Just hours after a mysterious curved Samsung smartphone was leaked, Samsung made the announcement that it would be called the Galaxy Round. The curve is no ordinary curve, but one made with a real Super AMOLED flexible display. While the Galaxy Nexus had a straight display under its curved glass, this device has a true flexible display wrapped around that curve. While it’s not the perfect use of flexible displays, the technology is finally here!
If you thought it would be another gimmicky low-end phone like the Galaxy Camera, you’re wrong. It’s a gimmicky high-end phone! It’s basically a Galaxy Note 3 in a curved package without the S Pen. It has a 5.7-inch 1080p Super AMOLED panel, a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage with a microSD slot, 13MP camera and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. It’s nearly identical to the Note 3 (even down to the faux leather stitched back), but unlike the Note, it has a slightly smaller 2,800 mAh battery. However, it has a few extra tricks up its sleeve.
To make the round form factor more than just for better grip, Samsung created a few new software features for people to use. Roll effect will allow you to check the time and notifications simply by pushing down on one side, tilting the display towards you and automatically lighting the screen. Gravity Effect allows for controlling the UI by tilting the device. And Bounce UX lets you control the music by tilting the device left and right to change tracks while the display is off.
Unfortunately, most of us might never have a chance to own this device in our country. For now, the Galaxy Round will be exclusive to Korea. It will launch in Luxury Brown, with more colors coming soon after. Would you ever buy one of these? Does the idea of flexible displays under inflexible glass shaped in interesting ways intrigue you? Leave a comment!
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As a result of its unique curved design, users can take advantage of round integration experiences like the Roll Effect that enables user to check information such as date, time, missed call and battery easily when home screen is off, and the Gravity Effect for creating visual interaction with the screen by tilting the device. For music, the Bounce UX enables users to control their music. When the GALAXY ROUND’s display is off while the music player is running, a short press to the left of the device will play the previous track while a short press to the right will play the next track. For pictures and videos, the Side Mirror feature enables users to gain access to list of the album content with a left and right tilt.
The large screen size of the GALAXY ROUND provides additional benefits to users. Useful One-Hand Operation features bring a user’s most desired controls closer to a preferred side of the screen. The device enables enhanced multitasking capabilities that allow users to fully utilize the larger screen through Multi Window, a feature that enables users to open more than one application on the screen, run simultaneous multiple instances of the same application or to easily share content between applications.
Samsung GALAXY ROUND is available in Korea with Luxury Brown, and more color will be available soon.
* All functionality, features, specifications, and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 270,000 people across 79 countries with annual sales of US$187.8 billion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.
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