Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on
Wednesday launched the world's
first smartphone with a curved
display, a variant of the Galaxy Note
which moves the Asian giant a step
closer to achieving wearable devices
with flexible - even unbreakable -
screens.
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.
© Thomson Reuters
