Samsung is reported to be prepping a handset which would be the first of its kind in the industry – one with a “wraparound” display featuring three separate screens.

The device will apparently incorporate a display that wraps around the edges, offering three independent displays “so users can read messages or monitor stocks while looking from an angle,” Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing two people familiar with the plans.

The phone will use an upgraded version of Samsung’s ‘Youm’ flexible-display technology, currently used in its recently released curved Galaxy Round smartphone. It’s not clear if the wraparound handset would, like the Round, be a Korea-only release, or whether the company has plans to launch it on a wider scale.

Bloomberg’s source said there’s a chance the design could be incorporated into the tech company’s S or Note series of high-end handsets, though it might also launch as a completely new line.

Earlier this week we heard that Apple is developing large-screen handsets with “glass that curves downward at the edges,” though reports on these devices made no suggestion that more than a single screen is involved.

Samsung’s handset sounds like it’ll include two narrow displays down the long edges of the handset, though practically speaking, it seems as if the user would only ever be able to make use of one of these displays in any given moment, if, for example, the phone is placed flat on a desk or table.

There’s no mention of a specific launch date for Samsung’s wraparound phone, though one person speaking to Bloomberg with knowledge of the tech company’s plans suggested it was “more likely to come out during the second half of next year.”

With the high-end smartphone market pushing steadily toward saturation point, big hitters such as Samsung and Apple are keen to explore new designs and technology in an effort grab the attention of consumers, though whether such a triple-display smartphone along the lines of what Samsung is reportedly developing will encourage handset hunters to reach into their wallets is open to question. How do you like the sound of it?

Editors' Recommendations