From Apple to Samsung: What's the deal with curved smartphones?

The latest big news emanating from the tech world is that Apple could just be joining the ‘curved screen’ band wagon. Bloomberg reported that the company was developing new iPhone designs including bigger screens with curved glass and enhanced sensors that can detect different levels of pressure.

According to the Bloomberg report,Two models planned for release in the second half of next year would feature larger displays with glass that curves downward at the edges, said the person, declining to be identified because the details aren’t public.

[caption id=“attachment_1222421” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The Samsung Galaxy Round: AP[/caption]

The curved smartphone, models of which have already been released by Samsung (with the Galaxy Round ) and LG ( LG Curve ) looks to be the definitely the next new trend in devices. But what is the big deal with curved smartphones and are they really practical?

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According to Kelly Clay of Forbes, the answer is yes. She says that the new technology will actually help address several niggling little issues like sound and voice clarity, and help optimize these devices more as they gain increasing importance in our daily lives.

Among these benefits according to Clark:

For those who still talk on their smartphones, there is a small painpoint where either the phone is too far from your mouth, or not close enough to your ear. The new bend in a curved phones addresses this issue by designing a phone that forms more like “real” phones do

She adds that the curve screen will also make “consuming media much more enjoyable for consumers.”

Dr Raymond M Soneira of Displaymate writing for Gizmodo, agrees that curved smartphones are not just a marketing gimmick. He says that theysubstantially improve the display performance of smartphones. In a highly detailed report, Soneira says that the curved screen has better screen readability in bright sunlight, increases magnification and also affords better screen privacy.

However Sam Grobart in Business Insider is more inclined to believe that all this curved screen technology is just a bunch of rounded eye wash. Writing soon after the release of the Samsung Galaxy Round he said:

The larger issue is this: A curved smartphone is not a rectangular one, and all other smartphones are rectangular. Smartphones are increasingly commoditized-one rectangle is not that different from another. But a curved phone is distinctive, and that distinction is born from Samsung’s massive, as-yet-unparalleled industrial infrastructure. The company has made a curved smartphone not only because it can, but because so many other smartphone brands can’t.

As far as the report on Apple is concerned meanwhile, Anna Scantlin of tech site mobiledog wonders if Apple could really get away with a curved iPhone screen.

She writes:

But I do wonder whether Apple would be able to get away with changes like this, especially given the responses I see regarding curved displays. Throughout mine and other’s articles that I read regarding phones already exhibiting curved displays such as the Samsung Galaxy Round or the LG G Flex, not everybody seems on board with the idea. However, both Samsung and LG both release multiple flagship devices per year and have some wiggle room to experiment with such devices. Apple, on the other hand, has typically only released one phone per year with the exception of this year. I can only say that I hope if they do end up coming out with two new iPhones again next year that one will keep the same flat display that most smartphones use.