Update: Samsung official announced the Galaxy Round, straight-up declaring it to be the world's first smartphone with a curved display.

It's anything but straight, though. The concave phone has a unique 5.7-inch AMOLED screen, which makes it the same size as the recently launched flat Galaxy Note 3.

Of course, even if you're due for a Galaxy handset upgrade, Samsung has thrown a bit of a curveball when it coming to buying the Galaxy Round. So far it's only going to be available in the company's home territory, South Korea, on Oct 10.

Until Samsung announces the Galaxy Round for other regions (if it ever does), the rest of the world can be memorized, or perplexed by this video of the phone's wobble effect.

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Samsung's curved smartphone may be around the bend, as new high-resolution promotional photos allegedly show what the rumored Galaxy Round smartphone looks like.

The unconfirmed handset we see here appears similar to company's Galaxy S4, judging from the two images from evleaks. The only (major) different is the display sports a noticeable inward curve on its vertical axis.

This backs up recent comments from Samsung executives that teased a curved smartphone set to be announced in October.

It also correlates to the SM-G910S mystery device that was discovered to have gone through testing a week ago.

What a curve could do for you

Nobody seems to be holding off on buying devices like the iPhone 5S and Galaxy S4 because of their flat high-definition screens. So what's the point of a curved display?

Well, Samsung could make a virtually unbreakable screen in a world where countless smartphone owners have had to replace or live with cracked screens.

T-Mobile even based its upgrade twice a year Jump plan advertisements around consumers getting stuck with broken devices for the duration of a two-year contract.

A curved screen, never touching the ground even if the handset falls face-down, could decrease the number of busted phones out there.

Samsung also has reason to make its curved phone concept a reality sooner rather than later. LG is producing curved OLEDs too and is rumored to be launching the LG Z1.

• Read our Galaxy Note 3 review. It's flat but built for Samsung power users.

Qualcomm looks as if it's calming its chief marketing officer, who dismissively called Apple's 64-bit iPhone 5S processor a gimmick in a recent interview.

"I think they are doing a marketing gimmick," said Anand Chandrasekher last week. "There's zero benefit a consumer gets from that."

Maybe not zero benefit now. The San Diego-based chipmaker issued a statement, backtracking from Chandrasekher's harsh criticism.

"The comments made by Anand Chandrasekher, Qualcomm CMO, about 64-bit computing were inaccurate," said Qualcomm to sites like CNET.

Going for the same 'gimmick'

Qualcomm's newfound stance on 64-bit processors could indicate that the company is likely going down the same path, as evidenced by its additional remarks today.

"The mobile hardware and software ecosystem is already moving in the direction of 64-bit" wrote the company.

"The evolution to 64-bit brings desktop class capabilities and user experiences to mobile, as well as enabling mobile processors and software to run new classes of computing devices."

Likewise, the semiconductor company probably doesn't want to become an enemy of Apple right now.

After all, the iPhone maker is looking for ways to ditch Samsung, which still manufacturers its A7 processor.

At least Qualcomm fessed up to Chandrasekher's comments being "inaccurate" instead of trying to explain them away by saying 64-bit isn't a "gimmick," but something it wants to "mimic."

• This, from the company that wants to give you the 'digital sixth sense'?

Google's Chromecast streaming dongle can now be obtained by those outside of the United States, thanks to some newly-available international shipping options on Amazon.

The small HDMI dongle, which enables content to be streamed from a smartphone or tablet, directly to a hi-def television set, has previously only been available in the US.

Google is still holding off on an official international expansion for its $35 device, but Amazon's new shipping option will mean those desperate to obtain a Chromecast dongle can do so for some heightened shipping costs.

Brits hoping to buy the device will have to fork over £22.50 for the device, plus £5.79 for standard shipping. Android Central is also reporting the device can be shipped to addresses in Australia also.

Apple TV killer?

Chromecast arrived as a highly affordable competitor to the Apple TV platform. It is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS X and Google Chrome OS devices.

It uses cloud mirroring to pull down content from the web, rather than streaming it directly from the smartphone or tablet. Apps for the device are thin on the ground so far, but content providers are expressing an interest.

Still trying to decide which mobile-to-TV streaming device is right for you? Peruse the following: Apple TV vs Google Chrome: Which is better?

AT&T could launch a Voice over LTE-capable smartphone as early as this year, according to one AT&T executive.

