LG preps curved display smartphone, the G Flex
Samsung isn't the only company planning a smartphone with a curved display. LG will likely unveil the device in November, CNET has learned, although plans are not yet final. — Get ready for the LG G Flex.
Context & Ripple Effects
In April, LG said it would ship a smartphone with a flexible OLED display during 2013. The reported G Flex plan turns that earlier flexible-OLED commitment into a named product timetable, though LG's November unveiling plans are not final.
Samsung had already made curved displays a competitive reference point; LG's reported entry matters because it would give the display format a second major handset backer rather than leaving it as a single-vendor experiment.
First-order effects
- LG would move from a broad flexible-display promise to a market-facing G Flex launch plan, putting its handset and display teams behind a distinct form factor.
- Samsung would face a direct curved-display rival from LG instead of being the only named vendor associated with the category.
Second-order effects
- LG and Samsung would have to differentiate curved handsets on more than the existence of a bent screen, raising the importance of the surrounding device experience and product positioning.
- A second flagship-scale buyer for curved handset displays would strengthen the case for suppliers to treat flexible OLED as a competitive product category rather than a one-company showcase.
Third-order effects
- If both companies sustain the category, smartphone industrial design shifts toward display form factor as a recurring premium-device differentiator, alongside processors and software features.
The trend: Flexible OLED is moving from a technology promise into an early handset-design battleground between major Android vendors.