Making a grab for our adult wallets by aiming for our childlike love of video games, Samsung has recently filed a patent for a clamshell cellphone which can transform into a 2600-style controller. Last time we checked, killing at “Snake” on our phone wasn’t so difficult that we needed to collapse or otherwise totally re-jigger the device to play it, but as mobile games become increasingly complex, using the keypad is starting to feel just a little limiting — and that’s where Samsung’s engineers step in. The basic premise is that the bottom half of your flip-phone would pivot not only open and closed (or backward and forward), but also left and right, thus allowing you to escape from Blinky more quickly, jump over barrels more deftly, and generally get a serious game on.

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With the way carriers tend to nickle ‘n dime us all these days, you won’t find this camp complaining about anything offered up gratis. AT&T’s latest round of freebies does require you to be an AT&T Unity subscriber — meaning that you rely on AT&T for wireless and landline service — but affords those who are in the loop free calling to and from any AT&T phone number. Moreover, it allows AT&T wireless customers to keep their rollover minutes fresh for 12 months, prevents anytime minute usage when phoning another AT&T customer, and includes unlimited night and weekend minutes. Best of all, these gifts are also being given to current Unity customers in addition to newcomers, so make sure you eye your next bill extra carefully.

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It seems Samsung thinks that one slider ain’t enough for T-Mobile USA’s lineup. The aptly-named t429 (pictured left) will slot in just below the long-since-released t629, offering up a measly VGA cam and Bluetooth in a dark, reasonably attractive package with an expected launch date of August 20 (no @Home here, sorry). Boy Genius Report has the full details, plus a closer look at the flashy t729 — a phone that curiously extends Samsung’s licensing relationship with RIM for BlackBerry Connect and SureType — with availability allegedly starting August 1. We’ll wait for 3G, personally, but you gotta like Samsung’s initiative here.

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