Should we be excited about bendy smartphones?

If your smartphone screen has suffered from one or two drops, perhaps a smart gauntlet will be a better choice, if you can get it on your wrist.

Despite its polished finish, the wristwear device isn't a certainty for production. Image: FlexEnable

The smart gauntlet - like a real-life Buzz Lightyear wrist control panel - was on display at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona throughout February.

Designed and built by screen-maker FlexEnable, the device showcases the company’s curved display technology. Accident-prone smartphone users will be pleased to hear that the prototype contains no glass whatsoever, so it should be more resistant to drops and impacts. Silicon is also absent, instead being replaced with orther materials made of organic properties.

Despite the device’s bulky size, it could make a viable alternative to the fledgling smartwatch market as it combines a large screen with greater, smartphone-style performance. The demo model displayed some of the alternate uses for the device, including the location of nearby restaurants, navigation or even just playing music.

Apps are also supported, with the user navigating through these by pressing keys that line the side of the display.

Despite all the benefits of the funky device, it’s not scheduled to go into retail production any time soon. If it does, though, it’s almost certainly to be made slimmer than the bulky prototype seen in Spain.

It’s hard to predict where the next trend in wearable technology will emerge from, but it’s certainly food for thought for those who have a habit of dopping their tablet or smartphone.

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