LG has unveiled its new premium smartphone, the LG Wing. The first model in its Explorer project to develop new form factors, the Wing screen can swivel out from the body to reveal a second screen below. The double screens are expected to support new forms of mobile productivity and entertainment.
In Basic Mode, the LG Wing looks and acts like a typical smartphone. To transform into Swivel Mode, the entire front of the phone rotates clockwise 90 degrees to reveal a 3.9-inch second screen. In Swivel Mode, certain apps can be expanded to both screens or two apps can be displayed simultaneously – one on each display. LG said switching between the two modes is "virtually seamless" and offers users "the flexibility of more screen real estate when you want it".
The main screen is a 6.8-inch OLED FullVision edge-to-edge display with 20.5:9 aspect ratio. The second screen is a 3.9-inch OLED with software optimizations to maximize its size. For video apps, the second screen acts as a media controller, allowing users to change video and sound settings.
LG said the phone is still lightweight, at 260 grams, and has the appearance of a premium smartphone. It features a hydraulic damper to reduce stress on the screen rotation mechanism and thermoplastic polyoxymethylene on the back of the main screen for smoother swiveling and to prevent scratches on the second screen. The hinge mechanism has been tested to withstand over 200,000 swivels, which averages out to about 100 motions every day for five years.
Other premium features include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor with gaming features and the X52 5G modem, a 4,000 mAh battery, 8 GB RAM and 256 GB of storage. The Wing comes with a triple back camera, including a 64MP main sensor, 12MP ultra wide, big pixel lens and 13MP ultra wide sensor, as well as a Gimbal Motion Camera to turn the second screen into a grip for shooting video. The latter supports features such as a joystick function for controlling the camera angle, a lock mode to reduce shakes and blurring, a follow mode for smoother videos when moving, pan follow for horizontal movement with minimal up and down shake, and first person view mode for capturing rhythmic and dynamic movements.
The LG Wing will initially launch in South Korea next month, to be followed by key markets in North America and Europe. In the US, the phone will launch first with Verizon and then T-Mobile and other carriers such as AT&T.
