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LG G Flex2 review: This is what the original should have been
"They're a gimmick. They're a terrible idea. They're not going anywhere." Naysayers have been doing their thing since the notion of a curved smartphone made the leap from a nutty concept to bona fide market fad, and they're not going to stop any time soon. Neither are LG and Samsung, for that matter, who squared off in late 2013 with -- what else? -- a pair of curved phones. Neither the G Flex nor the Galaxy Round were critical or commercial hits, but they made great stepping stones as both companies tried to convince the world that curved phones were the next big thing. Now LG's back for another shot at flexible-phone glory. The new G Flex2 is smaller, sleeker and a damn sight prettier than its predecessor, but still, we've got questions. Are curved screens any less of a gimmick now? Did LG have to compromise functionality for the sake of design? And more importantly, is this actually worth buying?
Samsung event teaser hints that 'what's next' is a curvy Galaxy
Samsung's pre-announcement clues are sometimes cryptic at best, but it's not being especially subtle this time around. Hours after Tinhte first revealed that something was up, Samsung has posted a "what's next" teaser for a March 1st Galaxy Unpacked event in Barcelona whose centerpiece is the shadowy profile of a curvy-looking device. While it's not perfectly clear what this image represents, it bears an uncanny resemblance to the right-hand side of the Galaxy Note Edge, where the smartphone's signature curved display tapers off. Seeing as how Samsung isn't about to re-unveil a phone, our money's on the teaser alluding to a Galaxy S6 with an Edge-like screen, whether it's optional (as SamMobile rumored earlier) or standard issue. Whatever shows up, it's pretty obvious that March 1st is going to be a very busy day in the Android world -- we'll be sure to attend those events and let you know what Samsung, HTC and others have to offer.
CURVED/labs-Mac concept brings the original Mac up to date
What you see in the image above is not a real Mac, which is a bit of a pity because a lot of Mac fans would buy one in a heartbeat. Instead, it's a concept worked up by German tech site Curved that takes the original friendly "toaster" Mac design and brings it into the 21st century. While the designers used the original Mac design as a reference for the look of the device, the components would be those used in the current MacBook Air with a few additions. The design uses an 11.6-inch touch screen, although it can be controlled with a mouse, touchpad and keyboard. Using 128GB SSD flash storage, 4 or 8GB of RAM, and the "latest i7 chip from Intel", the body is one sleek, curving echo of the original Mac. My favorite touch in this design concept is using what would have been the 3.5-inch floppy disk drive slot on the original Mac to provide a space for plugging in SD cards - without having to reach around to the side or back of the device as with current Macs. The CURVED/labs-Mac has the same friendly look as the original Mac with all of the amazing features that we love on our new Macs and iOS devices. Sign me up, and be sure to take a look at the original page (in English and German) for even more great photos.
Curved displays are everywhere at CES
Walking through the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, one thing becomes abundantly clear. Curved displays are apparently all the rage. They're everywhere and include everything from Ultra-HDTVs, monitors and even smartphones. Much like 3D televisions of the past, it seems like every hardware manufacturer got together and said, "This is exactly what consumers need!" The thing is, I've yet to meet anyone who has one. Are they the real deal? Head over to the Engadget forums and share your thoughts!
Dell is the latest company to unveil a curved monitor
It's official: Curved monitors are now a thing. So far this week, HP has unveiled one and Samsung said it plans to have nine on sale by the end of the year, and now Dell is coming out with something similar. The UltraSharp 34 (aka the U3415W) was first teased last summer and is going on sale this week, making it not the first, but one of the first curved monitors to hit the market. For the money, it brings 3,440 x 1,440 screen resolution and a wide 21:9 aspect ratio -- pretty standard for curved displays like these, which aim to eliminate the need for a dual- or multi-monitor setup. Around the edges, you'll find HDMI and DisplayPorts, along with dual nine-watt speakers, a spec that appears to be aimed mostly at gamers. Look for it on January 8th, two days from now, for $1,200. That's a lofty price for a display, but then again, flagship monitors with keywords like "curved" and "WQHD" never come cheap.
Samsung plans to have nine curved monitors by the end of the year
We get it: Samsung has a thing for curved screens. Need proof? Have a gander at its curved smartphones, its curved monitor, its curved all-in-one, its curved soundbar or one of its curved TVs. The point is, Sammy is trying to make "fetch" curved happen, whether you want it or not. Not to be deterred by a snarky Engadget editor, Samsung just announced another curved monitor -- and the company says more models are on the way.
