Curved screen... please no!

[dave 0]

Who needs a curved screen, its just a gimmick. Please put in a flat screen, less reflective etc...

The content gets distorted and the edge of the screen gets pressed when you try to just hold the phone.

Just as the Samsung S10 with its curves has a bad grip the S10E has a narrow bezel bud hold more nice in hand.

 

If I would have the choice, I would love to see

– Qi (Wireless Charging)

– Dual Sim + MicroSD ( not shared)

– Low price version 399 Euro ( 32 GB / 4 GB)

 

Hopefully the Pro1 will be just awesome.

Keep up guys!

[Doktor Oswaldo 904]

+1 for the normal Screen

 

But do not mix it up with other features. I am not in for the Qi it is also a gimmick.

I am in for the price drop a normal screen should allow!

[murak 0]

+1 for "normal", non-curved screen.

 

I remember from one of the hands-on videos floating around that Fxtec might change screen manufacturer, so maybe there is still a chance (however slim) that we might see a flat screen with normal edges.

 

Flipping the screen up to reveal the keyboard while the screen is on seems problematic if the edges are curved, feels like I might accidentally open an app or change something. But then again I have not tried the phone so it might not be an issue. From the videos I see a lot of unintentional screen touching though... Fxtec seem to have made the flip-up mechanism spot-on, so it would be a shame if the curved screen made using the device less user friendly.

 

Durability is another concern, but again time will tell if this is a problem at all. Might be sturdy as hell who knows :)

 

Price... I don´t know if a curved screen drives the price up or not, but if it does I wonder how many potential buyers would rather have a flat screen and a somewhat lower price. Heck, for me they can use the flat screen and keep the money saved themselves since I really want Fxtec to succeed!

[Slion 1,201]

I too was a flat screen purist until I saw a Samsung S7 Edge and decided to get one for myself, which I'm still using. I think it brings just the right amount of bling without getting in the way. Though the fact that you may have to push directly on the screen, to open and close it, is a genuine usability and solidity concern. I would just be happy with a flat screen as long as it is AMOLED. However I'm guessing the panel they are using for the Pro1 is just off-the-shelf standard component these days. It could be that a similar flat screen would be more expensive and harder to source.

 

[AnnieC 115]

I usually like rounded shapes but I still think that a screen should be rectangular and flat, especially on a device that is meant for productivity and work. A rectangular, flat display is predictable in every way. You can easily describe the shape and size of a screen like that with a few parameters, there is no room for error or tricks.

It's guaranteed that every pixel from from top-left to bottom-right will be displayed the same way, you don't have to define safe zones where you can be sure that content will not be clipped. It is the most efficient form factor.

 

It's funny that after we have reached a point in display technology when we can easily create good quality and cheap displays where no part of the image gets clipped or distorted, marketing departments bring out screens which have notches, holes and curves everywhere.

 

After a decade of creating content for older CRT displays that weren't flat, nor completely rectangular I was so happy when LCD screens became available to everyone, never would have thought that we will voluntarily create displays that have the same problems(and more) we had almost 20 years ago.

[netman 1,424]

Personally I would embrace curved displays if the screen protectors were on par with flat ones, other than the corners being clipped a small curve to the edges hardly feels like a problem. And I'm sure there's people who like it, no matter what marketing departments do it is people who are buying them driving the trends to survive.

[_DW_ 628]

I have to agree with this one it just doesn't suit a curved screen but that's when they keyboard is in use. When just using it portrait it does look ok.

 

But I will be landscape most of the time so I'd prefer without overall :)

[Keyahnig 80]

I don't really care if the screen is curved or not.

The curved screen might actually help that the top row on the keyboard is less cramped.

[JooJooBee666 84]

I'd definitely prefer not to have it as well. I don't care about bling one bit. I just want functionality. Curved screens reduce that as well as making it impossible to protect 100%. Maybe the next model won't have this? Either way, it's a compromise that I'm willing to live with for a nice QWERTY once again (with headphone jack).

[dikomix 0]

No curverd, smaller screen. qwerty is no problem with small screen, i have motodroid 4 and that has good qwerty for write.

