Galaxy Round Phone: A Comprehensive Look at Its Pros and Cons

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The Galaxy Round phone was a bold experiment by Samsung to create a curved smartphone that fits comfortably in your hand. It was announced in October 2013.

The Galaxy Round phone featured a 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, which was a significant upgrade from the standard displays of the time.

One of the most notable features of the Galaxy Round phone was its curved design, which measured 2.8mm in thickness at its thinnest point. This design made it a unique and eye-catching device.

The phone was powered by a 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and had 3GB of RAM, making it a solid performer for its time.

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Design and Build

The Galaxy Round phone is a sleek device that fits nicely in the hand, weighing in at 154g and measuring 7.9mm thick. Despite its curvaceous screen, it's surprisingly easy to hold.

One of the practical advantages of this design is that it can sit comfortably in your pocket against your leg. Whether that's enough reason to own one is still up for debate.

Built for high-end users, the Galaxy Round phone boasts a 5.7 inch 1080p FullHD display and runs on Android 4.3 with Samsung's Touch Wiz interface.

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Camera and Performance

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Credit: pexels.com, Close-up of a Samsung phone surrounded by transparent cases on a purple surface, showcasing modern technology.

The camera on the Galaxy Round is quite impressive, featuring a 13-megapixel primary camera with autofocus and flash. This is a significant upgrade from the 2-megapixel front-facing camera, which is perfect for taking selfies.

The primary camera can also record 1080p Full HD videos, which is a common feature in this range of Samsung devices. I've taken some test photos with the Galaxy Round, and the quality is quite good, with a good level of detail and decent macro performance.

The HDR mode is also a nice feature, which brings out more detail in your pictures without making them look over-processed. The secondary 2-megapixel camera is a good addition, allowing for more flexibility when taking photos.

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Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Round's camera is a decent performer, but not revolutionary.

It comes with a 13-megapixel primary camera that features autofocus and a flash.

The camera app offers a range of Smart modes, including Best Photo, Sports, and Rich Tone HDR.

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Credit: pexels.com, Photo of the Stars and the Galaxy

These modes are similar to what you'd find on the Note 3, but the extra megapixels on the Galaxy Round do help with detail.

Macro performance is decent, and the HDR mode doesn't over-process images.

The secondary camera is a 2-megapixel unit, which is suitable for video calls and basic selfies.

The primary camera can record 1080p Full HD videos, a common feature in this range of Samsung devices.

The battery life is not as impressive, with a 2,800mAh battery that's actually smaller than the Note 3's 3,200mAh battery.

Performance

The Galaxy Round's performance is quite impressive, thanks to its 2.3 GHz MSM 8974 quad-core processor. This powerful processor will handle demanding tasks with ease.

With 3GB of RAM, you can expect seamless multitasking and smooth performance even when running multiple apps at the same time. The 32 GB of internal storage is a good starting point, but you can expand it further with a microSD card slot that supports up to 64 GB.

The 2800 mAh battery is projected to give a long battery life, unless the device is subjected to heavy gaming and frequent heavy uses.

Still Behind the Curve

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Credit: pexels.com, A woman in pink loungewear lying on a pink sofa, using a smartphone in a cozy apartment.

The Samsung Galaxy Round is a 5.7-inch Android smartphone with a curved screen.

It's not the most impressive feature, as you can't bend the phone and the benefits of a curved display aren't immediately clear.

The on/off button is on the right, the volume rocker is on the left, and the headphone jack is up top.

The phone has a zippy overall performance, but the curved screen doesn't offer much gain.

It's available only in Korea, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, as there's still work to be done.

The screen is fantastic, but it's not enough to make the Samsung Galaxy Round the curved smartphone to get excited about.

The phone has a new connector socket that's USB 3.0-compliant, allowing for faster data transfer and charging.

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Software and Features

The Galaxy Round phone's software is based on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which is not the latest version available, but it's still a familiar setup.

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Credit: youtube.com, CNET Update - Galaxy Round smartphone rocks -- on tables

You'll find Samsung's TouchWiz UI, which is the cleanest application to date, and access to native applications like S Note, S Planner, and S Health, along with Google's stock apps.

The phone has some curved screen-specific features, but they're not that particularly useful. Roll Effect lets you quickly glance at details like the date, time, or a missed call by pressing down on the side of the screen when it's turned off.

The Bounce UX feature lets you skip tracks by pressing down on the curved sides when the display is turned off, but it didn't actually work in our brief play with it.

Side Mirror works for photos and video albums, letting you use the same interaction to view album content from a photo or picture gallery.

The Galaxy Round also has some unique features, including the Roll effect and the Gravity effect. The Roll effect is a nice touch, but it takes a while to activate.

The Gravity effect is more impressive, allowing you to change between songs and manipulate the music player with a single gesture or minute tap on the edge of the device.

Specifications

Credit: youtube.com, New Samsung Galaxy Round First Official Specs & Pictures

The Samsung Galaxy Round is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Quad-core processor clocked at 2.3GHZ.

It's paired with 3GB of RAM to handle multitasking with ease.

This combination delivers a snappy and speedy performance, according to the benchmarks test.

The Galaxy Round scores a 2847 multi-core score in Geekbench 3, putting it in the same realm as the HTC One M8 and the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.

In the Ice Storm Unlimited gaming benchmark test, it scores a 17,348, which is only topped by the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Sony Xperia Z2 tablet.

Availability and Price

The Galaxy Round phone is set to launch first in Korea in a brown shade, with no specific timeline for its release in other parts of the world.

The device will eventually be available in different colors globally, but we'll have to wait for an official announcement to know exactly when that will happen.

The price of the Galaxy Round phone is expected to match that of the Note 3 and SIII, so if you're interested in getting your hands on one, be prepared to spend around the same amount as those devices.

Exclusive Editorial Look

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I was lucky enough to get my hands on the GALAXY ROUND, and I have to say, it's a game-changer. The phone features a curved display made with the world's first commercialized full HD Super AMOLED flexible display.

The curved design felt amazing in my hands, with a grip that was surprisingly snug. I was able to hold it comfortably for an extended period, which is a testament to the phone's ergonomic design.

The Roll Effect feature is a clever use of the curved body, allowing users to check the date, time, missed calls, battery, and more by simply rolling the phone towards one side when the home screen is off.

Input and Interface

The Galaxy Round phone's input and interface are designed to be intuitive and user-friendly.

You can input text using the Samsung keyboard or Google voice typing, giving you flexibility in how you communicate.

A 10-point capacitive multitouch screen allows for precise navigation and control.

Credit: youtube.com, Samsung Galaxy Round Unboxing and First Impressions

The physical "home" key and capacitive "menu" and "back" keys make it easy to navigate through the phone's interface.

Here's a breakdown of the phone's input methods:

The side keys are also worth noting, with the left side featuring volume up and down buttons, and the right side featuring the power and screen lock buttons.

Walter Brekke

Lead Writer

Walter Brekke is a seasoned writer with a passion for creating informative and engaging content. With a strong background in technology, Walter has established himself as a go-to expert in the field of cloud storage and collaboration. His articles have been widely read and respected, providing valuable insights and solutions to readers.

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