For quite some time now, speculation has been swirling about the advent of smartphones with curved or bendable screen technology. So far, though, flagship smartphones like Apple’s iPhone, HTC’s One, or Samsung’s Galaxy have not brought the new innovation to the forefront of the mainstream marketplace.
That could all change this year, though. According to a new report from Bloomberg Business, Samsung is teasing a new announcement that analysts believe could be a new curved-screen version of the Galaxy.
The speculation has arisen thanks to invitations that Samsung recently issued to a March 1 event. The event will take place just before the start of the 2015 Mobile World Congress, set to begin in Barcelona, Spain on March 2.
The email invitation is, admittedly, cryptic, offering little beyond the words “What’s Next” for explanation. However, the visual cues featured in the invitation, including a “curved line that resembles the shape of the Galaxy Note Edge,” have caused tech experts to predict the introduction of a curved Galaxy device.
The date of the event would fit with Samsung’s pattern for unveiling new Galaxy devices. Last year’s Mobile World Congress, for instance, saw the official announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S5. It stands to reason that the Galaxy S6 would make its debut at the event, as well.
It also stands to reason that this year would be the logical time for Samsung to fully embrace curved screen technology. The company toyed with the idea on the Galaxy Note Edge, which features a “wraparound screen” that curves at the right edge of the device. The curved section of the screen on that device works as a built-in sidebar of sorts.
In addition to already having the technology to provide curved screens, Samsung could use a boost in terms of sales. The company’s dominant hold on the smartphone market slipped a bit in 2014.
Indeed, for the fourth quarter of 2013, Samsung had claimed nearly 30 percent of the market, beating competitors at Apple for the top slot. For the holiday quarter 2014, though, both companies reportedly shipped the same number of smartphones: 74.5 million. That means both corporations had 19.6 percent marketshare – and that Samsung slipped by nearly 10 percent in year-over-year comparisons.
Most tech analysts say that Apple leveled the playing field by introducing larger-screen devices into the market, with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Now, Samsung has to figure out a way to regain the, shall we say, edge. Unveiling a futuristic, curved version of the Galaxy might just be the perfect way to do that.
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