Samsung to launch a smartphone with a curved screen in October

By Andy Boxall September 25, 2013

samsung smartphone curved screen october flexible — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Samsung’s head of strategic marketing has said the company has a very intriguing new product to show off in October, after telling reporters at an event in Korea, “We plan to introduce a smartphone with a curved display in South Korea in October.” This comes soon after a rumor indicating Samsung may have a Note 3 variant in the works equipped with a flexible screen.

There’s a good chance the two reports are talking about the same device, as to get a truly curvy screen, it needs to be at least vaguely flexible. The way the previous report was worded suggested Samsung would initially put the device on sale in South Korea, which also ties in with the executive’s statement. Sadly, no other details on the hardware were provided.

The Korean event was celebrating the launch of the Galaxy Note 3, so it’s questionable whether Samsung would talk about an alternative version at the same time, so perhaps the curvy phone will be yet another new model from the company.

We’ve seen several phones with a subtle curve before, but as in the case of the Nexus S – also made by Samsung, and seen here on the right – it was actually the glass covering that was curved, and the OLED screen underneath was flat. This time, if both these reports are indeed connected, both parts may be curved.

So, aside from it looking cool, why would you want a phone with a curved screen? It’s more ergonomic, and will hug your face or fit better in your pocket, plus the screen should be less reflective in bright light. Also, it’s less likely to get scratched if it’s laying flat down on a table, as only the edges will be in contact with the surface.

October is very nearly here, so we shouldn’t have long to wait before Samsung show’s off its exciting new phone, but it’s sounding like anyone not living in South Korea may have to wait a while before enjoying its curves.

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Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

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