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Do you believe in second chances? Samsung and Verizon hope you do.
About a year and a half after launching the original Samsung Gusto, the two companies are taking another stab at the series with the recently announced Samsung Gusto 2, a simple flip phone intended to pad out Verizon’s portfolio of basic phones.
I personally hope it’s a big stab, and one that lands true, since the initial Gusto left little to like with flimsy construction and poor call quality. Still, I’m willing to give its successor the benefit of the doubt for now: excellent basic phones are a rare, but much-needed breed.
So far, the Gusto 2 follows the same classic flip phone design, including a 2-inch display, a large dialpad, and a 1.3-megapixel camera.
There’s also Facebook and Twitter access on-board, VZ Navigator for subscription-based turn-by-turn directions, and the Fake Call app that’s designed to get you out of an awkward situation with a little white lie.
Although the sub-$100 phone isn’t billed as a handset for the silver-haired segment, seniors might appreciate extra features like voice readouts of menu selections, text messages, the contacts list, and battery level. In addition, the Gusto 2 comes equipped with noise suppression technology to combat ambient sounds.
Samsung’s Gusto 2 will cost $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate, and with a new two-year contract. Verizon will start selling the Gusto 2 “in the coming weeks.”
