LG says its LG G Flex curved smartphone will go on sale in the US during the first quarter on Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile.

The US launch of the curved smartphone  - announced at CES 2014 - follows its launch in parts of Asia and plans for the UK. It's not clear how quickly customers are latching on to the idea of the new screen technology, but new markets might help with LG's cause.

The LG G Flex followed the Samsung Galaxy Round with a vertical curve instead of horizontal. The handset features a 6-inch HD (720p) display, 2.26GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 3,500mAh battery, 13-megapixel rear-camera, LTE, and Android 4.2.2. Think the LG G2, but with a curved display.

The G Flex has a screen made from plastic substrates, rather than glass, which means its flexible enough to bend without breaking. This is a great step in the direction of tough phones that don't need cases to protect screens. Broken screens are a common problem and one of the highest claims on insurance. The G Flex also has a self-healing back, if you're the type who often drops their phone.

It will be up to all three carriers on pricing and availability, which hasn't been detailed as yet.