LG has finally announced the LG G Flex, a 6-inch smartphone with a distinctive curved shape.
The G Flex utilises flexible OLED display technology to create an unusual banana-like bend to its 6-inch 720p screen.
LG calls it the “world's first 'real' curved smartphone” in a not-so-subtle dig at its great rival Samsung, which launched the slightly-bent Samsung Galaxy Round earlier in October.
The key difference between the two is that the LG G Flex curves between its top and bottom edges, whereas the Galaxy Round curves up at its left and right edges. However, while Samsung attempted to make a few interesting UI tweaks to take advantage of the Galaxy Round’s curved display, the LG G Flex appears to be pretty standard.
It’s supposed to be ergonomically superior when making calls and more immersive when watching videos, mimicking the curved LCD TVs that both LG and Samsung have produced in recent times. Other than that, there are just a few minor UI additions, such as the “Swing Lockscreen,” which moves the lockscreen according to how the phone has been tilted.
Despite this innovative design, it seems the LG G Flex isn’t made of advanced lightweight components. It weighs a fairly chunky 177g, and measures between 7.9 and 8.7mm thick.
The G Flex is powered by a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, which is pretty much the processor of choice for current high-end Android devices. That’s backed by 2GB of RAM, and is accompanied by a 13-megapixel camera. All of this runs on a 3,500mAh battery.
In fact, arguably the most interesting element of the LG G Flex has nothing to do with its curved display at all. LG has incorporated a self-healing protective film to the back of the phone, which apparently seals up scratches within minutes.
Unfortunately we won’t be able to put any of this to the test any time soon, as there’s been no mention of an international release. Rather, the LG G Flex will hit South Korea next month.
Next, read our pick of the best TVs of 2013.
