later.