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LG preps curved display smartphone, the G Flex

Samsung isn't the only company planning a smartphone with a curved display. LG will likely unveil the device in November, CNET has learned, although plans are not yet final.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
Roger Cheng
2 min read
The LG G Flex smartphone features a curved display. Image obtained by CNET.

Get ready for the LG G Flex.

LG is preparing a smartphone with a curved display, CNET has learned. It confirms previous chatter about the company's work with plastic OLED screen technology.

While plans haven't been finalized, LG will likely go with the name "G Flex" for the curved smartphone, according to a person familiar with the company's launch plans. It will feature a 6-inch display. LG is slated to introduce the phone in November, although that date could shift. CNET obtained a sketch of the G Flex (shown above).

Details of the G Flex are emerging as Samsung readies its own smartphone with a curved display. Samsung is expected to introduce its device this month, and a version of the Galaxy Note 3 with the curved display has been rumored to be in the works.

As CNET senior editor Jessica Dolcourt explains, a flexible display doesn't mean the phone will be able to bend or flex. Rather, the display will be set at a curved -- but stationary -- position. The curve is dramatic enough to comfortably fit around your face but not so angular that it looks weird.

LG touted this technology in a press release in May and introduced a curved 55-inch OLED TV panel and 5-inch plastic OLED panel as a demonstration at a trade show.

It's a busy time for LG. The company had just released its flagship G2 smartphone. Google plans to launch an LG-built Nexus 5 in the next several weeks, according to a person familiar with the Nexus plans.

The Nexus 4 generated a bit of buzz for LG, and the G2 features a powerful and speedy processor. The company could be looking to generate even more hype with the curved display G Flex.