LG's new 4K OLED TVs can do flat, curved -- or both
Quantum dot 4K LCD screens are nice, but it's LG's OLED TVs that we're most interested in, and the second generation is ready to ship this year. The best news? If last year's curved displays bothered you, these are all available in flat "Floating Art Slim" designs as well as curved. The top-of-the-line 77-inch 77EG9900 (pictured above) is flexible enough to do both, bringing last year's funky concept design to reality. The other six models are just flat or curved, and come in 55-, 65- and 77-inch sizes, with the new webOS 2.0 built-in. The bad news? There's still no word on price -- last year's 65-inch 4K OLED started out with a $10,000 MSRP -- but we're liveblogging today's press conference so we'll let you know if we hear any more details.
HP intros a slew of monitors, including curved, 5K and 3D models
HP just announced a boatload of new monitors here at CES and impressively, they seem to combine every big tech buzzword from the past few years. On the one hand, the company is showing off a pair of curved displays, which we already know are going to be huge at this year's show. Meanwhile, the company also unveiled its first 4K monitors, available in two sizes, along with its inaugural 5K model. Finally, HP is showing off a virtual reality display that works with 3D glasses, of all things -- a nice throwback to CES 2010.
Curved LG gaming monitor slides in ahead of CES 2015
LG has a treat designed specifically for gaming fans: a curved, 34-inch UltraWide desktop monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio and AMD's FreeSync tech that prevents screen tearing. This thing looks suave and ridiculous, and we're betting the price tag will be, too, though LG has yet to announce the cost of this bad boy. Players will be able to stack monitors on top of each other, as well. The gaming model is the 34UC97, though LG also announced a more general-purpose UltraWide display, the 34UC87M, which looks to be designed for the stock market ... market. (See more images after the break). LG revealed both displays just ahead of CES 2015, which kicks off on January 6 in Las Vegas. Joystiq's sister site, Engadget, will have all of the hot tech news out of CES 2015, and we'll round up the coolest gaming news right here. CES 2015 runs from January 6 - 9.
LG will show off curved, 21:9 and 4K monitors at CES
As you've probably read by now, LG's keen on tipping its hand ahead of our arrival in Las Vegas for CES. This year is no different, and with today's news the company focuses on monitors. First up, LG has a 21:9 display with AMD's FreeSync tech in order to keep things smooth during intense gaming sessions. In fact, the company says it's the first to do so on an ultra wide option. The added feature "guarantees the smoothest and most seamless gaming experience, generating fluid motion without any loss of frame rate," for those looking to upgrade any current setup. The 34UM67 (pictured above) also has a Black Stabilizer to illuminate dark scenery and a Dynamic Active Sync mode that keeps input lag to a minimum. Of course, you'll need to be sure your favorite title supports 21:9 resolution, but games like Battlefield 4 and World of Warcraft already do. For folks not looking for a gaming-specific display, there will be a couple more 21:9 options shown off in the desert.
Samsung's new 'ring' speakers pipe sound in every direction
Samsung has tackled just about every kind of speaker you can imagine, but it hasn't had an answer to hot-selling 360-degree speakers like the UE Boom. Well, that changes today: the Korean firm has unveiled the WAM6500 and WAM7500, its first compact one-piece speakers to promise room-filling sound. Both center around a "ring radiator" that pipes audio in every direction while supposedly striking a careful balance between bass and treble. If you ask us, though, they're as much about the "premium" styling as anything else. The portable 6500 (above) looks like the kettle from an avant garde kitchen, while the tabletop-oriented 7500 (below) could easily double as a 31st-century desk lamp. Samsung hasn't divulged pricing, but these fashion-forward designs will likely command a premium.
Samsung's super-wide curved monitor makes your PC extra trendy
If both ultra-widescreen and curved computer monitors are all the rage these days, then Samsung's new SE790C display is supremely fashionable. The 34-inch, 3,440 x 1,440 LCD has both a super-wide 21:9 aspect ratio and a gentle arc, combining two trends (fads?) in one. Supposedly, this all-encompassing design produces a "3D-like" effect that brings you into the action -- that's a little difficult to believe, but the screen will at least look futuristic sitting on your desk. Just don't expect it to make your photos pop. Although the SE790C covers all of the sRGB color range, it's using a middle-of-the-road VA (vertical alignment) panel rather than something particularly vivid, like IPS (in-plane switching). There's also no mention of US availability or pricing, so it's hard to know if this represents a good deal. So long as the price isn't too outlandish, though, it could be a good way to immerse yourself in games and movies.
Researcher finds a way to mimic curves in space-time
Here on Earth, it's rather difficult to replicate curved space-time -- to get that kind of effect in nature, you'd have to get uncomfortably close to black holes and other distant space objects. However, researcher Nikodem Szpak may have found a way to simulate that bend without facing oblivion. His proposed technique puts supercooled atoms in an optical lattice created by a laser field; so long as the laws of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics hold true, the atoms should behave like they're experiencing curved space-time. You can even change the lattice's pattern to mimic different circumstances, whether it's a moment right after the Big Bang or the surface of a star.
