__NOTOC__ '''Dual front''' is a design concept which allows a device to have two distinctive sides, one for each function. It is most commonly used in [[camera phone]]s.
== Advantages == The main advantage of using a dual fronted device is the enhanced ease of use by having distinctive functions for each side.
For example, having a mobile phone with a dual front for the camera encourages the user to hold the phone horizontally which reduces the learning curve because the buttons and functions are located in similar places to a common [[digital camera]]. <ref>[http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/corporate/press/pressreleases/pressreleasedetails/1491sonyericssonunveilsthes700aninnov-20040309 "Sony Ericsson unveils the S700 – an innovatively designed megapixel camera phone with a new communication style"] ''[[Sony Ericsson]]''. March 9, 2004. Retrieved December 4, 2007.</ref>
== Use in market == [[Image:K700i front.JPG|right|thumb|250px|Front side of Sony Ericsson K700i.]] [[Image:Sony Ericsson K700i back.JPG|right|thumb|250px|The rear is designed similarly to Sony's [[Cyber-shot]] cameras.]] The dual front concept began in 2003 when [[Sony Ericsson]] started its camera phone range with the [[T610]] and T630 which could be held comfortably in the style of a real digital camera due to its side-mounted shutter button; they also had rear designs which loosely resembled the design of digital cameras. Sony Ericsson described the design of the T630 as 'Putting an end to phones having a front and a back, '''the T630 has two sides'''. One for the camera... the other for telephony...'<ref>[http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/corporate/press/pressreleases/pressreleasedetails/196sonyericssonunveilsthet630cameraphone-20031020 "Sony Ericsson unveils the T630 camera phone for stylish mobile imaging"] ''[[Sony Ericsson]]''. October 20, 2003. Retrieved December 4, 2007.</ref>
With the announcement of the [[K700i]] and [[S700i]], Sony Ericsson introduced a new marketing term, "Dual front" to refer to camera phone where the "back" of the handset is styled as the "front" of a digital camera, hence the term of "dual front".<ref>[http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/corporate/press/pressreleases/pressreleasedetails/1405sonyericssonbringscamera-styletomobile-20040309 "Sony Ericsson brings camera-style to mobile imaging - unveils the K700 camera phone"] ''[[Sony Ericsson]]''. 9 March 2004. Retrieved December 4, 2007.</ref>
The market responded well to this design and [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]] was the next company to begin designing dual front products, by producing a [[clamshell phone]] with a dual front design ([[Sharp 902]]).<ref>[https://www.gsmarena.com/sharp_902-pictures-895.php "Sharp 902 Pictures"]. ''[[GSM Arena]]''. Retrieved December 4, 2007.</ref> This had not been done before on clamshell phones as it was difficult to find a convenient location to put the camera due to the physical limitations.
[[Nokia]], after observing the continued response towards mobile phones with dual front designs announced the [[Nokia 6111|6111]]<ref>Hall, David. [http://www.imobile.com.au/Future/default.asp?ID=futurejun0509 "Nokia 6111"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903113853/http://www.imobile.com.au/Future/default.asp?ID=futurejun0509 |date=September 3, 2007 }}. ''[[iMobile]]''. 14 June 2005. Retrieved December 4, 2007.</ref> and the [[Nokia 6270|6270]]/[[Nokia 6280|6280]] in 2005,<ref>Hall, David. [http://www.imobile.com.au/Future/default.asp?ID=futurejun0511 "Nokia 6280"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903122833/http://www.imobile.com.au/Future/default.asp?ID=futurejun0511 |date=September 3, 2007 }}. ''[[iMobile]]''. 14 June 2005. Retrieved December 4, 2007.</ref> all of which had a dual front element to them. They had also previously created a new design which involved the twisting of the top flip in order to create a [[camcorder]] like display (as on the [[6260]]).<ref>Blandford, Rafe. [http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/Nokia_6260_Review.php "Nokia 6260 Review"]. ''[[All About Symbian]]''. 20 December 2004. Retrieved December 4, 2007.</ref> Whilst not strictly dual front, it was later elaborated more to form the [[Nokia N90|N90]], [[Nokia N92|N92]] and [[Nokia N93|N93]].
[[Samsung]]'s [[Samsung UpStage|UpStage]], released in 2007, features a new form of dual front design, where one side is the phone side and the other side resembles an [[MP3 player]].<ref>[https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_f300-pictures-1805.php "Samsung F300 Pictures"]. ''[[GSM Arena]]''. Retrieved December 4, 2007.</ref>
== Other uses == Sony Ericsson also used the dual front design in the Japan release, the Sony Ericsson Radiden. On the back it had a separate screen for accessing radio functions.<ref>Camino, Luis. [http://www.clubsonyericsson.com/en/category/phones/japaneese/ "New Sony Ericsson “Radiden” for Japan"]. ''[[Unofficial Club Sony Ericsson]]''. 31 August 2005. Retrieved December 4, 2007.</ref>
==References== <references/>
[[Category:Mobile phones]]