Mobile Technology

Hands-on with the LG G Flex

Hands-on with the LG G Flex
A rigid shell prevents much actual flexing
A rigid shell prevents much actual flexing
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The LG G Flex officially launched at CES 2014
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The LG G Flex officially launched at CES 2014
The G Flex sports a curved 6-inch display
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The G Flex sports a curved 6-inch display
A rigid shell prevents much actual flexing
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A rigid shell prevents much actual flexing
The curve is just slightly concave
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The curve is just slightly concave
A G Flex back and a conventional backing get scuffed up
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A G Flex back and a conventional backing get scuffed up
The G Flex back (left) heals in moments
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The G Flex back (left) heals in moments
The G Flex has a 1280 x 720 resolution display
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The G Flex has a 1280 x 720 resolution display
The G Flex feels nice in the hand
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The G Flex feels nice in the hand
Powered by a 2.26 GHz Snapdragon 800
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Powered by a 2.26 GHz Snapdragon 800
G Flex comes to the US and UK Q1 2014
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G Flex comes to the US and UK Q1 2014
The rear camera is 13 MP
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The rear camera is 13 MP
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The new LG G Flex is billed as the "world's first curved, flexible smartphone," but once you get your hands on one it becomes clear right away that only half of that line is really true for practical purposes. It is a beautiful, sleek and powerful phone with an elegant curve to it, and yes, it does have a flexible display, but that display has been set in a rigid case that prevents it from actually flexing.

Not that I was able to even try. At the G Flex station of LG's booth for CES 2014, the first caveat the company's marketing folks passed on before talking about any of the phone's positive attributes was a disclosure that it doesn't actually flex or bend. LG's promotional website for the G Flex claims it can be forced into a flat position "for a limited period of time only," but warns against attempting to bend it inward or twist.

Instead, the majority of the pitch for the G Flex is about the advantages of its curved screen, which is just slightly concave, and vaguely mimics the curve of old-school landline handsets. LG's people told me that this helps better deliver sound to and from the phone during calls and also provided a better viewing experience from the display.

I wasn't able to place a call with it to test audio quality, but after years with Bluetooth headsets that work just fine, it almost seems a silly claim to make. As for the screen, it's the same argument being made by every maker of a new curved screen HDTV at CES this year, and there is some merit to the curve, at least on the scale of a big-screen display that takes up the majority of a living room wall, but for a six-inch screen on a (admittedly large) smartphone, the visual effect seemed negligible.

The curve is just slightly concave
The curve is just slightly concave

The only part of LG's rationale for the curve that I could really get on board with was its tactile advantages. As I first learned with a Moto X, a little bit of curve on the back of a phone actually does make a difference, and handling the G Flex for a while, I began to think that this could soon become a truism in the smartphone world. The G Flex is nice to hold, and there's at least a certain amount of enjoyment (or maybe just novelty, I'd need to spend more time with it to know for sure) to tapping, swiping and typing on a touchscreen that isn't completely flat.

The curve isn't the only unique feature of the G Flex form factor on display at CES. LG was also giving demonstrations of its self-healing back panel, which can make minor scuffs and scratches disappear in just a few minutes. It's hard to say if the special coating on the back that makes this possible would stand up to truly normal wear and tear, but it certainly works as advertised to heal at least a small portion of abuse.

A G Flex back and a conventional backing get scuffed up
A G Flex back and a conventional backing get scuffed up

During the limited time I spent with a G Flex, its performance was snappy and flawless, living up to the promise of some pretty top notch specs. It carries a 2.26 GHz Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, a whopping 3,500 mAh curved battery, and a 13 megapixel camera.

The claims that the curve produces a great viewing experience would seem to be a little limited, however, by the fact that the G Flex P-OLED display resolution is only 1280 x 720.

As for availability, LG reps would only tell me that the G Flex will be coming to some markets, including the UK and US, by the end of the first quarter this year. The American launch will include Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T, but not Verizon just yet.

Source: LG

View gallery - 11 images
5 comments
5 comments
Rann Xeroxx
Even if the "flexible" display is on a flat, fixed screen, my assumption is that these will be able to handle drops much better.
Adrien
probably the best part about the curve is how it would fit in your back pocket.
christopher
Go check out how much is costs to replace the broken glass in a Sony Xperia*, and you'll suddenly realize why this sucker is the way of the future.
* Z Ultra = 90% of the original price, and, FWIW, their digitizes don't keep working after the screen cracks...
Victorkfb
You can interact with the 3D model of the G Flex on Sketchfab here : http://sketchfab.com/show/a717d6ce88f5465c800796b86eae87b8 :)
Aamir Aamir
The best smartphone i have ever used this smartphone is just awesome