Can flip phones make a comeback?

LG’s Ice Cream Smart is a flip phone with smartphone features – but will this flip phone be a flop phone?

Flip phones dominated the mobile market not too long ago. Could they make a comeback? LG has just announced the Ice Cream Smart, which it says combines the features of a smartphone with a flip-phone-style device. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and comes with a Kakao Talk button offering voice chat for free or via data costs.

"The Ice Cream smart is a hybrid folder phone that has all the advantages of a folder phone and a smartphone," said Cho Joon-ho, CEO of LG.

The Ice Cream Smart follows on from last September’s Wine Smart and can keep apps running when the device is shut. Specs include 4G LTE support, an 8Mp camera and a quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor.

It will come in a range of ‘pastel-tone’ colours at a price of KRW300,000 (around £185 converted).