The Galaxy Round exists because the Galaxy Round exists. Samsung built and launched it so that it would be the first company in the world to build and launch a smartphone with a curved display. That’s it. The curved shape of the phone adds nothing of value to the user experience and once again, Samsung didn’t even attempt to add any useful new functionality to the device. It’s a gimmick.
That pretty much says it all.
Remember when TV screens were round, and how much better they were flat? Yeah me too.
Perhaps it feels better in-hand or in-pocket.
samsungs FIPO!
I would hope the curve would reduce the width by at least a millimeter compared to other phones with the same sized screen.
But, who knows, it may increase the width due to new design constraints.
And the curve is in the ‘wrong’ direction for two reasons.
– the screen-less back got the larger surface area
– a case design that holds it ‘Predator’ style on your forearm will put the edges up instead of down.
I think it will be a hit with the same people who buy “male enhancement” pills:
“What’s that bulge in your pocket …?”
The curve is actually useful in reaching across a larger device with one hand. That’s just the math of the facts but means nothing regarding the quality of this device.
I think the fact they just pushed it out without an event shows they’re just product dumping on the market.
The usual business model. Throw as much shit against the wall, and hope something sticks.
As a demonstration of capability, it looks interesting. Perhaps this would fit in pockets better.
But I don’t see a functional use for a curved screen unless it were to curve on the long axis instead of the short, and conform better to the user’s face while using it as, say, a telephone.
Curvaliscious
I can see the benefit to someone like me that always stows the phone in a front pocket. Other than that it feels like a warmed-over tech demo. I mean come on, the thing is about the same size as the note. WHY?!
hillarious point
Nilay Patel said it best: Samsung’s slogan should be “why not?”
Agreed.
Haha…that’s spot on!
I don’t know. It seems like it’d fit in the curve of your hand way better.
I honestly thought the curve would be across the horizontal [vs the vertical like this] which I thought was useless but this seems like it could be ergonomic.
You’ll never see me with one though. 🙂
Their YOUM prototype from early this year at least had some interesting functionality to it– by having the edge of the screen spill over the side of the phone, it could work as a “notifications ticker” without having to pick it up and turn the whole thing on. Smartwatches would probably render the ticker concept redundant (should smartwatches take off), but I still liked it.
The Galaxy Round, however, is a phone built entirely around one hardware gimmick (“it’s curved!”) and one software gimmick (“tilt to see your notifications!”). The idea that you could launch a device centered wholly around these things is beyond mind-boggling.
Flexible displays will have far-reaching benefits. This is not one of them.
Note that it’s being released in Korea only.
This isn’t a US or Euro market phone.
They don’t need to have a big worldwide event for a regional device, even without it being “product dumping”.
This product might even make some weird local sense in the Korean market, for all I know about it…
VERY good point. I concede my point as I’m so American it is ridiculous [meaning, no knowledge of international tech needs/progress].
it would only fit better if it was face down. imaging face up with 2 bulges poking up.
I was thinking more about something that follows the curve of one’s jaw, from ear to mouth.
Wouldn’t that work more if the curve went the other way, from left to right? Seems like down the middle puts the speaker further from the ear.
Not if you’re positing a handheld that replaces something like this:
http://www.griffinlab.com/catalog/images/High-Fidelity-High-Gain-Headset-Microphone-2-Large.JPG
I’m looking at the part that goes from the ear to the mouth. We jam flat phones against our jaws, which aren’t flat.
http://gizmodo.com/why-samsungs-curved-smartphone-display-isnt-just-hype-1453993230
Not everyone agrees.