Even though neither have actually launched a phone with a flexible screen yet, LG and Samsung are already fighting it out in the press, keen to show they’re both well ahead of the game when it comes to this interesting technology. Earlier today, Samsung’s so-called Galaxy Round flexible phone was leaked, and it may be made official later this week. The news came soon after a phone named the LG Flex, or LG Z, was leaked, and now LG has gone one step further and confirmed it first run of flexible screens have reached mass production.
According to LG Display, the panels now entering production measure six inches, and the first phone to use the display will be revealed in November. We expect this to be the LG Flex, which is rumored to have a 1080p 6-inch screen, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, and LTE-A connectivity specifically for the Korean market. An earlier report showed an early sketch of the phone with a banana-like curve to its display, which fits in with a quote provided to Reuters by an unnamed source, who said the screen would be curved from top to bottom.
Don’t forget, although we’re calling these new panels flexible, it doesn’t mean the phone itself can be bent into different shapes. The benefit of flexible screens here is their scratch and damage resistance, and of course for the phone to be made in a more ergonomic shape. Exactly how curved these phone will be remains to be seen.
If the rumored timeframes are correct, LG’s November launch may well be after Samsung’s event, as it’s said to be scheduled for later this week or early next. There’s a chance neither phones will get a release outside of South Korea, as both have been leaked with LTE-A. There’s no way either company will want to keep the tech to itself for long though.
