LG announces ‘self-healing’ G Flex – horizontally curved 6 inch screen phone

On Sunday night, LG announced the LG G Flex. The device uses a flexible OLED screen technology to offer a 6 inch display with a curve along the horizontal axis. The display offers resolution of 720 x 1280. Thanks to the curve, the phone is 7.9mm to 8.7mm thin at various points. Besides the cool look, the handset has some serious horsepower with a quad-core 2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor under the hood. 2GB of RAM is inside along with a 3500mAh cell and a 13MP rear-facing camera.

The shape of the phone obviously makes it easier to hold up to the ear and mouth when making or taking a call.The “swing lock screen” feature makes the wallpaper move if you tilt the screen. Touching the screen in different spots results in different unlocking effects and certain multimedia apps will open when you pinch from the lock screen.

LG calls the G Flex the “world’s first ‘real’ curved smartphone,” claiming better ergonomics when making phone calls, a more immersive video experience like IMAX, and a brighter and more precise display thanks to its “Real RGB” pixel configuration. LG G Flex also features the Rear Key first introduced in the LG G2. Devoid of any buttons on the sides, there is less chance of accidentally powering off the phone and the convenience of using one’s index finger to adjust the volume when conversing is maintained.

Perhaps most unusually, LG says the G Flex uses “self-healing” technology that the Korean press release compares to “Wolverine from X-Men”: a special protective film on the back cover is designed to get rid of scratches on the phone within minutes.

LG G Flex is the first smartphone with a curved battery minimizing the dead space inside the handset’s body by following its curvature.  LG Chem has applied its patented Stack & Fold technology, which does a great job at minimizing the stress on the battery’s components as the cell is being molded to the desired shape. At the same time, the company has managed to maintain the battery’s high stability and performance. Even with its unorthodox shape, the curved battery inside the LG G Flex can hold 3500mAh of charge.

The LG G Flex also includes an array of new UX features:

– QTheater gives users quick access to photos, videos and YouTube right from the lock screen. By touching the screen and dragging outward along the curved surface with both fingers, the apps appear with the effect of theater curtains being drawn.
– Dual Window divides the wide 6-inch screen into two separate windows for more effective multitasking.
– Swing Lockscreen alters the image on the lockscreen depending on how the G Flex is held.
– Face Detection Indicator displays the LED on the Rear Key in green to confirm status of face detection and focus.
– Camera Timer flashes the Rear Key LED to indicate that the countdown has begun.
– Urgent Call Alert flashes the LED on the Rear Key in red when several consecutive calls from the same person go unanswered.

Key Specifications (Korean Version):
– Chipset: 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm? Snapdragon™ 800 (MSM 8974)
GPU: Adreno 330, 450MHz
– Display: 6-inch HD (1280 x 720), Curved P-OLED (Real RGB)
– Memory: 2GB LP DDR3 RAM / 32GB eMMc
– Camera: Rear 13.0MP / Front 2.1MP
– Battery: 3,500mAh (embedded)
– Operating System: Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2
– Size: 160.5 x 81.6 x 7.9 – 8.7mm
– Weight: 177g
– Network: LTE-A / LTE / HSPA+ / GSM
– Connectivity: BT 4.0 / USB 3.0 compatible / WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) / NFC
– Color: Titan Silver
– Other: TDMB / Hi-Fi 24bit, 192kHz Playback

The LG Flex will be available in Korea starting in November through all three major local carriers. Availability in additional markets will be announced thereafter.

Rahul Radhakrishnan

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On Sunday night, LG announced the LG G Flex. The device uses a flexible OLED screen technology to offer a 6 inch display with a curve along the horizontal axis....