samsung wraparound phone

Samsung recently released the Galaxy Round, which curves in from the left and right, but the company may be preparing a new Galaxy handset with a screen that wraps over the edgees, showing additional information on either side of the device with a main display sandwiched in-between. A patent awarded to the South Korean company describes such a design, and Bloomberg's anonymous sources claim we may see a wrap-around Galaxy phone launch as soon as next year.

The three-sided device could show notifications, text messages or stock prices on the side while a full-sized app fills the main screen. Samsung's patent also shows how the phone can be turned off or locked by sliding a finger down the side display. According to Bloomberg, the new technology could be used in the next Galaxy S or Galaxy Note device, though we think it's more likely the company would introduce a new product line altogether

Apple received a patent for a similar design earlier this year, showing a device with one single touchscreen covering both sides. We don't expect a wrap-around iPhone any time soon though; Cupertino has shown a preference for taking baby steps with each new smartphone, while Samsung is more likely to dive in and hope for the best.