The Vertu Constellation F Ayxta clamshell is official now and it will sell for €4,900 ($7,198) and €6,500 ($9,548). This one boasts aerospace grade aluminum parts. You can also expect GPS, 3G, MicroSD card support, 3MP camera with dual LED flash, and City Brief; a feature for “restaurant recommendations, the latest exhibitions, shopping guides and important cultural etiquette tips.”

This Vertu clamshell also ships with some exclusive ringtones recorded by UK based band Zero 7. Pretty impressive for a clamshell. And at those prices it had better be.

They may have taken the first steps in Frustration-Free Packaging last November, but now Amazon is ready for the next phase. I think we can all appreciate this one. Most of us are tired of struggling with the packaging that our gadgets come enshrined in.

Amazon is making good on their promise to kill clamshell plastic cases and other annoyances. With partners like Fisher-Price, Mattel, Microsoft and Transcend, Amazon has now announced that Kingston is also getting behind the initiative. David Sun, co-founder and chief operating officer of Kingston is also pointing out the eco-friendly benefits of the decision. Awesome news.

Samsung has unveiled another clamshell model series that will surely get attention. We’re talking about the SCH-W830 for SK Telecom and SPH-W8350 for LG Telecom. The round external display is a real eye-catcher and looks awesomely retro and futuristic at once. And it measures just 13.4mm thin.

The phone also includes a button dedicated to opening the phone so you won’t break a sweat with such chores. Some other specs include a 2.6″ QVGA display, 2-megapixel camera, integrated media player, subway system maps, Bluetooth, microSD memory card slot and an SOS function.

Any gadget lover knows the frustration of trying to extract a new gadget or toy from it’s clamshell packaging. Each of us has probably stabbed or sliced ourselves just trying to open the packaging. Exacto knives work great, but your chances of injury increase dramatically. It’s a fact that many of us here at the ‘Brick have less than ten fingers. So why not have an electric gadget that will open these packages for you?

The ZIPIt simply slices through the demon package like butter. The device runs on 3 AA batteries. Just remove the protective cover, and slide your package into the end of the cutter. A few seconds later, your package will be open and all of your fingers will be intact.

LG has released the LG-LV7500 2G clamshell phone in the Korean market. This one is also known as the ‘Whistle’ phone. It features 115 LED lights on the front panel so that users can create their own emoticon designs. It must be aimed at tweens.

The ‘Whistle’ comes in your choice of four colors and sports a car diary function and automatic international roaming service in 18 countries. This one will cost you $322 and is only for the Korean market currently.

It’s been rumored as the C721 for awhile and Casio’s EXILIM pivoting clamshell is now available to everyone on Verizon. The camera rocks 5.1 megapixels with autofocus, image stabilization, and a 3x optical zoom.

Some other features include: mil-spec 810F compliant for dust, shock, temperature, and water resistance. Expandability up to 8GB and compatibility with Verizon’s VZ Navigator service. All of that wet picture taking will cost you $279.99 on contract after rebate.

Remember the old clamshell Apple iBook laptops? Well, here they are in greeting card form. For when you care enough to send the geekiest card ever. Hallmark really missed an opportunity here, as these aren’t from Hallmark. They are handmade by Etsy paper artist Cadiz Cards.

The iCard comes in sets of three, including classic blueberry, indigo and key lime iBooks. Each has a tiny screen that comes blank for you to fill in your own greeting, and a miniature keyboard. Custom colors are also available if you want something different. A set will cost you $12 bucks.

Nokia’s upcoming 7020 clamshell phone is a fashion phone that boasts a 2.2-inch TFT display with 240 x 320 resolution, an external display with 128 x 160 resolution, 2MP camera, 45MB of internal memory, a microSD card slot, an MP3/MPEG-4 player, stereo FM radio and a standard Li-Ion 860 mAh battery.

