Samsung launches world's first smartphone with curved screen

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Wednesday launched the world's first smartphone with a curved display, a variant of the Galaxy Note which moves the Asian giant a step closer to achieving wearable devices with flexible - even unbreakable - screens.
Curved displays are on the frontlines of Samsung's innovation war with rivals such as Apple Inc and LG Electronics Inc, as the South Korean firm seeks to expand its lead in the slowing market for high-end smartphones.

The Galaxy Round's 5.7-inch (14.4-centimetre) display has a slight horizontal curve and weighs less than the Galaxy Note 3, allowing a more comfortable grip than other flat-screen models on the market, Samsung said in a statement.

 
Its key features include a tilt function which allows users to check information such as missed calls and battery life, even when the home screen is off. Users can also scroll through media files by pressing the screen's right or left, the company said.
The phone initially would be available only in South Korea and no decision had been made about releasing it in other markets. The battery in the Galaxy Round is not curved, Samsung said.


Samsung's new curved-screen phone, available through South Korea's biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom Co Ltd, costs 1.089 million won ($1,000).
($1 = 1073.7750 Korean won)