World's first curved smartphone hits South Korean stores_美文

World's first curved smartphone hits South Korean stores

Samsung said the phone weighs 154 grams, 10 percent less than the firm's similarly sized Galaxy Note III oversized smartphone.

"This certainly is not a ground-breaking, game-changing product," one tech blogger said in a review.

"But it fits quite nicely in my hand ... and the images look slightly deeper when seen on a curved screen," he said.

The latest device arrived as global smartphone makers vie for growth in the increasingly competitive market.

Samsung - the world's top maker of smartphones and mobile phones in general - in January unveiled the prototype of a bendable display called "Youm".

Samsung's smaller rival LG said last week it had started mass production of curved display panels for smartphones and is reportedly set to unveil its own curved smartphone this month.

But companies still face a major challenge in making other handset components - such as batteries - that can bend with the rest of the unit.

Curved displays are already commercially available in large-screen televisions offered by companies including Samsung and LG.

The displays are supposed to offer a more immersive viewing experience but are significantly more expensive than standard screens.

About the broadcaster:

Lance Crayon is a videographer and editor with China Daily. Since living in Beijing he has worked for China Radio International (CRI) and Global Times. Before moving to China he worked in the film industry in Los Angeles as a talent agent and producer. He has a B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Arlington.