I use it because no qwerty good phone is on market.

today is no problem with the RAM and storage in small size.

If I first read about your phone spec, great CPU, RAM, qwerty I am happy, but later I read the size my big happy is change to smaller happy...

[BB_Priv 0]

I for one fully support a curved screen. The keyboard is "retro" because it works. A flat screen would be retro just for the sake of being retro.

[windraver 63]

flat screen is easier to grip/hold without "touching the screen" when the keyboard is retracted.

[QWERTYAndreas 8]

I would say this is a minor detail, which is (should) definatly not be a deal-breaker.

 

I think its a good design, and a phone needs to be practical - yes - but also look good.

[EskeRahn 5,460]

On the suspected problems with interacting with a curved screen while opening, I would say we should wait and see how things actually work. I heard none of the previews complaining on it.

 

Doing a little calculus on "Dimensions: 154 x 73.6 x 13.98 mm" and "5.99-inch 2160 x 1080" gives us that the display area is 68.0mm wide so that would leave 2.8mm bezels on each side. And this might well be enough for pushing the edge NOT to interact with he display.

 

On a Samsung S8- the similar calculus gives 1.8mm side bezels on each side, and here I do experience occasional unwanted interaction. So hard to say if the extra mm is enough to remove the problem or not.

 

But IF it should be a problem, I guess it could 'easily' be solved by software, by making a thin zone ignoring touch and act as display only.

It could be of user selectable size, and perhaps dynamically change size, so it was zero width once opened or in portrait, and inactive ONLY when closed in landscape shortly after a rotation from portrait or a move to landscape from being still (i.e. lift from table). So it was only inactive shortly before an expected attempt to open.

 

ADD: A less advanced version could be to be able to select to have the device act not as the 18:9 but 19:9 or even 20:9 while closed, and thus simply not use the long edges while closed. That is adding "software bezels".

[netman 1,424]

And it'll be the only curved phone that has a keyboard to hold on to, that definitely solves some of the problems i have with the near 1:1 phone to screen ratios of the Android rectangles on today's market. Could well imagine using the keyboard just as a handle or stand for uses like YouTube watching.

[david 929]

AnnieC - Well said. It really is mind-blowing.

 

It is clear from reading posts on here and elsewhere on the web that a sizable percentage of prospective customers were very enthused to hear of this phone and then disappointed when the screen turned out to be curved. It is the one thing that stands out as as a design flaw on an otherwise very well thought out phone. Curved screens are problematic on regular phones. Those problems are magnified in a slider form factor.

[netman 1,424]

Well it's pretty hard to know what percentage of people would prefer a flat screen and how many would not notice the phone if it wasn't for the sleek curvy look, only the people who dislike it are going to open their mouth most likely. I'd really prefer a flat screen but if it sells better with the curved one i believe they should go with it so that for now to give keyboards a better chance, and I most definitely still need one.

[EskeRahn 5,460]

I'm with netman here. I too believe it could sell better with the curved screen.

Look at it this way: Us dinosaurs that want the traditional bezel-fitting of a flat screen are most likely going to buy it with whatever screen it is made, to get the keyboard. On the other hand younger potential buyers might find it too much old-style with a traditional display, so here the curved display might tip the balance.

 

I must say that I was strongly opposed to curved screens until I got the Priv, where I found it to not be as problematic as I expected. Actually I get more erroneous interaction of my Samsung S8-. My GUESS is that it being slimmer, make the pick-up slightly different, and this increases the risk of interacting with the edge. Also because one hand operation of the display is completely out of the question with the Priv. With a little effort I can one hand operate the keyboard though, on both the Priv and the S8- snap on. And to some extent manage to use the S8- display with one hand also, though with far from trouble-free interaction.

 

I also expected the more unprotected display of the S8- to be a problem over the Priv, as the Priv got the two tiny metal protrutions top and bottom, perfectly protecting the tempered glass protectors I use. However. I changed them when they broke every 1-2 month on the Priv, but on the S8- where it is much more exposed i'm still at number two after half a year....

