LG believes someone out there wants an Android clamshell

Smartphone manufacturers are conservative when it comes to form factors. Virtually every new handset is of the bar (slate) type. That is because this allows the shell to maintain a thin profile and the touchscreen to take up most of the space on the front panel. Both are features relevant today. Unsurprisingly, clamshells and smartphones do not ever go hand in hand. But there are exceptions.

Among the few smart flip phones, or flip smartphones, is the newly-unveiled LG Smart Wine. The device runs Android 4.4 KitKat and packs decent hardware specifications for what could very well be the ultimate niche smartphone.

It's no wonder then that, based on the information LG has provided so far, Smart Wine is only destined for the maker's home country of South Korea, where the series sold in over five million units since 2007. I imagine it wouldn't be all that popular with smartphone buyers in international markets, who are more accustomed to seeing Android on touchscreen-friendly form factors.

Here are the main hardware specifications: 3.5-inch display with a resolution of 320 by 480 (as big as the original iPhone, actually); 1.2 GHz quad-core processor with 1 GB of RAM; 1,700 mAh battery; 8 MP main camera; 0.3 MP secondary camera; 4 GB of internal storage; microSD card slot; 4G LTE; FM radio; Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0; DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting -- yes, live TV on a smartphone).

Smart Wine measures 118.6 x 59.4 x 16.9 mm and 140.8 grams, so it's relatively compact, save for the thickness, and light. Available color options are black and white. There are no details surrounding price or availability.