Nexus S Contour Display

This is the side view of the Super AMOLED display with the cover glass on top. The Contour Display is used in the Google Nexus S. Some think it’s a big deal, but it really isn’t.

iFixit:

You can definitely see that only the front glass panel is curved. The rest of the components are flat as a board, just as any other phone on the market.

The Super AMOLED display itself isn’t curved at all; it’s flat. The contoured part is just the cover glass, unique but nothing to get excited about.

Google:

The curved glass screen fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and along the side of your face.

Comfort in my hand or along the side of my face is not high on the list of things I look for in a smartphone. When I go to the Apple Store I don’t stick the iPhone to the side of my face and think, “Wow, this thing is really comfortable!”

Here are some of the things I do look for:

• Industrial design: Simple lines and shapes. Materials that exude quality.
• Size: Not too big, not too small. Needs to fit in my hands.
• Weight: Can’t be too heavy, but it also shouldn’t be too light.
• Buttons: I like physical buttons and for them to feel a certain way. There needs to be a certain tension and I listen for a certain type of sound.
• Display: It has to look brilliant. But not only that the multitouch response needs to be instantaneous.

Choice material on Google Nexus S? Plastic. Here’s the bottom line: the Contour Display on the Google Nexus S is unique, but ultimately a useless, unwanted feature. Maybe next time Samsung and Google can concentrate more on the things that matter.