Samsung has a soundbar that matches your curved TV (update: US pricing)
Let's say you bought a pricey curved TV, only to remember that your existing soundbar is (gasp!) flat. Will you have to live with that geometry mismatch for the life of your set? Not if Samsung has its way. It just unveiled the Curved Soundbar, which it says is the first audio system designed to match curved screens -- specifically, the company's 55- and 65-inch sets. The aluminum-clad device looks the part, of course, although it also promises some better-than-average audio with 8.1-channel surround support and side speakers that add to the immersion. There's no word on just when the curvy peripheral will show up or how much it will cost, but it's likely to sit on the higher end of the price spectrum.
Dell says its curved monitor will help make you a better gamer
What good is having an ultra-powerful PC if you're still connecting it to a dusty old monitor? We reckon doing so would be pretty silly. Good thing that alongside the new Alienware Area 51, Dell's pulled the curtain back on its 34-inch Ultrasharp U3415W display then. It boasts a wider-than-widescreen 21:9 aspect ratio that's paired with 3,440 x 1,440 lines of resolution (just under 4K's 3,840 x 2,160) and a curved screen. Dell says that the monitor's wide field of view mated with its curves will give gamers a leg up on the competition because, compared to flat monitors, less eye movement is needed to take advantage of the player's peripheral vision. Intrigued to test that claim? You can do so come this December. We're hoping that regardless of size, though, a curved screen doesn't necessarily equate to an expensive screen -- Dell hasn't announced pricing for these displays just yet.
Samsung's curved, 105-inch 4K TV can be yours for just $120,000
There were so many TVs on display back at CES, that you'd be forgiven if they all blended together. So allow us to give you a recap: The Samsung UN105S9W was, in the company's own words, the "world's first, largest and most curved 105-inch curved UHD TV." Well then! Sounds like an expensive piece of kit, huh? You have no idea. Sammy just put its flagship TV up for pre-order and it's kind of a doozy. The whole thing costs $120,000 -- also known as a mortgage. For the money, you get 5,120 x 2,160 resolution on an unusually large screen, with an unusually wide aspect ratio of 21:9. Additionally, you'll receive a visit from one of Samsung's "Field Engineers" to walk you through all the features, if that's any consolation. It's also a Smart TV, with all the usual built-in apps, and the ability to separate the screen into four quadrants for watching live TV and surfing the web at once. Honestly, though, we'd be offended if a TV this expensive didn't do that. You can pre-order now if you like, but let's be real: Most of you are probably saving $120,000 for your future child's college tuition.
LG's 77-inch curved OLED 4K TV is every bit as expensive as it sounds
How much would you fork out for a 77-inch, curved, 4K, OLED TV? Well, LG hopes you're hovering around a couple of grand per descriptor, having announced it's launching such a gogglebox in the UK for only £20,000. It won't actually be available until October, though, so you still have a few months to fill up the piggy bank. As you'd imagine, the "world's first" curved OLED UHDTV packs a ton of branded technologies that promise a perfect picture, including the necessary upscaling engine that converts lower-res video to "near-4K," as well as LG's webOS smart TV platform. For the thrifty, there's a 65-inch model also launching in October for a mere £6,000, which you should easily be able to scrape together from the change lurking between your sofa cushions.
ASUS introduces us to the 'world's largest' curved LED monitor
ASUS announced a slew of high-profile devices at its press conference yesterday, but the company's booth at Computex still turned up a few gems today. Among them: a prototype of a 32-inch curved LED monitor, which ASUS says is the largest of its kind.
LG's curvy G Flex smartphone is coming to Canada through Rogers
Canadians have been left out of the curved smartphone frenzy so far, but they'll soon learn what all the fuss is about: LG has announced that the G Flex is coming to Canada as a Rogers exclusive this spring. While the local edition won't include any radical changes, it should have very fast data with dual-band, 150Mbps LTE support. Pricing isn't available yet. However, the American launches suggest that Rogers' model won't be cheap. You'd better really, really like that banana-shaped display.
LG cuts the price of its curved OLED TV to a vaguely reasonable $7,000
The US price of LG's first curved OLED TV dropped from $15,000 to a slightly less stratospheric $10,000 late last year, but that five-digit sticker was still bound to scare away all but the richest buyers. It's a good thing, then, that LG has cut the 55-inch set's price a second time. You can now pick up the curved screen for $7,000 -- or rather, $8,000 plus an instant $1,000 rebate. It's not a great bargain when you can buy a larger 4K display for less, but those who insist on having an exotic-looking TV in the living room will likely appreciate the savings.
