The curvy G Flex arrives in the U.S. Sprint stores this week, with AT&T, and T-mobile following suit a few days after. More than five years of construction have gone towards developing the Flex, yet debates of its benefits are most definitely in. First of all, is curved for you? Obviously the most defining feature, LG stands out from the pack by adding a curved shape into its design. Does it flex? Yes, there is a small amount of actual flex in the grip, but why? You can’t roll it up and put it in your pocket. In fact, some reports say the phone’s awkward size and shape make it stick out of your pocket in an odd way. Obviously there is a lot of opinion floating around, so I went straight to the user reviews, and I found the biggest question. Does a flexible display really add any value?

 
Flex’s arc is said to be ‘subtle’, particularly noticeable when set down on a flat surface. LG states the intention of the arc is to better fit your hand and face for voice calls, as well as fit in a rear pants pocket. When holding the device lengthwise, sides of the screen point slightly toward you, apparently designed for a “cinematic-like panoramic viewing experience”. Putting the shape aside for one moment, there is something else you notice about the G Flex even before the curvature. The body is huge. Measuring in at 6.3 x 3.2 x .33 inches, and weighing 6.2 oz. This makes the Flex more than a third of an inch longer than the Galaxy Note 3. This is definitely phablet territory; something any user must be prepared for in a smartphone. In fact, one user states that although the curve is rather form fitting, the sheer size of the phone counteracts that “comfort”.

 
Reviewer, JR Raphael from Computerworld, stated how much he enjoyed the nice and bright colors the curved OLED display offers. The curvature is intended to help block glare from the sun. However, he noticed no difference in reflection. Also, while great for viewing photos or watching video, spending time reading a book on the Kindle app made him “nauseous”. Another user, Todd Haselton from TechnoBuffalo, reported that while doing things like reading email, and regular web browsing, he was slightly distracted by the shape the entire time. Additionally, during video watching and game playing, “it’s more of an interesting subtle effect than anything transformative”.

 
Lastly, most of what the curve is meant to offer is canceled out by the display. The 6.3-inch screen only offers 720p, and 244 ppi. This is a significantly lower pixel count than what high-end phones offer today. Even worse, “you can easily make out individual pixels on the G Flex’s screen, and colors look dull and oddly grainy”. Performance and battery wise, “the phone is fast as can be”, and it “excels in the realm of stamina”. Internally, hardware and battery are established as up to standards. So what is the G Flex, subtle or cinematic? Hard to say, considering the entire “flex” concept seems to be a continuous backlash of bad news. Perhaps in this case, different does not mean better. “It would be difficult to recommend this device as a sensible purchase for most people”, JR says. Besides being a possible companion for super techies who desire something terrifically unique, it’s hard to determine who is going to be on board with it. Maybe the G Flex isn’t for the average user. Sales have only begun, and before long, we will all be hearing news of how the Flex is doing out in the world.