South Korean based company, LG Electronics, unveiled a curved smartphone on Monday that they are claiming to be the world’s first ‘real’ one. It is believed that the announcement was LG’s way of trying to catch up with smartphone leader, Samsung, who released a model earlier in October with a screen that is curved slightly from side to side.
LG Electronics’ curved smartphone features a vertically curved 6 inch display, which offers a more immersive video watching experience, and a curved battery to support its form factor. The back is said to be covered with an ‘elastic coating’ that allows the phone to ‘self heal’ minor scratches. The company also claim “the curved form of the phone is optimised ‘for the average face’.”
The smartphones developed by both Samsung and LG are only available in South Korea (LG has announced that the G Flex will be launched in November through the country’s three mobile carriers) as the companies seek to gauge consumer appetite. Analysts believe that a lack of must-have features and high manufacturing costs means they are unlikely to be consumer hits.
LG is only one of a handful of smaller companies struggling to compete against smartphone leaders, Samsung and Apple (whose devices account for almost all of the industry’s profits). They hope that an increase in marketing investment will raise brand awareness in the high-end market, which will, in turn, help to expand sales in the mid to lower-end segments.
Analysts believe that Apple is also working on a smartwatch, which is rumoured to have a curved screen, but this has not been confirmed.
Image Source: engadget