What Is A Clamshell Cell Phone?

Well the clamshell cell phone certainly won’t be grabbing any swimmers and holding them underwater against their will. For most users just want to dive into their clamshell cell phones and not come up for air at all!

When this phone style first made a dramatic entrance onto the mobile handset fashion parade it was an instant hit. The clamshell became a hot cellular buzzword right from the start.

Now often regarded as the most sophisticated and stylish in appearance of the differing cell phone designs. The clamshell phone has become a firm favorite of many cellular users.

The clamshell design is sometimes referred to as the folder phone. But most users would not recognize that term so well (or choose to use it if they did). Clamshell just sounds so more exciting and exotic.

The clamshell design phone consists of two halves which are hinged together and closes over to shut like a clam (hence the name). Most phones like these have the function known as Active Flip, where just opening the phone will answer a call, and snapping it shut can bring that call to a satisfying end.

Flip phones can do this too, but a flip phone is entirely different from a clamshell. With a flip phone the top half section merely acts as a cover. But a clamshell has components both in the lower and upper halves. Usually this sexy arrangement will involve the keypad being in the lower section, with display screen and speaker in the top. The battery might be held in either half.

Now quite a few clamshell phones have a smaller external display screen too, which may or may not be color. So you can see who’s calling before you answer, maybe by photo caller ID. If there’s no external screen then another way to know is by personalizing your ring tones.

Also see; cell phone FAQ.

Author Notes:

Matt Jacks contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.cell-phones-n-plans.com. A cell phone buyers guide featuring reviews of the major cellular manufacturers and US-based carriers and their phones and plans.