Sony is taking on LG and Samsung with a curved 4K TV

We already heard that Sony would be hosting its usual press event during IFA early next month, but today we get official confirmation with screenshots of press invites making their way online. As previously reported, the event is scheduled for September 3rd and the invite seems to hint at device announcements for a new smartphone. There are also hints at other devices on the invite, including what looks like the QX lens-camera smartphone attachment that the company first launched at IFA last year. Samsung has also scheduled its IFA press conference for September 3 this year.

Curved TV screens may be an expensive gimmick that provide no overall benefit to picture quality, but that’s not stopping Sony from trying to sell them. The Japanese company will debut its new curved, 4K resolution TVs at the IFA show in Berlin next month. The UK model numbers will be KD-65S9005B (65-inch) and KD-75S9005B (75-inch). Pricing and availability have not been announced. We assume the TVs are also coming to the US, likely with slightly different model numbers. We’ll update this article when we can confirm. Sony’s new curved 4K sets will compete directly against Samsung’s HU9000 line of curved 4K TVs, which sell for $4,300 at 65 inches and a cool $8,000 at 78 inches. The equivalent UK model is theHU8500, which will set you back £4,000 for the 65-inch model and £6,500 for the 78, while in Australia the HU9000 line starts at around AU$5,000. They’re not cheap, is what we’re saying. Sony was actually the first TV maker to sell a curved LCD TV, the 65-inch KDL-65S990A. It launched last year and it’s still available stateside for $2,500. But unlike the new sets, it has “only” 1080p resolution. Initial reports also state that, much like that of the S990A, the curve of the new S9005B is gentler than that of the Samsung TVs, making it even less noticeable. Sony also touts the impact of the curve on sound quality.