Samsung has taken the wrapper off its rumored smartphone with a curved OLED display. The Galaxy Round, which will launch on SK Telecom in South Korea, has a 5.7-inch 1080p screen the same size as seen on the company’s Galaxy Note 3, but there’s a difference – it curves on the vertical axis in a similar fashion to some of Samsung’s OLED TVs.
Technologically interesting, but otherwise, I fail to see the point. The screen itself is probably more resilient than traditional ones, but since I’m assuming it has a glass cover, that aspect becomes moot. Also, it just looks weird.
Then again, everyone doubted the Note – now it’s a legitimate category and the Note series alone sold more than 40 million devices, so what do I know.
Thus far I haven’t found many android devices that bring something unique to the table from a hardware perspective other than a larger screen but when I saw this, I thought… “ok, here we go… this is unique. It is both more stylish and seems to be more ergonomic… though hard to say for sure without trying it. Regardless, I was genuinely interested in this.
What’s most interesting is how my opinions seem to so consistently run counter to those of Thom’s. It’s really getting uncanny.
Edited 2013-10-09 16:47 UTC
I am pretty sure they copied this! Steve had this written down on some napkin sometime ago that Sammy go hold off.
No: this is the kind of idea Samsung is able to have when they do not copy Apple. Amazingly innovative!
That looks like it’d fit in my front pocket quite comfortably.
Yes, exactly. I am writing this on my Note 3, and is pretty wide. It’s still comfortable, but I think it would fit better in the hand and pocket if it were curved. Basically, humans are round and phones are square, this is the first step towards big phones that are curved in such a way that they are comfortable in both hands and pocket.
Maybe. What if the radius of your leg differs considerably from the phone’s radius?
If your leg is flatter than it, you might feel the two sides digging into your leg as you walk.
If your leg is more curved than it, it would be an improvement, I think.
Somehow I doubt my phone store will let me put it in my pocket for a test run.
You could also probably find a good spot on your arm to attach it for exercise.
Shouldn’t it be curved outward so that moisture doesn’t deposit in the center? Also so (if I put it in my pocket and let the roundness contort to my leg) the screen is not constantly pressing against my leg, potentially causing issues when the phone is awakened by a call or some such event.
And the moment if falls with will break for sure, convex it is better in that regard, see this <a href=”http://global.samsungtomorrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SAM_15…
There must be something missing. It’s bendable right? ..or some other useless shit? .. cause my Nexus S had a curved display.. and it’s almost 3 generations old.. what the hell is going on? ..
No. Its screen is flat, with a very slightly curved glass layer on top. The Galaxy Round is really curved, with a much more pronounced curve too.
I previously said “I like it” however I just came across its price.
US $1,015!
No thank you.
Cheaper than an iPhone 5s 64GB in Australia.
Is that Aussie price with or without GST?
Remember that US prices are quotes without Sales Tax. So unless you happen to live in one of the few states that has no sales tax then you will pay more than the price quoted.