It's been rumoured for quite some time, but Samsung has become the first manufacturer to officially launch a smartphone with a curved display.
The Galaxy Round will go on sale in South Korea from tomorrow, exclusively on the SK Telecom network. However, it's unlikely to be sold in Australia and there's no word at all yet whether it will launch in any other international markets.
The curved screen is a 5.7in super AMOLED panel with a full HD, 1080p resolution. Interestingly, the screen curves vertically rather than horizontally, much like a range of curved televisions just launched in Australia by both Samsung and LG.
The curved screen doesn't appear to add any extra functionality over regular, flat displays, but Samsung has included some typically TouchWIZ features in order to take advantage of the design.
A "Roll Effect" feature enables users to display the date, time, missed call and battery indicator when the home screen is off, simply by tilting the phone forward when it's on a flat surface. A "Gravity Effect" will let users "create visual interaction" with the screen by simply tilting the device.
Samsung has also highlighted a "Bounce UX" feature that enables users to control their music: 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.
Aside from the curved display, the Galaxy Round has similar specifications to Samsung's flagship Galaxy S4. It weighs 154g, is just 7.9mm thick, and runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, skinned with the latest version of Samsung's TouchWIZ user interface.
Other features include a 13-megapixel camera, a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, and a large 2800mAh battery. Interestingly, the Galaxy Round has the same faux-leather finish on the back as the Galaxy Note 3, complete with fake stitching around the edges.
The Samsung Galaxy Round will be available to purchase in South Korea from tomorrow in a "Luxury Brown" colour variant.
A Samsung promotional video detailing the "roll effect" feature can be viewed below.
