Samsung's phone ahead of the curve

South Korean tech giant Samsung is bending the rules with its new Galaxy Note Edge Android smartphone - the world's first mainstream smartphone with a dual display created by the use of a curved screen.

It has a 5.6-inch screen that extends to the right edge of the smartphone, and curves around it.

This creates a thin notification window that can be seen from the side of the device which can be set to have a different display from the main screen.

A user can read his SMS messages on the side screen without interrupting his main activity on the main display.

The company also announced its new 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 4 device that comes with a faster processor, better camera functions and several streamlined multi-tasking features, as well as more precise S Pen stylus controls.

Also new is the Galaxy Gear VR headset, which creates an immersive 3D environment for viewing videos and playing games when used with the Galaxy Note 4 phone.

Finally, there is the third iteration of the Samsung Gear S smartwatch. It works as a phone by itself so it does not need to be paired with a smartphone like before.

sherwinl@sph.com.sg

This article was published on Sept 4 in The Straits Times.

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