As your standard flat phone is just a little too boring for the always-shifting market, companies such as Samsung and LG are trying to change the mold by introducing handsets with curved displays. Today we're seeing LG's efforts coming to light in the form of the 'G Flex', a smartphone shown off for the first time in leaked press images.
Not much is known about the G Flex, other than reports which indicate it contains a 6-inch OLED display that has been vertically curved to make the entire device's design concave. The panel itself is presumably the same one LG announced it had begun mass producing last week; built on a plastic substrate rather than glass, the curved display is one of the slimmest (0.44mm) and lightest (7.2g) available.
The Verge claims LG is working towards a November launch for the G Flex, following the release of the Google Nexus 5, which the company is also reportedly constructing. Previous rumors have indicated the G Flex will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC, which is very likely considering it powers LG's current flagship, the G2, but other specifications are currently unknown.
The G Flex is clearly designed to go head-to-head with Samsung's recently-announced Galaxy Round, which packs a 5.7-inch horizontally-curved OLED display. LG may decide to keep the G Flex launch to just Korea, the same launch region as the Galaxy Round, but we'll have to wait until a full announcement is made to get the official lowdown on specs, availability and pricing.