Last week, LG said that its dual-screened phone will indeed be called the LG Wing. Unlike the dual-screened Surface Duo, which turns two side-by-side displays (each 5.6-inches) into an 8.3-inch tablet-sized screen when fully open, the LG Wing has a main screen that weighs in at 6.8-inches. There is speculation that it is the same panel used on the LG Velvet. That would give it a 1080 x 2460 resolution and an aspect ratio of 20.5:9.
Hidden under the main screen is a 4-inch secondary square display that is hidden behind the larger screen and can swivel at a 90-degree angle compared to the main display. When you pull out the square screen, the main display rotates to landscape and the combination of both screens resembles the letter “T.” This might come in handy if you’re watching a video on YouTube and want to read more information about it on the second screen. So while there are two screens on the LG Wing, in no way is this anything like the Surface Duo. The latter seems to be more useful as a productivity enhancer and to be honest, LG is going to have to do some big-time selling to convince many that shelling out the rumored $1,000 is worth it.
This morning in South Korea, LG released some more information about this strange device. The manufacturer says that it will be the first product to be part of the company’s new mobile category that it calls the Explorer Project. LG says that the goal of these models “is to find new ways to interact with mobile devices, focusing on the evolving and ever-changing needs of today’s consumers and challenging established user norms.” LG adds that “it’s boldest, newest smartphone will deliver a new and different form factor and mobile experience that would be impossible to create with conventional smartphones.”
Frankly, looking at the LG Wing has us thinking once again about that iconic quote uttered in Jurassic Park by actor Jeff Goldblum while portraying Dr. Ian Malcolm. The line, which we’ve adjusted to meet our purpose, goes, “LG was so preoccupied with whether or not it could, they didn’t stop to think if it should.” Right now, one might look at the LG Wing and get the feeling that the company had a number of 6.8-inch displays leftover from LG Velvet production and decided not to waste them.
But we can’t fault LG because as the manufacturer pointed out in its press release on Sunday, the LG Wing is part of a project that looks to push the envelope to see what develops. So no, the LG Wing is not going to be as polished as the Surface Duo. But it might be the first step toward something big that we can’t even conceive of at the moment.