AT&T Labs President Krish Prabhu said during a keynote at the PCIA wireless infrastructure conference in Florida that there "might be a VoLTE-compliant device for the holidays this year," Fierce Wireless reported today.

He added that AT&T is testing the network upgrade that will enable VoLTE "right now," although a full, commercial VoLTE launch won't occur until 2014.

In other words, change may be coming slowly - but it appears it really is coming.

A painless transition

There's no word yet on what AT&T's first VoLTE-compatible phone will be. We reached out to the carrier to find out if it has anything else to share, but we haven't heard back yet.

Voice over LTE will provide HD call quality, but only if both parties on the call are using VoLTE phones, Prabhu said.

The transition should be painless, as new phones will be released with VoLTE support built in and existing 4G LTE networks will be upgraded gradually.

The competition

Samsung announced in August that new Galaxy S3 handsets will come with VoLTE out of the box, starting in Korea.

Meanwhile Verizon is expected to roll out its own VoLTE service and handsets this year as well.

Verizon was testing VoLTE deployment as early as a year ago, when it was bragging about hitting its 400th LTE market.

According to Fierce Wireless, Verizon's first Voice over LTE phone will launch this year, with the service launching commercially in the first half of next year, much like AT&T.

• TechRadar has everything you need to know about 4G and LTE.

It's been rumored for months that Google Hangouts will get SMS and MMS message support, and a report from yesterday made that seem even more likely.

Android Police rated its confidence in the SMS for Google Hangouts rumor "a 9 out of 10," saying "it's almost a sure thing."

According to the Android blog, Google Hangouts' version 1.3 update will add SMS message functionality, possibly merging the mobile OS's existing SMS messaging app with Hangouts just like the last update did with Google Talk.

The Hangouts update will reportedly add video sharing as well.

It's all in the details

And the site produced alleged leaked screenshots, seen above, to prove it.

SMS messages sent via Hangouts will reportedly sport a "via SMS" tag so users know exactly what the app is doing.

MMS multimedia messages will also be supported, though the site could not confirm with its sources whether that includes MMS video or just MMS images.

And the leaked screenshot shows settings toggles that include wireless alerts, auto-retrieval of SMS messages while roaming and otherwise, delivery reports, and a toggle for SMS in Hangouts itself.

The one thing this rumor lacks is an expected release date for the Google Hangouts 1.3 update, but if the screenshot is legit then SMS in Hangouts is probably being tested and could arrive soon.

• Here's everything we've heard about the next version of Google's mobile operating system, Android 4.4: KitKat.

There is indeed an iPad version of Microsoft Office coming down the pike, but the company is initially saving that touch-friendly experience for its own Windows devices.

The Verge today reported that Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer has confirmed the existence of Office for iPad - but it's no closer to landing on Apple's market-leading tablet.

Speaking at the Gartner Symposium ITXPO in Orlando on Tuesday, the outgoing Microsoft CEO revealed the company's "in progress" plans for a "touch first interface," but has no plans to make it available first on a competing platform.

"iPad will be picked up when there's a touch first user interface," Ballmer remarked to conference attendees, suggesting that Office for Windows will be where the new version makes its premiere.

Owning productivity

According to Microsoft insiders, that sentiment appears to be echoed by Chief Operating Officer B. Kevin Turner, who recently proclaimed the company's intention to "own the productivity experience across all devices."

That's certainly not the case just yet, with Office restricted to an iPhone-only app that requires an annual subscription to use - despite persistent leaks and rumors that an iPad version actually does exist.

Microsoft Executive Vice President, Applications and Services Qi Lu also recently confirmed "touch-first versions of our core apps in the Office suite" during a recent meeting with analysts.

For now, "touch-first" appears to also mean "Windows first," but Microsoft isn't giving any indication of how soon that initiative might land in the waiting hands (and fingers) of users.

• Check out our full review of Apple's latest iOS 7 operating system!

President Barack Obama has refused to veto a ban on Samsung products in the US.

Back in August the International Trade Commissions ruled a ban on the import of certain Samsung smartphones and tablets for infringing Apple patents.

The devices in the list include the Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy Tab, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Fascinate and Captivate among others.

The White House was given 60 days in which it could veto the devision, but it seems Obama has given the no-no.

