Smartphones with curved glass displays are nothing new. Dell used curved glass in their Windows Phone that no one really remembers, Samsung used it in the Nexus S, the question is when the technology go mainstream? According to Digitimes, our favorite Taiwanese rumor site because they have an incredible knack for getting things right, the first half of 2012 will be when curved glass becomes “the next big thing”. They go on to say that everyone, include Apple, are currently designing devices that feature curved glass in order to “gain a competitive edge”, which is just a fancy way of saying “stand out”. Curiously, Apple is buying glass polishing equipment for their suppliers so that they keep up with future demand. In doing so Apple not only secures the first batch of curved glass to leave the factory, but they can lockout the market completely should they feel like being completely evil.
Having seen and played with a Nokia N9, we think curved glass introduces some much needed change in handset design. Current smartphones, including the Apple iPhone 4, are all hard angled and extremely masculine. HTC’s recently announced Rhyme is purposefully colored purple to attract the opposite sex, but if they made a black variant it would look just like ever testosterone fueled HTC device on the market. With curved glass handset vendors can finally introduce some organic looking designs that are easier on the eyes and more of a joy to hold in your hands. Now if they’re crazy then they can also make a device that’s completely round and made out of glass, which would mean it’ll likely get dropped, but hey, at least they’ll be pushing the limits of what’s possible.
What do you think, should smartphones makers put more resources into their designs or do you care more about them upping the specs every few months?
[Via: Boy Genius Report]