Samsung launches first phone with curved screen

Samsung Electronics will start selling what it called the world's first smartphone with a curved display as the largest handset maker adds another device to help win users from Apple.

The 5.7-inch Galaxy Round would go on sale today in South Korea and cost 1,089,000 won (HK$7,840), Samsung said.

The 7.9-millimetre thick device will only be available in South Korea.

The Round joins the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, the Galaxy Golden smartphone with a clamshell design, the flagship S4 and an upgraded Note among devices introduced this year as Samsung targets products at multiple prices to maintain sales growth.

Amid fresh competition from Apple's latest iPhones, Samsung is expanding handsets into new shapes such as the curved design as it works on technology to produce flexible screens.

"This phone signifies something that is much more important," said Warren Lau, an analyst at Kim Eng Securities. "In the next 18 months or so, we could see Samsung launching foldable display devices. That is going to be a game changer."