Curved Phone Competition
LG Electronics released its flexible smartphone, the G Flex, featuring its first curved display. It is now competing technologically against Samsung Electronics which previously released the Galaxy Round, opening doors to the flexible smartphone market.
On October 28, LG Electronics disclosed the design and specifications of its flexible smartphone, the G Flex. This model will be released next month via all three domestic mobile carriers and major global mobile carriers. The price will be somewhere around a million won (US$943.00).
LG’s G Flex is trying to differentiate itself from Samsung’s model in both design to features.
First, Samsung’s smartphone is curved from left to right, emphasizing a firm grip. LG, on the other hand, made a smartphone that curves from top to bottom.
LG Electronics decided to curve the phone from top to bottom mainly because it considers users’ tendencies to tilt their smartphones when watching videos. When the smartphone is tilted sideways, the curved scren can provide a deeper sense of immersion that users normally only get from watching a movie on an IMAX theater or home TVs.
Also, the top and bottom parts of the smartphone are the interface with a user when speaking on the phone. Therefore, having the speaker and microphone as close as possible to the face improves call quality.
The curved battery, one of the main technologies for flexible smartphones, is also another competitive aspect. Unlike the Galaxy Round, which is simply curved on the outside, the G Flex curved the batteries on the inside to provide even more elasticity.
The patented Stack and Folding batteries developed exclusively by LG Chem have enough elasticity to become flat when pushed down on surface. Sitting on the battery will not harm the product. In fact, its durability is greater than other, non-flexible batteries.
LG also says that the case for the G Flex has a self-healing coating which will be able to recover from hairline scratches to it.
There are also some differences in display size and definition. The Galaxy Round features a 5.7 inch full display, while the G Flex has a larger, 6 inch HD display.
In addition, LG’s G Flex pays attention to its user interface to maximize its curved design. It features a “Dual Window” program, allowing the top half and the bottom half of the curved phone to be used separately, as well as a Swing Lock feature, which locks the smartphone depending on its tilt angle.
A new service on the G Flex, called Q Theater, allows the user to access the photo gallery, video player, YouTube, and other applications directly from the lock screen.
On the competing Galaxy Round, users can check the date, time, missed calls, and battery status by tilting the phone on a flat surface. While listening to music, users can tilt the phone from left to right to choose the next or previous song.
