LG launches a new flexible phone

The company's second-generation flexible smartphone -- the G Flex 2 -- takes specifications to another level and will be going on sale in South Korea before the end of the month.

The company's second-generation flexible smartphone -- the G Flex 2 -- takes specifications to another level and will be going on sale in South Korea before the end of the month.

The LG G Flex got a lot of attention when it launched back in late 2013 because it was curved like a banana and was capable of healing itself if scratched. However, despite promising a glimpse of the phones of the future, it, and Samsung's equally flexible smartphone, the Galaxy Round, were really little more than novelties.

However, LG is back with a new version of the phone and this time the handset, unveiled at the 2015 International CES, has a full HD 5.5-inch curved display and a fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chip on board. The back-side camera boasts 13 megapixels and the same image stabilization and laser focusing found on the company's current flagship non-curved handset, the LG G3.

Like the original device, the new handset has the same self-healing properties so that a scratch or little dent to the back panel should disappear in a matter of seconds, and LG claims that the phone is even more robust than its predecessor. The curved display is 20% stronger than before so it will survive being sat on when left in a back pocket.