Samsung made it pretty clear with the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 that flat screens are a thing of the past when it comes to its flagship devices. A new report from Korea indicates that Samsung will stick to that policy next year, when the Galaxy S8 will be available only in curved screen varieties.
The Galaxy S8 will be available in 5.7-inch and 6.2-inch variants, The Korea Herald reports. But both screens will have curved edges just like the Galaxy S7 edge. The Galaxy S8 will be Samsung’s first Galaxy S version not to feature a flat screen.
The Galaxy S8 is also said to feature an all-screen display, with a screen-to-body ratio grater than 90%, The Herald said.
Not everybody is convinced of the utility of a curved display, The Herald points out.
“There appears to be no high demand for dual-edge screens because some still find them inconvenient because they mistakenly touch the sides of the smartphones. The utility of a bezel-less display does not seem that much higher for small, portable smartphones compared to televisions,”Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade analyst Choo Dae-young said.
“Samsung appears to be pushing dual-edge screens to distinguish its design rather than from an efficiency perspective. In order to boost efficiency, Samsung needs to unveil foldable devices, which can be used as both smartphones and tablets,” NH Investment & Securities Peter Lee said.
Samsung is also developing at least two foldable smartphone models, the report notes, with panels that face inward and outward. These smartphone models should be unveiled in late 2017, and may be used as tablets when unfolded.
