Samsung is at it again, doing what Samsung does best: making more phones with more features than anybody else. It's not necessarily a bad thing, especially because they're in a position where they can do so. It seems like the unofficial slogan for the company (by the fans) is, "Because they can." Do they really need an explanation for why they keep coming up with so many ideas or releasing so many phones? Nope, not really. And as much as I may not like some of their features, I do have to give credit where credit is due and commend Samsung for keeping it interesting with some of the new features they implement. After all, it seems that keeping things the same just isn't cutting it anymore for people, so why not try out some crazy new ideas? One of these days, one might just be a game changer.
So what will Samsung's new feature end up being?
We've been hearing a lot about Samsung and flexible displays, and perhaps in an effort to make things as drastic as possible, we've entertained the idea that these flexible displays would make it so our phones would not only be able to bend and twist in every which way, but also that they would be paper thin. It was kind of a far fetched idea, and although not completely unattainable I'm sure, there was some skepticism on how soon we would actually see such phones on the market. But before we go from giant brick to paper thin, we need to take baby steps. The first step? The Samsung Galaxy Round.
The Galaxy Round device was announced just yesterday, and will have a curved display. The display curves upwards, giving the screen a concave dip in the middle with the sides turned up when the device is laying on its back. According to Samsung, not only will this make the device easier to hold, but the very physique of the phone will allow certain motions and gestures to be implemented in the device for a more user-friendly experience.
Personally, I think the idea is fantastic. A little strange, but good all the same.
The device itself looks odd to me. I like having a device that lays flat on a desk; alternatively, a device with the sides turned up such as the Galaxy Round gives me somewhat of an unsettled feeling. I can't explain it, but the same thing happens with my HTC One. It's not perfectly flat, and some strange backwoods part of my brain just wants to smash it flat. But aside from that, I think Samsung has the right idea, especially when it comes to the device being comfortable to hold in the hand.
This is something I first noticed with my HTC One; it might be annoying to look at when it's setting on a flat surface, but in the hand the slightly curved back does make it seem a little easier and more comfortable to hold. It gives the palm something to touch, something that most phones fail to provide. The Samsung Galaxy Round just takes it a step further and makes it so that not only does the back have curvature, but the screen dips with it. This also means you can have a larger screen without as much width.
In a demonstration video, the Samsung Galaxy Round is shown to be putting its curved physique to work; when laying on a flat surface, you can press one side of the phone down in order to bring up the clock and missed notifications. Although it initially struck me as being gimmicky, I actually think it would be a feature that I would use. I would have probably spent a lot of time pushing down on the phone anyway, so why not turn it into a useful feature? It would also seem less awkward to tilt the phone to switch between home screens if the device naturally curves, which I imagine would be another key feature in the phone.
Honestly, this is the first Samsung "innovation", if you will, that I'm super interested in. It's curved, but it's not too curved. I have already had a taste of what a curved back feels like from the One, but I think Samsung might have hit the nail on the head with this for now. If it feels as good in the hand as it sounds on paper, I wouldn't be surprised to find more phones pop up with the same design within the next year.
What are your thoughts, readers? Are you interested in the Samsung Galaxy Round, or do you think that it's just another gimmick that won't get very far? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Images via Samsung Tomorrow
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