LG Wing takes flight, extending display real estate with second screen

Sometimes, one touch display on a smartphone just doesn't seem enough. LG has recognized this and announced the Wing, where the main screen swivels on a hinge to reveal a half-size second one.

We've known it was coming for a short while, after the customary leaks and rumors, but today LG officially launched its first device under the Explorer Project banner, which aims "to discover yet unexplored usability concepts in an effort to expand the mobile industry."

In Basic Mode, the Wing smartphone looks pretty much like any other bezel-hating, modern device. But thanks to a dual hinge mechanism, a user can twist the main display by 90 degrees to reveal a second screen below. The smartphone then takes on a T-shaped look where the 6.8-inch, FHD+ (2,460 x 1,080) P-OLED main screen can be used in portrait or landscape orientation, with a 3.9-inch (1,240 x 1,080) G-OLED panel underneath or out to the side, respectively.

The two screens can show a single application, or two apps can be displayed simultaneously, one on each panel. So, for example, you could be watching a movie or video on the main screen in landscape view while keeping an eye on your Twitter feed or chat app with the other. Or you could have a mapping app running on the big screen in portrait view, with the second serving as a communication hub.

LG has undertaken some collaborations to improve the user experience, with examples including partnerships with the Rave and Ficto streaming platforms so that users can watch content on the main screen while chatting to other viewers using the second display. If watching a YouTube or Tubi video using the preinstalled Naver Whale browser, the second screen will show comments. And the secondary display can serve as a media controller for other optimized platform apps.

To maximize main panel real estate, LG has installed a 32-MP pop-up camera for selfies and video conferencing, while a three camera array comprising 64-MP wide-angle with optical image stabilization, a 12-MP ultra-wide "big pixel" and a 13-MP wide modules sits around back. The pop-up selfiecam and one of the phone's rear cameras can be used simultaneously and the images saved as a single file or as two separate files in 1:1 or 16:9 aspects.

For run-and-gun video makers, the second display can serve as a grip to improve one-handed stability. Gimbal-like features have also been included, such as a joystick for camera angle control, a follow mode for smooth videos on the move, and a first person view mode.

Despite hosting a nifty second screen, the Wing measures 169.5 x 74.5 x 10.9 mm, and features a Snapdragon 765G 5G mobile chipset, which includes an application processor and a 5G modem, there's 8 GB of RAM and 128 or 256 GB of storage, with microSD expansion, and a 4,000-mAh battery. It runs Android 10.0, includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.1, is IP54 water- and dust-resistant, supports wireless charging, and comes in dark gray or light blue.

LG will release the phone in South Korea from next month, followed by the US and Europe. Pricing has not been revealed.

Source: LG