X

Samsung's deeply bowed Galaxy Round (pictures)

What happens when you take a smartphone screen and bend it lengthwise? That's what Samsung found out in this seriously curved phone.

Jessica Dolcourt
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Jessica Dolcourt
Samsung_Galaxy_Round_35828614_17.jpg
1 of 11 Sarah Tew/CNET

Curved Samsung Galaxy Round takes a bow

Samsung has made phones with slightly curved faces before, but we haven't seen anything like the Samsung Galaxy Round, which bends the actual AMOLED display technology lengthwise beneath the glass.
Samsung_Galaxy_Round_35828614_10.jpg
2 of 11 Sarah Tew/CNET

Smile! Samsung's done something different again

Samsung is no stranger to experimenting with smartphone form. You can see how deeply this Round arches when viewed from the top.
Samsung_Galaxy_Round_35828614_18.jpg
3 of 11 Sarah Tew/CNET

Rock-a-bye

To take advantage of the phone's kinetic, rocking energy, Samsung added a feature that will show you the date, time, call details, and battery information when you rock the phone, even when it's in sleep mode.
Samsung_Galaxy_Round_35828614_14.jpg
4 of 11 Sarah Tew/CNET

Bent, but not bending

It's important to distinguish that the Round may be able to rock like a cradle, but the phone itself is unyielding. It takes a lot more than flexible display technology to make a truly flexible phone.
Samsung_Galaxy_Round_35828614_02.jpg
5 of 11 Sarah Tew/CNET

A curvier Note 3

High-end specs are very similar to the Galaxy Note 3's internals, including Android 4.3, a 5.7-inch 1080p HD screen, split-screen software capabilities, and 3GB of RAM.
Samsung_Galaxy_Round_35828614_11.jpg
6 of 11 Sarah Tew/CNET

Backside

Like the Note 3, the Round uses faux-leather stitching on its backside.
Samsung_Galaxy_Round_35828614_04.jpg
7 of 11 Sarah Tew/CNET

Take a shot

The curved screen won't affect your ability to snap photos and videos on the 13-megapixel camera and 1080p HD video camera.
Samsung_Galaxy_Round_35828614_15.jpg
8 of 11 Sarah Tew/CNET

Legibility

There's still a question if the screen's slight bend will improve how well you can view photos, videos, and read articles indoors and outdoors. We'll be sure to dive into that.
Samsung_Galaxy_Round_35828614_09.jpg
9 of 11 Sarah Tew/CNET

Charging stations

As with the Note 3, the Round charges with a Micro-USB port at the bottom, alongside a USB 3.0 port.
Samsung_Galaxy_Round_35828614_08.jpg
10 of 11 Sarah Tew/CNET

Barely there

The curve isn't particularly noticeable from the side.
Samsung_Galaxy_Round_35828614_13.jpg
11 of 11 Sarah Tew/CNET

One last look

For now, the Round is sold solely in South Korea, but we hope it extends to other markets soon. You can read more on our hands-on impressions here.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos