As the two South Korean tech giants race to get a sizeable part of the flexible phone market, it become an opportunity for phone users to learn more about new features of smartphone that were not available commercially a few years ago.

Tech Web site CNET clarified that a flexible display on smartphone, like those being planned to be commercially released by Samsung and LG, are actually organic light-emitting diode (OLED) found under the cover now made of flexible materials such as plastic instead of hard glass.

The first phone available on the market with flexible display is the Samsung newly released Galaxy Round, shown in this video.

YouTube/SoldierKnowsBest

The phone features a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 3GB RAM, 13 MP camera. 2800 MAH battery and runs on Android 4.3.

Besides these technical specs, here are five more important things to know about the flexible display.

  • The Galaxy Round will not bend or flex in the hands of the user. Samsung's use of the 5.7-inch full HD super flexible AMOLED screen simply means the phone is deeply curbed, but its casing is rigid and won't bend when moved. Flexible here refers only to the OLED. The more accurate description, according to CNET, is that the Galaxy Round's display is conformable or it is not flat. Another proper term is that it is contoured. At some point, the display bends which is the case of the Round is vertically. Other categories made by manufacturers of such materials include foldable displays and rollable displays.
  • While the benefits of a curved display like the Galaxy Round is not clear, CNET pointed out that there are benefits for screen that can flex since they are often more durable when dropped due to the use of plastic as material rather than glass. By making the gadget thinner and lighter, it allows manufacturers to make products in different shaped besides the usual rectangular screen.
  • Future possibilities for gadgets using flexible material include folding a phone or table and placing it inside the pocket or unrolling a screen to function like a map.
  • While screens are already flexible, other components such as batteries aren't yet. For a real flexible phone to deserve that name, it should have more than bendable screens but also flexible cover materials, arching batteries and forgiving silicones. LG has just announced a new battery technology that can curve, squeeze into tight spaces and contort like a pretzel. However, if such technology could hold enough charge to compete with a regular smartphone remains to be seen.
  • A flexible screen would use plastic which is semi-permeable, allowing air and water to leak into the gadget. Phone makers could coat the plastic and use barrier layers.