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With the iPad Air, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nexus 5, there are some great products for tech nerds to buy this month. One curious trend — that I don’t get…at all — is curved smartphones. LG and Samsung believe that consumers want curved smartphones, respectively pushing the G Flex and Galaxy Round. While there have been curved smartphones in the past, the G Flex and Galaxy Round feature more aggressive curves. The idea is that curved smartphones offer better ergonomics for making calls and add new features with tilt functionality. There’s a big chance that I’m missing something, but I don’t see tech geeks clamoring for curved smartphones. How about you?
While I understand the ergonomic aspect of curved smartphones, I don’t think it’s a feature users are demanding — particularly for the high-end market. The people that buy the latest and greatest smartphones generally use them more as mobile computers rather than mobile telephones. Looking at my mobile-phone usage, I spend dozens of hours using my phone as a computer and maybe 100 minutes a month as a telephone.
As for the tilt functionality, it seems gimmicky — at least as explained in Galaxy Round previews and hands-on reports. There’s some potential there, but right now the tilt features are cute novelties rather than convenient or useful additions.
So what do you think about curved smartphones? Is this where smartphones are headed? Or will the G Flex and Galaxy Round end up as cautionary tales? Do any of you want curved smartphones? Will they join the iPad Air, Nexus 5, PS4, and XBone as your November tech-nerd purchases? Kindly leave a comment and let me know.
I would like to use this for a week before I make an opinion on it, but my initial reaction was: “Oh, they made it curved so that when someone holds it up to their face, it fits better.”
Since your cheek is convex, it makes sense to make a phone that’s concave so that the microphone and earpiece are closer to your mouth and ear, respectively.
Isn’t that a somewhat sensible design?
-M
Also, (I forgot to add) is the fact that people like me put their smartphones in the back pocket, so it makes sense to have a curved phone that conforms to the shape of my nice, firm, shapely, curvaceous, woman-pleasing ass.
-M
I thought only women did that?
I think the design makes sense, but i dont think it is enough to get the consumer to run out and buy it like its the new Iphone, Galaxy, etc. Personally, im not big on holsters and belt clips. I just drop the phone in my pocket and go. This just seems like it would be very uncomfortable/awkward to have in my pocket.
As far as the tilt function, i agree with Rpad, they seem very gimmicky. Again, i dont see it as a major selling point like the front facing speakers on the HTC one or the multitasking of the Galaxy S4/Note 3.
They should just stick to what tech geeks really want. Faster processors, better graphics, and better battery life!