Curvy LG G Flex begins global rollout next week
The bowed LG G Flex smartphone will arrive soon in Singapore and Hong Kong. The rest of the world will have to wait a bit.
LG's G Flex smartphone is finally expanding beyond its home base of Korea.
The curved smartphone will be available for preorders in Singapore starting December 8 and go on sale in Hong Kong on December 13, LG said on Wednesday. In Hong Kong, the phone will be available through the country's major mobile carriers and leading electronics chains.
LG didn't reveal which specific countries are next on the list. But it did say that "key markets" in Asia would announce the debut of the phone before the end of the year, soon followed by other regions. After Asia, Europe will likely be the next area to offer the phone, reportedly followed by the United States next year.
A person familiar with the phone's launch plans recently told CNET that the phone is destined for the US. A tweet from high-profile leaker Evleaks claimed that the G Flex has already been confirmed for AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile.
The G Flex is known for its curved 6-inch display, which LG touts as fitting the contours of your face and amplying the audio of incoming and outgoing phone calls. But the phone also is getting buzz for its "self-healing" feature that supposedly can fix scratches in a matter of seconds.
LG is duking it out with Samsung in the curved-smartphone arena. Samsung's Galaxy Round offers a curved 5.7-inch display, though its screen bows horizontally, while the G Flex bows vertically. The Galaxy Round currently is available only in Korea but is likely to expand to other regions at some point.
Consumers hankering for a curved smartphone can buy unlocked versions of the G Flex and the Galaxy Round through online retailer Negri Electronics. But the G Flex costs a cool $989.50, while the Round will set you back $939.50. So you may want to wait until less pricey versions come to your neighborhood.