Verdict
Key specs
Critic reviews
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“The Galaxy Round is a very limited release, and Samsung has expressed no intention to make it available outside South Korea. You can get it unlocked from specialized retailers though, if you’re willing to pay a premium for the privilege of owning such a rare piece of kit.As with the LG G Flex, it’s definitely not worth buying the Galaxy Round for its shape alone, because the curved screen doesn’t really change the way you use the phone. Yes, it has a nice wow factor, but that tends to wear off after a while, or even turn into an annoyance. However, even if you ignore the curve, the Round is a great phone – you get high-end hardware, a beautiful screen, long battery life, and an excellent camera, just to name its biggest qualities.”
“The Samsung Galaxy Round isn’t 'the' curved smartphone to get excited about. Yes, the screen is fantastic and it has a zippy overall performance, but there's not much to gain from having a curved screen apart from sitting nicer in the hand or in the pocket. It’s currently only available in Korea and that’s not necessarily a bad thing because there’s clearly still work to be done.”
“Samsung's promotions for the Round say the curve makes it easier to grip the giant phone. But when answering calls, I could barely notice a difference from a flat screen.Two new features make use of the display's curve only when the Round in screen-off mode is placed on a flat surface, allowing it to be rocked like a cradle. Tilting the device to one side displays its battery status, time, missed calls and unread emails. But to check emails, I had to unlock the Round and go to the home screen.The second feature is music playback. You can skip to the next song or go back one by tapping the right or left corners of the display. This feature is useless when listening to music on the move.All this points to the Galaxy Round being an experiment for Samsung and not a product meant to be sold widely.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
With fierce competition among Android smartphones, Samsung’s Galaxy Round stands out from the crowd as being the first “flexible” phone with a curved display, beating out the LG G Flex by a couple months. The term flexible is a bit of a misnomer as reviewers explain that the phone is not actually bendable. At 5.9 x 3.2 x 0.3 inches, the Round almost has the same dimensions as the Galaxy Note 3, but due to the overall curved design of the Round, reviewers actually found it more pleasant to hold, use and put in their pockets.
The 5.7-inch display offers the same 1080p HD resolution and 386ppi pixel density as the Note 3. As with all Samsung devices, experts found the colors vibrant though a touch oversaturated and the screen bright and easy to read. Still, reviewers couldn’t see any obvious benefit of a curved screen over a standard one. As Trusted Reviews states, “On a TV, it’s about creating greater image depth…but that’s simply not going to work on a screen this size.”
At the core of the phone there’s a 2.3GHz quad-core processor and 3GB of RAM. The combination of the two provides an experience that Sam Mobile describes as “one of the fastest devices we’ve used.” Critics did not notice any lag when multitasking or using processor intensive apps. Their only issue was that the device would get warm during heavy usage, mainly due to Samsung’s TouchWiz interface. A 2800mAh battery keeps the phone running for 4.5 hours in battery draining tests. In real life testing, reviewers clock it more in the 11 hour range for moderate usage. For added insurance, the battery is removable so users can keep an extra charged battery on hand if necessary. It also comes with 32GB of internal storage and a micro-SD slot.
Most reviewers agree that while the Samsung Galaxy Round is a solid performer, the curvature doesn’t necessarily make it stand above other Samsung phones or even other Android phones. Tech Radar states, “Yes, the screen is fantastic and it has a zippy overall performance, but there’s not much to gain from having curved screen apart from sitting nicer in the hand…” Android Authority adds, “it’s definitely not worth buying the Galaxy Round for its shape alone…However, even if you ignore the curve, the Round is a great phone.”
What people actually want to know
When was the Samsung Galaxy Round released?
The Samsung Galaxy Round was released on October 9, 2013.
How long does the battery last on the Samsung Galaxy Round?
The Samsung Galaxy Round has a 2,800 mAh battery.
Does the Samsung Galaxy Round support wireless charging?
No, the Samsung Galaxy Round does not support wireless charging.
Does the Samsung Galaxy Round have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Round has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Does the Samsung Galaxy Round have NFC?
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Round has NFC. You can use Google Wallet, Apple Pay, and tap-to-pair with Bluetooth accessories.
Where can I get support for the Samsung Galaxy Round?
Visit Samsung's official support page for warranty info, repairs, and troubleshooting.
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