 

So that all makes me worry less on a curved Pro¹

[netman 1,424]

Dinosaurs is the right word :D! Also forums are only for some specific audience so any voting statistics is skewed here. With more bezels and flat screen the demographic that just walks into a store and buys a phone may dismiss the phone without looking closer thinking it's just a feature phone or otherwise cheap crappy thing while the curved screen screams "this is pretty much a galaxy s-something" from half a mile away. If this holds true (I don't know, I'm no expert on people) then it could be very important to sparking a new interest in real keyboards on phones. From what I see so far, I feel like we should put some trust in the people at fxtec and hope it pans out nicely :).

[mathias.kiermeier 0]

I'll keep it short.

 

I like the curved screen. I like the way it looks and I never had any real useability problems.

[Doktor Oswaldo 904]

Wow I am not that old...

No honestly if somebody read this thread he might think that most modern phones have a curved screen which is not true. Most of the phones have a flat screen. And even on Samsungs flagship a lot of people would prefer a flat screen:

- https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/87kd9a/would_you_buy_a_flatedged_galaxy_s9/?limit=1500.

 

And here a general Poll to flat vs curved:

- https://www.poll-maker.com/results2049800x31E0496d-56#tab-2

 

It is hard to get good data, but look at the Iphone, young people are buying these without curved screens.

Real data of all sold smartphones curved vs flat would be interesting. I bet flat screens would be at top.

 

But anyway I don't know why, a lot of people here are seeming to know what young people want to buy without any data at all. Yes the Samsung thingy is the best selling smartphone, but is it because of the curved screen? I doubt it!

 

So If most smartphones have flat screens, most of us "dinosaurs" here want flat screens, flat screens are cheaper more stable and do not need any software twerking at all, why should the phone have a curved screen? It does look like an desperate try to make a phone with function focus look cool. You know what makes it cool? The keyboard. And that is actually the only point. If people like the keyboard they will buy it no matter what screen (Yes I will buy one also with a curved screen). If not, well this will be a short story here. So why not take the cheap sturdy and battle-tested approach of a flat screen?

 

 

 

[david 929]

doktor.oswaldo - Yes. That's the only point. The keyboard. People aren't going to buy this phone because it has a curved screen. They are going to buy it because it has a keyboard. Make a phone that has the features that keyboard users want. Function over form.

 

People who will buy a phone because it has a curved screen are the type of people who won't (on average) buy this phone, because it is too thick, doesn't have a big *enough* screen, etc.

 

I'll say it again. The main disappointment in this phone is the screen. A bit further down in disappointment level for many people is the size (some people are more upset about the size than the curved edges). And quite a bit further down from that, not having a quickly removable battery. Those are the top 3 issues. Then way, way down on the list you'll see people talking about dual sims (not shared with sd card), wireless charging, radio bands supported, no IR blaster, no FM radio, etc. Those are minor concerns vs the screen.

 

Well, to be clear, if all the radio bands for a given carrier aren't supported, I guess that would be a big deal for that segment of the market. :-) It seems like most carriers are fairly well supported and the phone only misses a subset of bands, so isn't a deal breaker.

 

People who want a keyboard phone badly may buy it in spite of the poor screen design. But those people are still going to give bad PR to the phone on that design factor, especially when the screens start breaking.

[Sero 89]

I have to agree. I don't understand why they're going with the curved screen.

 

- They're more fragile

- They're harder to find screen protectors for, and considering this will be a niche phone there aren't exactly gonna be many options either.

- The way light reflects off the curve is annoying (see attached image). Admittedly, I haven't met anyone else that really cares about this aspect so maybe it's just me.

 

I reckon the look would be so much cleaner with a flat screen.

 

[Keyahnig 80]

I like the curved screen. It makes the device a lot less bulkier and it looks nicer overall. The only downside will be finding a screen protector.

[EskeRahn 5,460]

I like the curved screen. It makes the device a lot less bulkier and it looks nicer overall. The only downside will be finding a screen protector.

 

As suggested earlier, I have a perhaps optimistic hope, that cutting one from a S8+ or S9+ with a class cutter might be a possibility, if the side-curvature matches.