BERLIN, Sept 6 — At this year’s IFA, Sony displayed a Walkman, Nokia brought its latest flip phone, and Samsung showed off a series of vibrantly colored refrigerators. What year is it?
Though it’s 2019 and companies like Samsung and LG are debuting their high-tech, innovative folding smartphones — the former with a sophisticated folding display — at this year’s IFA, Nokia is resurrecting the retro, flip phone of the early 2000s. On the other hand, Sony and Samsung are looking even farther into the past all the way back to the ‘70s: on display at the trade show is a Walkman and a collection of richly hued refrigerators.
The Nokia 2720 Flip that the company revived at IFA was originally launched almost a decade ago to the day. Of course, this model with its “timeless design” has been outfitted with contemporary tech, tools, and applications like Wi-Fi hotspot functionality, the Google Assistant, social apps including Facebook and WhatsApp.
To ramp up the nostalgia even more, Sony announced its latest Walkman, the NW-ZX507 — no cassette necessary. This year, the device celebrates its 40th anniversary. Unlike the model from 1979, the 2019 generation streams music like you would on your smartphone through Wi-Fi connectivity.
Around the same time period, Walkman owners would be pulling their milk out from a rounded, vibrantly colored refrigerator. Though Samsung didn’t bring the same soft-edged style of the retro fridge back, the company did launch a collection of modular appliances available in a wide range of bright hues. Previously, the Bespoke refrigerator line (pictured) was only available in South Korea, but Samsung announced at IFA that the series is coming to Europe.
Nokia’s 2720 will be available starting this later this month for €89 (RM410). Sony’s new Walkman won’t be available until January and, so far, the European launch date for the Samsung Bespoke fridge is unknown. — AFP-Relaxnews
