Is The LG Flex and Samsung Galaxy Round The Future for UK Smartphones?

The curved Smartphone has arrived, in Korea anyway. It looks pretty nice and it stands out in way of its look and design from the many other Smartphones on the market, but is it actually going to offer us anything new?

‘I love my iPhone, but if only it wasn't so flat’ said probably no one, ever. Yet, both Korean company LG and technological giants Samsung decided that the flatness of our Smartphones is a problem they needed to solve.

Whilst this is the first time a Smartphone has used the Flex Technology, the technology itself is not entirely new. There have been a number of prototypes for flexible displays and whilst they look impressive and enhance the viewers experience when used in Television devices, the benefits of having a curved screen on a smaller Smartphone remain slightly ambiguous.

Clearly it is the look and design of the devices that sets them apart from other Smartphones as neither device offers anything new in the way of internal specifications. The LG Flex has a pronounced curve horizontally which makes it slightly resemble the shape of a banana and sits more comfortably against your face. Nowadays however Smartphones tend to spend more time laying flat on a service as you scroll with one finger than they do next to your head. The logistics of whether or not a curved screen could hinder this simple task are yet to be seen. The Samsung Galaxy Round however has a less pronounced curve vertically and like the LG Flex it is said to fit better in your pocket. Despite their appearance, neither phone is actually flexible due to the other components in the device being rigid.

The technology behind the flex screen works as the panels are built on thin slices of material called substrates rather than on glass. This is thinner and lighter than a glass display, so there are a few benefits to the technology other than the Wow factor. LG also claim that the glass is unbreakable, which is a potentially attractive benefit.

The technology has been used before for curved televisions designed to give a more intense viewing experience, but experts are doubtful that the same effect will be had with a smaller 6 inch screen. LG however are positive that the design of the LG Flex will mean a better viewing experience when watching videos due to the phones “curvature arc, optimized for the average face”. The device is also set to improve sound quality as it mimics the old fashioned phone designs where the microphone was closer to your mouth.

So far technology experts appear to be pretty skeptical about devices and many are unsure if either of the two Smartphones will even hit the UK Market. Often however with technology, something that is perceived as relatively pointless to begin with can easily become accepted. Often we are not aware of a want or need for a product or technological advancement until it becomes part of our everyday lives. Before the Fingerprint scanner existed on the iPhone 5s it was not identified as a desirable feature, but once available it caused a stir with early adapters.

Whether or not curved screens are here to stay, really depends on how well the new devices are perceived by early users. Rumour has it that the Samsung Galaxy was just a prototype launched in Korea to test the popularity of the curved screen, which makes sense, especially considering the price of the handset. The fact that the LG Flex is already due to launch in France however, indicates that this device could have a much wider spread. If it does come to the UK then early adapters will get the opportunity to make up their own minds and ultimately decide whether or not the curved Smartphone sinks or swims in the UK market.

The curved Smartphones of course, could just be a way for both companies to show off the new OLED technology in style. Using Plastic instead of glass certainly has its benefits but choosing to curve it doesn’t appear to add much.

It doesn't take anything away however and it does give the Smartphone an opportunity to develop and move on from its standard design, so if either phone does hit the UK, then the design alone could be enough to make it a popular device. For now we will just have to wait and see.