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IRL: the Samsung Galaxy Round is a curved Note 3 that costs way too much
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. Flat smartphones are so early 2013; concave is the new hotness. At least, that's what Samsung and LG might have you believe: both companies have brought new curved displays to a limited market for an extremely high price. The Samsung Galaxy Round and the LG G Flex probably won't be on most people's wish lists, as each one costs well above $900 in Korea. Still, we have a feeling we'll be seeing plenty more (for a lower price) in the not-too-distant future. If this is indeed a sign of things to come, why shouldn't we want to spend more time with the phone that started the whole craze? Fortunately for us, our friends at Negri Electronics -- an online retailer which sells the Galaxy Round and G Flex -- offered us the chance to use an imported Korean version for a few days. Take a look at the galleries below and read on for some detailed impressions.
Samsung CEO promises to deliver devices with 'folding displays' in 2015
At Samsung's Analyst Day, alongside talking serious financial numbers, forward looking statements and such, the company has announced that it will bring fully-foldable screens to willing customers some time in 2015. The screen tech (which we've seen an incremental nudge towards with the Galaxy Round) could find its way into both typical smart devices like tablets and smartphones as well as wearables, which is something that Samsung has shown more than a passing interest in. In fact, Samsung Electronics CEO Kwon Oh Hyun, in the same statement, reiterated that there was still plenty of "room for improvement" on the Galaxy Gear. The company already posited some extra-malleable screens in its big CES press show back in January, where we snapped the above still from the concept-laden (Google Glass-baiting) video promo. We've embedded it in full, right after the break. Update: We've just added a pic below from Sammy Hub, which loosely outlines how Samsung will approach its display development. Starting next year and running into 2015, the company will focus on curved and bended displays, with an action-bubbled "technology barrier" overlapping with the introduction of foldable screens.
Samsung Galaxy Round hands-on
Following the recent launch of Samsung's Korea-only Galaxy Round, it was only a matter of time before this eccentric concave phone made its way to specialist stores in Hong Kong. Tofu-keitai is one of the few shops that are offering said product in Sincere Podium (where the going rate is above $850 to capitalize on early adopters), and our contacts there were kind enough to let us play with one briefly. As you can deduce from the appearance and specs, the Snapdragon 800-powered Galaxy Round looks and feels just like a Galaxy Note 3 that you accidentally sat on. Even the plastic back cover channels the same stitched leather look, and underneath it you get the usual microSD slot plus a removable battery, albeit with a slightly smaller capacity -- 10.64Wh instead of 12.16Wh. Other notable differences include the lack of stylus and grip grooves on the faux metallic frame.
Samsung's Galaxy Round ad compares its curved smartphone to avocados, Russian dolls (video)
Thanks to Samsung Korea's new (soon to be viral) Galaxy Round commercial, we've learned that its new smartphone is curved. Like many other objects. In the world. We get that now. It's also got differently-curved competition coming very soon. The whole 30-second showcase is after the break.
Weekly Roundup: Apple iMac review, BlackBerry Z30 review, Samsung's Galaxy Round and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Daily Roundup: HP Chromebook 11 review, Samsung's Galaxy Round, a gold HTC One and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Samsung's curved smartphone is the Galaxy Round, launches in Korea tomorrow (video)
Samsung's concave phone is very much real, and after being teased in leaks hours earlier, SK Telecom has announced it'll launch the Galaxy Round on its network as soon as tomorrow. The device's highlight is obviously the gently curved 1080p 5.7-inch OLED screen, and Samsung is also promising a melee of software tweaks for the smartphone, aimed at making the most of it. For example, tilting the phone to the side will offer up notifications, battery levels and more at a glance. Other specifications revealed so far include a 7.9mm profile and that it weighs less than the Note 3, at 154g. Curiously, it looks pretty different to the curved-screen prototype smartphone that Samsung displayed at CES earlier this year -- if the Galaxy Round is facing down, there's no way to peek at notifications without flipping it over. The new phone will also pack the necessary LTE radios and a 2,800mAh battery, launching initially in a 'luxury brown' color option for just over 1 million won -- that's around $1,000. We've got the official press shot and a roll notification demo video after the break.
