Those who believed that with folding mobile phones they had seen everything were wrong.
If the LG Wing is characterized by something, it is probably a unique design on the market.
At first glance, it looks like a
traditional
smartphone
.
But it is enough to press a little bit with your finger on its front and turn to the right.
The main screen rotates 90 degrees and reveals a second, smaller screen underneath.
The
smartphone
thus adopts a shape reminiscent of the letter
T
and raises multiple questions.
To what extent does this double rotating screen make sense?
For what could it be used?
Will we see more phones with this design on the market or will it go down in history as a bizarre and senseless bet by the South Korean brand?
EL PAÍS has tested this
smartphone
for a few days
, which costs 1,099 euros.
It is a large, heavy mobile with slightly curved edges.
It has a 6.8-inch main screen that is 10.9 millimeters thick and weighs 260 grams.
Therefore, it is most comfortable to handle it with both hands.
Deploying the mobile is quite simple.
It requires little force and can be done with one hand.
LG promises that the terminal holds more than 200,000 spins.
In the tests carried out by this newspaper, the hinge mechanism has resisted well and has not produced any problems.
When unfolding the mobile, a secondary screen is exposed.
It is noticeably smaller.
Maybe too much.
It is 3.9 inches and is almost square.
One of the strengths is that it is possible to use the terminal in the desired orientation.
That is, it can be used with the main screen horizontally and the secondary screen up or down, and also with the main screen vertically and the secondary screen on the left or right.
The two displays can work independently of each other.
For example, in one you can watch a YouTube video or use Google Maps, while in the other you chat on Telegram, check your email, do an Internet search or take notes.
In fact, it is possible to create predefined pairs of apps that are commonly used together to open them simultaneously.
Getting used to using both screens at the same time takes time.
Although it is true that this second screen invites multitasking and facilitates the opening of two apps at the same time, sometimes it remains small and invites, above all, to perform basic actions.
For example, it is especially useful for checking notifications without interrupting the video on the main screen.
At the moment, the South Korean brand does not allow dragging content from one screen to another.
Beyond facilitating multitasking, the usefulness of the dual swivel display is limited.
There are some applications that have been adapted and can be used on both screens at the same time.
For example, in the gallery, the user can use the secondary screen as an editing palette while the video or photo is displayed on the main screen.
The dual screen can also be useful for playing some video games such as Asphalt 9. In this
racing
app
the secondary panel can be used to configure different game settings or show the circuit map.
LG has not specified the specific number of applications that today have been specifically adapted for this terminal.
Motorized front camera and gimbal mode
The use of the front panel is remarkable.
The screen lacks
notch
and holes in the screen because the 32 megapixel front camera is hidden and has a
pop up
mechanism
that unfolds it.
"Bear in mind that pushing or pulling the front camera can damage it," the terminal warns.
On its back, which is easily dirty with fingerprints, it has a large camera module that is reminiscent of other terminals such as the Galaxy Note 20 - although it stands out much less.
In total, it has three rear cameras: a 64 megapixel main sensor and two 12 and 13 megapixel ultra wide-angle sensors.
In general, when there is light, the photos come out quite sharp and with adequate colorimetry.
In low light, a bit of detail is missing, especially when using the magnifying glass.
In relation to video, the terminal incorporates a Gimbal function designed to stabilize videos without the need for accessories.
In this mode, a joystick appears on the secondary screen that the user can move in any direction to change the focus.
The results are pretty good.
The smartphone has a function that makes it possible to make who is also recording the protagonist.
Allows dual recording using the front and rear view of the camera.
In this case, it is possible to save the videos together in a single file or separately.
The LG Wing, which is compatible with 5G networks, has 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage (expandable to up to 2TB with a microSD) and a Snapdragon 765G processor.
In general, the performance of the terminal is good both when using only one app and when using two different ones on both screens.
The battery is 4,000 mAh and has a fast charge.
With normal use, the battery lasts for a day.
Mind you, battery life largely depends on how much rotary mode is used.
Perhaps LG is right with the design of this terminal.
Or maybe not.
It is probably left on a whim relegated to a few
early adopters
.
Is very soon to know it.
But with LG Wing the manufacturer kicks off
Project Explorer
.
It is the new strategic line of mobile phones from the Korean brand that advocates for innovative and avant-garde devices to change the way of understanding technology.
If the LG Wing does not succeed, who knows if with the time of this project the mobile of the future will come out.
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