The history of curved screen mobile phones is curious. They arose not from the need to solve some problems with traditional displays, but from pure experimentation. In 2013, the Samsung Galaxy Round was born, a unique phone of its kind.

This mobile phone had a curved screen for a simple reason: the phone itself was completely curved. The problem they came to solve was ergonomics: Samsung thought a phone with this design would be more comfortable. It’s a not-so-far-fetched idea, but it didn’t have much impact on a commercial level.

The beginning of curved screens

As a result of the curved design, the screen was slightly curved. Is the key here? The screen was slightly curved due to the shape of the case, but there was no noticeable bevel at the edges.

This wasn’t the only similar offering, the LG Flex was also a similar concept. A mobile phone with a curved screen as a result of the curved case. Again, since they are not curved from end to end, this panel was born as a result of the body of the phone.

Galaxy Note Edge. The real father of curved screen mobile phones.

Everything changed with the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. As a result of pure experiments, Samsung decided to release a version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in which the right edge of the panel is curved. There was bluing, light leaks, and viewing angles were problematic. We warned about this in our review in 2014.

The purpose of this curve was to add value: to include applications, information about people, and turn this space into a dedicated area for extra functions.

Two years later, the Samsung Galaxy S6 was released with the Edge version, thus starting the tradition of curved screen phones. In fact, it was much more than that: Samsung managed to make curved screens fashionable and associate them with “premium mobile”. We had already clearly started the panel’s analysis in 2016: “Edge’s curved screen is nothing more than a design difference“.

The curve was still an element that displayed notifications, night times, and even some small informative signs. The curve was something that was diluted over time until it became purely aesthetic.

The trend among manufacturers is clear: goodbye, folds

S24 Ultra

Samsung gave birth to curves. And they were the first to get rid of them. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was the first sign of this. This phone came with a much lighter curve than previous models. The analysis made it clear that it was a more comfortable mobile phone that had almost no problems with ghost touches.

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

Nothing is stopping Samsung from making a curved screen phone again. But within the industry (at least among analysts), the view is pretty much the same: Curves are a problem, and their aesthetic function can’t compensate for the problems they create.

The trend also appears to be reversing. Huawei has also historically favored curved displays. At the presentation of the Pura 70 Ultra, he fully emphasized that they had developed a panel with slightly curved sides, but without the traditional problems created by this type of display.

During the analysis we could only applaud: These curves cast almost no shadows, were not subject to ghost touches and were in fact practically unnoticeable.

He said that Google preferred curves in models such as 6 Pro and 7 Pro, as well as 8 Pro. up to the present. This is attributed to the best panel Pixel has ever had. All good news.

Xiaomi has also minimized the curves in its 14 Ultra. This makes it clear that the tendency is to soften or eliminate the curves completely. In fact, fortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult to buy high-end phones with very curved screens. Although it exists.

The curves are still alive. Design or practicality?

Without blaming There are still manufacturers betting on the curve (very curved) In 2024. Putting a higher quality design on the table is an aesthetic exercise. The problem is that large manufacturers are now betting on eliminating the skew in the highest range, does it make sense to continue to think that skewing the panel is more “premium”?

Perhaps the survival of this idea is not a bad idea for everyone who is convinced of the format, but what matters is whether curved panels will continue to be associated with high range or, on the contrary, will become an exception. For fans of the concept.

Picture | Xataka

in Xataka | Switching to a curved ultrawide monitor: it’s a one-way street (for gaming and work)