If you can’t wait to get your hands on this new handset, you won’t have to wait long. It will be available in the fourth quarter of 2009 for about $121. Obviously this one is geared toward the fairer sex. So, what do you think ladies?

Motorola introduced its VE465 semi-rugged clamshell handset, available on Alltel’s website. But there’s no word on pricing details just yet. Those living in Canada can check out the VE465 on Telus if inclined, where it shall be known as the “Motorola VE465 Active Edition”.

Some specs include: CDMA 800/1900/1700/2100 connectivity, 1.9″ TFT internal display with 176 x 220 pixels and 65k colors, 1.05″ CSTN external display with 96 x 80 pixels, Brew OS, Stereo Bluetooth, Music/video player, 1.3 megapixel camera, USB 2.0, and a microSD memory card slot.

We’ve seen the Arc Mouse and until now it’s been one of a kind. Check out this design by Shaun haugh. This computer mouse is based on the Arc’s design, but manages to be different at the same time, in the final shape as well as finish.

This clamshell mouse has a steep arc which would make gripping it either harder or easier, I’m not sure which. The mouse is made of a silica gel like soft material and has metal supports for positioning, works on AA batteries with two steel buttons that lock and unlock the support rods.

We’ve all had our encounters with clamshell packaging, so it’s nice to hear about manufacturers that abandon the practice. Sony did just that this week, even though this video is pretty lame. Sony is just one of several big name companies that have pledged an end to this wasteful, destructive packaging.

As we reported last month, Amazon took a stand of their own. Other companies are getting on board too, like Microsoft and Best Buy. Once they start saving money on packaging, maybe Sony can make a better video, or give their workers a raise, but in reality it will likely go straight into the hands of the guys at the top. Then they can feel all good about themselves when they too ask for a bailout. To help the little guy of course.

We’ve seen our share of knock-offs coming out of China, but this one is downright funny. They’ve taken the iPhone and turned it into a clamshell style phone. Funny thing is, it resembles a MacBook more then an actual iPhone.

It is attractive with the brushed aluminum casing and the iPhone look inside, but I’m guessing that performance isn’t up to par. Surprisingly, the camera is 3-megapixels, more than on most mid to low-end phones. It also sports a 2.6-inch display with a resolution of 240 x 320. It’s pretty small at 105 x 53 x 17mm and about 110 grams. One giveaway that this is a crap-gadget are the LED lights under the apple. I guess that’s the best they could do.

We’ve seen E ink used on watch faces, but did you expect to see it on your phone? E Ink is thinking about introducing it’s E Ink Vixplex Imaging Film for the outer display in future clamshell handsets. Pretty cool idea and very easily done since e-ink only consumes power when the image changes.

The first two handsets that will feature the technology are the Hitachi W61 and the Casio Model G’zOne. The displays are said to be clearly visible even under direct sunlight, which gives the user a viewing angle of up to 180-degrees. It’s sure to be a big hit as users love to personalize their phones.

You’re looking at the BlackBerry clamshell, dubbed the Kickstart. The Boy Genius has shared a handful of photos of the device and I know you can’t stop starring. BGR insists this isn’t fake. The phone has a Pearl-type keyboard, trackball navigation, and seems to have both an internal and external LCD screen. Nothing on specs, carrier, release date and all that jazz, but according to BGR it’s due before year’s end. We’ll keep you updated.

Nokia announced a new clamshell in it’s Prism line. The Nokia 7070 Prism comes with a 128 x 160 TFT display, 11MB of internal memory, MP3 ringtones/24polyphonic, GPRS connectivity and light indicators. It’s a basic phone, with no camera, no Bluetooth and no memory slot.

This sort of phone is ideal for those who want to use it only to make calls and use SMS, pretty much. The 7070 Prism is expected to be shipped in Q3 of 2008 with a price of €50. Despite the fact that it’s got no frills, it does have a cool geometric design with external light effects , which reminds me of some of those old Rubik’s puzzle games.