Presto Chango: Verizon Debuts Samsung Alias 2 with E Ink Mutable Keypad

Verizon Wireless has announced the Samsung Alias 2, a dual-hinger phone that's the first in the U.S. to feature a mutable E Ink keypad.

Verizon Wireless has formally announced the availability of the Samsung Alias 2, a dual-hinge mobile handset that is the first in the United States to feature a mutable E Ink keypad that can change its configuration to match an particular application or a users’ actions. Opened vertically, the Alias 2 is a flip phone with a standard numeric keypad, but in landscape the phone presents a QWERTY keypad for users’ email and messaging needs.

The Alias 2 features Bluetooth wireless networking, a 2 megapixel camera, microSD-based storage and an optional $9.99/month RemoSync feature, which claims to synchronize calendars, email, and contacts from office PCs. The phone sports mobile email and Web clients, and can also tap into a host of Verizon Wireless services like VZ Navigator ($2.99 a day) or Visual Voice Mail ($2.99 a month).

The Alias 2 is available now for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year contract.