Samsung launches world’s first smartphone with curved screen

Curved displays are on the frontlines of Samsung’s innovation war with rivals such as Apple Inc and LG Electronics Inc, as the South Korean firm seeks to expand its lead in the slowing market for high-end smartphones.

“It’s a step forward for having unbreakable gadgets and flexible devices eventually. But for now, the new phone is more of a symbolic product,” said Hana Daetoo Securities analyst Nam Dae-jong, adding that Samsung did not yet have capacity for large-scale production of curved touch-screens for the new Galaxy Round.

The Galaxy Round is Samsung’s attempt to gauge consumer appetite for curved phones although its lack of other eye-catching features means it is unlikely to be a hit, he said.

“I don’t think it’ll be massively compelling enough for gadget buyers as … the curved display doesn’t come with many unique features,” he said.

The Galaxy Round’s 5.7-inch (14.4-centimetre) display has a slight horizontal curve and weighs less than the Galaxy Note 3, allowing a more comfortable grip than other flat-screen models on the market, Samsung said in a statement.

Its key features include a tilt function which allows users to check information such as missed calls and battery life, even when the home screen is off. Users can also scroll through media files by pressing the screen’s right or left, the company said.

The phone initially would be available only in South Korea and no decision had been made about releasing it in other markets.

DESIGN CHALLENGES

Curved displays open up possibilities for bendable designs that could eventually transform the high-end smartphone market, where growth has slowed amid competition from low-end producers.

Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch released last month has a flat screen, but the company is hoping to have the technology to make more attractive and wearable devices in what is shaping as a key battleground for consumer electronics companies.

Technology firms have yet to figure out how to cheaply mass produce the parts and come up with display panels that can be thin and heat-resistant. Batteries also have to take new forms to support flexible screens that can be rolled out, attached to uneven surfaces or even stretched. The battery in the Galaxy Round is not curved, Samsung said.

Competition is heating up with Samsung’s cross-town rival LG Electronics planning to introduce a smartphone with a vertically curved display in the first week of November, a source familiar with the matter said this week.

Its components affiliate, LG Chem Ltd, said on Tuesday it had started commercial production of a curved battery for use in the device.

The firm also said it has developed a battery in cable form, suitable for wearable devices, and expected to start commercial production within the next couple of years.

Technology analysts and media reports say Apple is working on a smartwatch, potentially with a curved screen, but there has been no word from the California-based company about its plans.

Samsung’s new curved-screen phone, available through South Korea’s biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom Co Ltd, costs 1.089 million won ($1,000).

($1 = 1073.7750 Korean won)

Via: reuters

LG Z smartphone tipped to feature a curved screen

Rumors are flying that LG is currently working on a new smartphone that will feature a curved screen. Rumors suggest that the smartphone will be called the LG Z. Ahe curved screen LG smartphone rumor comes right on the heels of a rumor suggesting rival Samsung will be launching a curved screen version of the Galaxy Note 3 soon.

LG and Samsung are both working hard on curved screen devices. Both companies have curved screen OLED television sets that are already on the market. Back in April of this year, a rumor surfaced that LG would have its first flexible OLED screen smartphone launched before the year was over.

That rumor from earlier this year does dovetail nicely with the rumor of the LG Z. Unfortunately, right now other than a rumor claiming that the LG Z will feature a curved screen, no other details about the smartphone are known.

The rumor does claim that LG will unveil the curved screen Z smartphone this month. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to imagine LG announcing its own curved screen smartphone right around the time Samsung goes official with the curved screen Galaxy Note 3.

Source: slashgear