James Phang

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LG Wing 5G – Swivel Display Smartphone

LG has announced their new phone that incorporates a swivel mechanism that follows a completely different direction from folding phones. The LG Wing has a front screen that can swivel horizontally and up to reveal a smaller display underneath, this new concept provides more screen real estate that you can use one-handed.

Display

The main display is a 6.8-inch OLED main screen that swivels sideways and up to horizontal orientation at the top of the phone which exposes a small 3.9 inches OLED mini display underneath. The mini display operates like the large display, you can use apps, secondary control in the camera app and dedicated space for a keyboard. The mini display is perfect for texting and light browsing. You don’t need to always swivel the front display to operate the phone, it's up to the user to determine when they want to use the secondary display.

Design

The LG Wing has all the usual features such as an in-screen fingerprint display, USB-C, volume buttons on the right side, and a lock button below it. The phone has expandable storage via microSD on the left side. The phone features a pop-up selfie camera that retracts if it detects that the phone has been dropped. Of course, having two screens means that the overall smartphone will be thicker than typical smartphones. The moving parts required to operate the swivel screen mean that the phone doesn’t have IP dust and water resistance rating.

Cameras

The LG Wing features 3 main rear cameras: 64MP f1.8 camera, 13MP f1.9 ultra-wide lens, and 12MP f2.2 ultra-wide used for video mode in swivel mode. When in use, you can use Gimbal Mode to simulate shooting with a gimbal device. To achieve this, the LG Wing has a Hexa motion sensor that stabilizes shots and allows digital approximation of following a subject and panning the screen. The smartphone features a 32MP camera that popups from the top of the phone, the phone will allow you to flip between the front and rear while recording.

Specification

Internally the LG Wing packs a Snapdragon 765 chipset which enables 5G connectivity, packs 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage which is expandable via microSD. The phone comes equipped with a 4,000MAh battery which powers both the primary and secondary display.

Summary

The LG Wing breaks the mould of a typical smartphone and its LG’s attempt to create a new market which they could be the front runners in. Whether this type of smartphone gains popularity is another question. Companies at the moment are experimenting with new types of displays and smartphone designs hoping that they can be the leaders in a new market. We shall see if the LG Wing will gain popularity but the concept does open up its potentially new ways in which we can use smartphones.

Video: LG Wing hands-on: really flipping fun by The Verge