What’s the Point of a Curved Smartphone?

LG’s first curved smartphone was, let’s be honest, something of a disaster. It was too big, too curved, too expensive—and, given that the jury’s still way out on curved displays in general, it didn’t make much of a convincing case. But Korea’s second-biggest electronics company isn’t giving up, and on Monday morning it introduced the G Flex2, an indication that this is an actual direction for development and not a one-off novelty play.

The G Flex2 isn’t bad. It has all the features and specs you’d expect from a high-end phone: a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a camera with optical image stabilization and laser autofocus, and a 5.5-inch 1080-pixel OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screen. Add a beautiful rendition of Android 5 Lollipop, some gestural controls, and the “self-healing” finish, and it’s worthy of a little attention. LG hasn't announced the price; the original G Flex retailed for $400 but could be had for less, depending on your carrier.