It’s 2024 and there are still phones with curved screens. A fortress doomed to extinction

The market trend is clearer than ever: goodbye curves

The history of mobile phones with curved screens is interesting. They arose as a result of pure experimentation, and not out of the need to solve some problem using traditional screens. Back in 2013, the Samsung Galaxy Round, a one-of-a-kind phone, was born.

This mobile phone had a curved screen for a simple reason: The phone itself was completely curved. The problem they decided to solve was related to ergonomics: Samsung felt that a phone with this design would be more comfortable. The idea wasn’t far-fetched, but it didn’t have much of an impact on a commercial level.

The beginning of curved screens

Due to the curved design, the screen ended up slightly curved. Is the key here? The screen is slightly curved due to the shape of the body, but is not clearly curved at the edges.

This wasn’t the only such offering, LG Flex had a similar concept. A mobile phone with a curved screen due to its curved body. Again, since they are not curved from edge to edge, this panel was born as a consequence of the phone body itself.

Everything changed with the advent of the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. In a pure experiment, Samsung decided to release a version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. In it, the right edge of the panel was curved. There was blueness, glare, and viewing angles were problematic. We already warned about this in our review in 2014.

The purpose of this curve was to add value: to include applications, contact information and turn this area into a space reserved for additional features.

Two years later, the Samsung Galaxy S6 appeared in Edge version, starting the tradition of phones with curved screens. In fact, it was much more than that: Samsung managed to make curved screens fashionable and associate them with “premium mobile devices.” Back in 2016, we already began analyzing the panel in an understandable form: “Edge’s curved screen is nothing more than a design difference“.

The curve was still the element that displayed notifications, night clocks, and even small informative tickers. Over time, this something was diluted, until the bend became something purely aesthetic.

The trend among manufacturers is obvious: goodbye to curves.

Samsung gave birth to curves. And they were the first to get rid of them. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was the first sign. This phone had a much lighter curvature than previous models. Analyzes showed that it was a more convenient mobile phone, which had virtually no problems with ghost touches.

2023 was the final nail in the grave for folding S family screens: the S24 Ultra became the first Ultra with a fully curved panel. This coincides with the best redesign Samsung has ever made for a phone in terms of design quality: made from aluminum, with narrow bezels and no curves. Often.

There’s nothing stopping Samsung from making a curved screen phone again. However, within the industry (at least according to analysts), the position is almost unanimous: curves are a problem, and their aesthetic function cannot compensate for the problems they cause.

The trend also appears to be reversing. Huawei has also historically favored curved screens. In the presentation of their Pura 70 Ultra, they emphasized that they had developed a panel slightly curved on the sides, but without the traditional problems that this type of screen gives rise to.

Upon analysis, we could only applaud: these curves created virtually no shadows, did not suffer from ghosting, and were in fact practically invisible.

According to them, Google has also opted for curved designs in models like the 6 Pro and 7 Pro. still. This is due to the best panel the Pixel has ever had. Good news everyone.

Xiaomi has also kept curves to a minimum in its 14 Ultra. This makes it clear that there is a tendency for the curves to soften completely or disappear. In fact, fortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult to buy high-quality phones with very curved screens. Although there is.

The curves are still alive. Design or practicality?

Without placing blame There are still manufacturers who rely on the curve (very curved) in 2024. It’s an aesthetic exercise to bring a more premium design to the table. The question is whether it makes sense to continue to think that a curved panel is more “premium” now that large manufacturers are focusing on eliminating curvature at the highest range.

It might not be a bad idea to keep the idea alive for anyone convinced by the format, although the key is whether curved panels will remain associated with the top range or become an exception. for concept lovers.

Image | Hataka

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