Samsung is planning to launch smartphones with wraparound displays – screens on three sides of the smartphone – taking its curved display technology to the next level.
To be launched sometime in 2014, the new smartphone will features a convex display that wraps around the sides unlike the concave display of the Galaxy Round. Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, claims that the new display will be based on Samsung’s existing Youm curved-screen technology and the new smartphone will be an upgrade of the Galaxy Round.
Samsung hasn’t and will not probably comment of this report for now, but a recent patent application filed by the consumer electronics giant offers an insight on how the new smartphone with upgraded display technology will work. The filing shows that one side of the curved display smartphone can be used to navigate up and down while a user is reading on the main screen. Further the sides can also be used to lock the phone; set app specific shortcuts; configure quick-access to files, folders, apps and games, among other things.
There is no clarity whether Samsung will launch a completely new range for its wraparound display smartphone or will upgrade an existing handset.
The report comes soon after there were rumours that Apple was working on two new handsets for 2014 launch, which will be completely redesigned, featuring a display that will curve around the edges. There were also reports that Apple was working on pressure sensitive display that will enable the device to respond to a user’s tap based on how lightly or heavily a user tapped. However, this technology isn’t expected to feature in any of the iDevice anytime soon – not until 2015.
