Hand-on: LG's curved smartphone, G Flex

 LG has unveiled its curved-screen smartphone G Flex in India, the first curved handset to be launched in the country.

G Flex has a big 6-inch display that curves from the top to bottom, making it easier to hold and offer a better video viewing experience. It also has a self-healing rear panel, world's first.

Both the features are unique in the Indian smartphone market, and certainly exciting. We spent some time with the device at the launch event to see whether the hoopla is justified. Here are our first impressions of LG G Flex curved smartphone:

Design and display

LG has got it right with the design of the G Flex. The new smartphone fits very snugly into the palm, much better than the conventionally designed handsets. It also feels more ergonomous when held against the ear to make calls.

Even while watching videos on G Flex, the angles seem perfect and we never felt that the videos lost colour at any angle. This is because the screen is at an equal distance from the eyes at all points, thus the viewing angle remains the same.

Let's talk about the curve of the phone. The G Flex screen has a subtle curve and until you see it at close range, you probably may mistake for some other smartphone. However, this subtle curve also allows the phone to be slightly flexible. By applying enough force, you can bend the screen just a little. This is because the touchscreen of G Flex is made of plastic, not glass like other smartphones.

Moreover, the display is topped with a thin layer of plastic that allows the front panel to bend to a small extent. Though this is not game-changing, it is still a start and whets our appetite for future technologies. The trade-off? No Gorilla Glass protection to the screen.

The display of LG G Flex has HD (720p) resolution and measures 6-inch diagonally. Though a 720p display seems outdated today, when 1080p screens rule the roost, we did not have any issues with the display quality. Though the pixels are not packed together as tightly, the viewing experience is still very good and much better than that of other phablets.

Just like LG G2, the new G Flex has volume and lock keys on the back, just below the camera.

Self-healing back

Now this is something completely new! G Flex is the only gadget in the world to come with a self-healing back panel, which automatically fixes any minor scratches or scruffs that the rear casing suffers. According to LG, the back panel is coated with a molecular substrate that will heal scratches and minor cuts. It is also dependent on the temperature; in cooler climes, the healing is slower than in warmer areas.

We also put some scratches on the back for some first-hand experience of this new technology. The minor scratches we were able to make were healed in minutes and the back panel was back to its glossy self again.

If only we had screwdrivers or knives to test this feature fully. LG has said that this coating can only fix minor inflictions, and if the coating is pierced, the mark will not be healed.

Software

LG G Flex comes with all the software bells and whistles that its older siblings offer, be it Knock On, multiple windows, three-finger swipe etc. However, unlike other LG smartphones, the new curved model has a much cleaner interface. Though LG's Optimus UI is still layered on top of Android 4.2, the animations and effects are slightly better than the ones in LG G2, G Pro etc. We will explore more preinstalled themes of the phone while doing a full review.

Key specs

The key hardware specifications of LG G Flex are 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. Connectivity options in the phone include 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 3.0 and NFC. All the features look great, but we can discuss the overall performance only after a full review.

Camera

G Flex sports a 13MP rear camera on the back, just like LG G2. The photos we clicked at the launch event were pretty good, but did not match the G2's camera performance in terms of details. Apart from that, the G Flex camera reproduced accurate colours and even the low-light conditions of the launch venue, there was no noise.

Our thoughts

LG G Flex is a very enticing prospect. Its USPs are two technologies that have never been seen before in the Indian market, curved screen and self-healing back. For anyone who seeks novelty in gadgets, it is a great option. However, its India launch is still some time away (Feb 2014) and only the tentative price (Rs 60,000-65,000) is known as of now. From our point of view, we like the device and are looking forward to get our hands on the device for a full review.