Poll: Do you prefer flat or curved displays on smartphones?
The Pixel 8 Pro may be ditching the curves.
Aside from foldable phones and the eventual rollables, smartphone OEMs typically have a choice between curved displays or flat displays. Usually, it all comes down to aesthetics, although fans of either display type will likely argue over usability. Unfortunately, OEMs don't often give consumers a choice, so if you want a particular phone model, you're pretty much stuck with whatever display type the OEM chose.
The upcoming Pixel 8 Pro is rumored to switch things up and may likely sport a flat display. With that in mind, we want to know which display you prefer on a smartphone.
Samsung essentially popularized the curved smartphone display with phones like the Galaxy Note Edge and later models. Eventually, many other OEMs began adopting the curved display on many of the best Android phones, and it's typically saved for the top-end models like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, almost as if the curves themselves convey "premium."
This is something Google apparently took to heart with its recent Pixel launches. With the Pixel 6 Pro and the Pixel 7 Pro, the company outfitter both models with a curved display, while the non-Pro models got flat displays. Essentially, if you prefer flat panels, the Pro model might look less appealing despite having the better specs, or alternatively, you might want the more affordable Pixel, but you'd be stuck wishing it came with a curved panel.
With the Pixel 8 series, it seems Google is settling on one display type. With the latest leaked renders of the devices, it seems both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will utilize flat displays, much to the disappointment of those who prefer the curved aesthetic. It's unclear why this change is being made, and perhaps Google will explain when the phones launch later this year, but it looks like curved display fans are taking an L in this year, particularly with Samsung's ever-flattening Ultra displays.
Let us know in the poll comments or on social media why you prefer one over the other.
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Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.