Playing politics

"After carefully weighing policy considerations, including the impact on consumers and competition, advice from agencies, and information from interested parties, I have decided to allow [the ban to go ahead]," said US Trade Representative Michael Froman in a statement.

Apple found itself in the same situation in August but in a rare move Obama chose to veto the ban, arguing that it risked damaging competition in the US.

It's unlikely that this prove too damning for Samsung, given that its successful newer products, such as the Galaxy S4, aren't affected.

However it could still take the case to a US appeals court if it so wishes, so it might not be game over just yet.

We've got more rumoured info on the Nexus 5 – which means that now you should wonder what don't we know about the forthcoming Google superphone.

Well, there are a couple of new tidbits of just-surfaced info which we weren't aware of, concerning the differences between the two versions of the handset.

According to a source speaking to PhoneArena, each variation will be powered by a different capacity battery.

The 16GB Nexus 5 will allegedly have a 2,300mAh battery while the 32GB will pack a 3,000mAh variant. Oddly however, the leaked LG Nexus 5 manual we spotted the other day claimed the 32GB model has a 2,300mAh battery - the opposite of what we're hearing now.

The price is right

The same source also reports the prices of the models. Apparently the 16GB will be priced at $299 (around £186, AU$315) and the 32GB will cost $349 (around £217, AU £368).

A 3,000mAh 32GB model will certainly go down better with buyers, but it's just a shame that we won't be getting that 64GB variant we so wanted. Then again, this could be nonsense, so remain open-minded for now.

The Nexus 5 is expected to touch down this month and be the first device running Android 4.4 KitKat, which is going to excite those looking for the best vanilla Google experience.

There have long been rumours suggested that the Finnish smartphone manufacturer could be working on a tablet and now am intriguing link has been found on Nokia's website.

The tablet currently goes under the moniker Lumia 2520 and a search for this on Nokia's US site reportedly, until recently, offered up just one result - an FAQ defining what a tablet is.

While the FAQ itself didn't name check the Lumia 2520, there was clearly something linking the name to the page.

Adding more fuel to the fire is the fact Nokia has now "fixed" the peculiar search result, so if you go and try to generate the same thing you'll be out of luck.

From tablet to phablet

The Lumia 2520 tablet could well be announced at Nokia's Abu Dhabi event on October 22, where we expect to see the Nokia Lumia 1520 - which itself has seen more leaks.

A few new snaps claiming to show the 6-inch, quad-core powered Lumia 1520 in the wild via Chinese site Coolxap.

The leak didn't offer any further details as to the features of the smartphone, nor a Lumia 1520 release date, but TechRadar will be live at the Abu Dhabi event in a couple of weeks to bring you the news as it breaks.

• All the latest on the Nokia Lumia 1520

LG Chem has announced that it now has curved batteries in mass production, which will fit in not only phones but also glasses and watches. The curved design makes them ideal for phones with the curved displays that LG and Samsung are currently working on.

But that's not all. The company has also developed a 'stepped battery', which it's already using to fill extra space in the LG G2. Essentially it adds a little hump, or 'step', to the battery which can fill empty space in the phone and give it a bit more capacity.

Twist and tie

Most exciting of all is its plans for a cable battery, which is exactly how it sounds, a battery in the form of a cable. It can be bent and even tied in a knot and it won't heat up during use. As intriguing as it sounds it's not here yet, as LG states that it will arrive in 'upcoming years'.

When it does arrive it could be a game changer, adaptable enough to fit in almost any device and perfect for flexible devices, such as smart watches, which could benefit from a battery that can bend during use.

Along with LG's curved displays it seems like the company really has a thing for products that bend, but if it means we can eke more life out of our smart devices then they can make a slinky battery for all we care.

• Want to get more out of your current phones battery? Check out these handy tips.

Meet the most expensive smartphone HTC has ever produced; the 18ct, £2,750 (around $4,400, AU$4,700), limited edition Gold HTC One.

If you've got a large wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket and fancy getting your mitts on one of these then you're out of luck as only five actually exist and one of those is already reserved for the winner of Best Newcomer at the MOBO Awards.

We've seen the iPhone 5S and Galaxy S4 turn up in gold hues recently, but HTC has taken things a step further with its gold plated One. We're sure the kids will agree this One is totes #swag. #YOLO.

More blips!

We've got our own limited edition offering here at TechRadar - our awesome (but sadly not gold-plated) blips.

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