Samsung unveils the W22 5G, a premium version of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 that you can't buy

Before there was the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, the manufacturer offered a clamshell phone that was an Android-powered flipper. The W-series phones were not foldable in the sense that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 uses a flexible, foldable screen to turn a 6.2-inch display into a 7.6-inch tablet. No, the W-series handsets were essentially Android-powered flip phones.

But starting in 2019 with the W20 5G, Samsung made a huge change to the line. That year, the W-series phone was an improved Galaxy Fold with more durability, a Snapdragon 855+ chipset, and 5G support. Likewise, last year's W21 5G was an improved Galaxy Z Fold 2 with a slightly taller build, two SIM slots, and a different-looking gold rear panel with vertical lines.

Today, the W22 5G was announced by Samsung and the device is a premium version of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. On its website, Samsung says (translated from the original Chinese) that "Elegance and refinement are blended into details. The interior of the hinge is exquisitely constructed and the external metal material is hard." While something seems lost in translation at the end of that passage, there is no denying that the W22 5G looks like a premium device with its dimpled gold spine.

With the same specs as the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the W22 5G is equipped with a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED front cover display with a resolution of 832 x 2268 and a 120HZ refresh rate. Opening the device reveals the 7.6-inch tablet-sized Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1768 x 2208 and a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood is the Snapdragon 888 chipset made by Samsung Foundry using its 5nm process node.

Besides the premium look, the W22 5G is equipped with extra memory as it sports 16GB of RAM compared to the 12GB found inside the Galaxy Z Fold 3; it also features 256GB of storage. The phone does not come with Google Mobile Services which is par for the course in China where the W22 5G will be available priced at CNY 16,999 ($2,640 USD). And we almost forgot to mention that the W22 5G supports the S Pen.

Samsung has always limited sales of the W-series to certain markets and the new model is no exception. You will not see this handset offered in the U.S. not that you should shed tears because of this; after all, it is not like Americans can't buy the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in the states.