Samsung phone with screen that curves around the edges coming this year

Samsung demonstrating Youm concepts at CES 2013

A new generation of Samsung curved screen devices is reportedly coming this year, including some that feature screens curved around their edges.

Citing industry sources, Korea Herald reports Samsung is gearing up to introduce a so called “bent” smartphone that would be similar to the Youm concept that Samsung first introduced at CES in 2013. More precisely, the plastic-based display of this device would wrap around one side of the screen, forming a smart bezel that could display notifications and other interface elements.

Like the Galaxy Round, Samsung’s first foray into curved screen devices, this device will be a niche product with a limited scope. “The bent smartphones will be rolled out as a Galaxy variant with a few million units at the end of this year, initially taking aim at the niche market,” according to an analyst of KDB Daewoo Securities.

Samsung considers the curved Galaxy Round and the upcoming Youm-style device stepping stones towards the final goal of creating a fully foldable device. Executives of the conglomerate’s display-making unit said in November that Samsung could launch a commercial foldable display in 2015; prototypes have already been presented to potential partners at CES this year, if this report is to be believed.

Samsung has to master more than flexible display technology to create a foldable smartphone. Such a device would require a battery that can flex, but the Korean giant is reportedly “way behind” in this area. Samsung’s crosstown rivals from LG have a head start in this area, having developed batteries that can be molded into various shapes, bent, and even stretched, all while retaining the ability to safely generate energy.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7orrDq6ainJGqwam70aKrsmaTpLpwv8Cmqq6ml2Kwtr7VnptmnZScsrR50qaYq6ygnbyvsYxsa21vY2t8