Samsung to debut smartphone with curved display in South Korea -- for $1,000
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Samsung Electronics said it will release a smartphone with a curved display -- and a $1,000 price tag.
The Galaxy Round has a curved 5.7-inch screen using advanced display technology called organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, technology. The Korean company said such a curved screen smartphone is the first in the world.
Samsung said the curve will make it easier to grip. The high-end gizmo has some features that make use of the display's curve, such as playing the next song in a music playlist by tilting the phone to the left or to the right.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}South Korea is the leader in developing curved digital display technology. Samsung and rival LG, the world's two-largest makers of display screens, have both produced curved TVs using OLED displays.
The curved display is an initial step before handset makers develop smartphones with a flexible display that one day might be folded like a map, experts say.
Samsung offered the public a peak at mobile devices with flexible displays during a January gadget show in Las Vegas.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Galaxy Round will be released only in South Korea for now. SK Telecom, the country's largest mobile operator, will start selling the handset Thursday for 1.1 million won ($1,003) without a service contract, making it one of the priciest smartphones on the market.