Samsung Launched World's First Smartphone Curved Screen

Samsung Electronics has launched the world's first smartphone with a curved screen - the Galaxy Round - but it will only be available in South Korea.

The phone, a variant of the Galaxy Note, moves the Asian giant a step closer to achieving devices with flexible and potentially unbreakable screens.

The Galaxy Round's 5.7-inch (14.4cm) display has a slight horizontal curve and weighs less than the Galaxy Note 3, allowing a more comfortable grip than other flat-screen models on the market, Samsung said.

Its key features include a tilt function which allows users to check information such as missed calls and battery life, even when the home screen is off.

Curved displays are on the frontline of Samsung's innovation war with rivals such as Apple and LG, as the South Korean firm seeks to expand its lead in the slowing market for high-end smartphones.

Samsung's cross-town rival LG Electronics is planning to introduce a smartphone with a vertically curved display in the first week of November, a source familiar with the matter said this week.

Hana Daetoo Securities analyst Nam Dae-jong said of the Galaxy Round: "It's a step forward for having unbreakable gadgets and flexible devices eventually. But for now, the new phone is more of a symbolic product.

"It is Samsung's attempt to gauge consumer appetite for curved phones although its lack of other eye-catching features means it is unlikely to be a hit. I don't think it'll be massively compelling enough for gadget buyers."

He added that Samsung did not yet have capacity for large-scale production of curved touch screens for the new Galaxy Round.

The phone initially will be available only in South Korea and no decision has been made about releasing it in other markets.

It will be available through South Korea's biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom Co Ltd and cost 1.089 million won (£632).