LG is apparently working on a dual-screen phone with a rotating display

[Humza]

Rumor mill: LG has yet to introduce a proper dual-screen phone built on a single chassis, and if reports from Korea are to be believed, the company is currently experimenting with an interesting dual-screen design that utilizes a swiveling display on top of a secondary smaller screen.

Unlike Samsung and Huawei, LG didn't come up with a folding design for its take on dual-screen smartphones. The company's G8X ThinQ and the more recently announced Velvet use a secondary display attachment that draws CPU and battery power from the main phone.

Despite the rather basic approach, LG's idea is effective and one that avoids all the hardware niggles faced by its competitors' first-gen foldables. Now though, a new report from the Korean Herald reveals that the company is working on a dual-screen device with a 6.8-inch main display that can be rotated sideways to reveal a 4-inch 1:1 secondary screen.

In this position, the T-shaped phone is said to form/spread its wings, hence the 'Wing' codename. LG touts increased content immersion with this form-factor as the user can have a photo app display content on the main screen and editing controls on the secondary or have a video running on top while browsing related info on the smaller screen. It could also benefit mobile gaming by separating content and inputs on the two displays.

What's known in terms of specs is that the phone will reportedly use a mid-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 series chip, support 5G and carry a triple camera setup on the back with a 64MP main shooter.

With its overlaying displays, the LG Wing could end up being nearly as thick as existing foldables. Its price, however, is said to be a much more reasonable KRW 1 million (~$817) when it comes out in the second half of this year.

Image credit: ETNews

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[PurpleYoda]

Let me be the first to say this, what a dumb idea for so many reasons I can’t be even bothered to list them here...

 

[yRaz]

Normally I support weird tech because you don't really know where it will be once it matures. Folding phones are dumb now because they don't work, but we're making progress.

This phone, however, looks like the touchscreen slider phones that fell out of favor around 2010. This is a slightly different take on something that's already failed.

If LG wants to spend money and see where this goes, I'm fine with that. Frankly, I could.be wrong and this could turn out to be industry changing in 10 years. But instead of looking 10 years ahead let's look 10 years in the past where this was essentially universally rejected by the industry.

 

[Tams80]

Let's wait and see, shall we? It could be decent.

Normally I support weird tech because you don't really know where it will be once it matures. Folding phones are dumb now because they don't work, but we're making progress.

I don't think current folding phones are dumb. They all work quite well, and I can certainly speak for the Galaxy Fold, works really well. Are they good value for money? Hell no, but they are not "dumb"; saying that is just plain ignorant.

 

[VitalyT]

Here's the best swiveling device invented so far...

I reckon the LG's one will be every bit as good.

 

[yRaz]

Let's wait and see, shall we? It could be decent.



I don't think current folding phones are dumb. They all work quite well, and I can certainly speak for the Galaxy Fold, works really well. Are they good value for money? Hell no, but they are not "dumb"; saying that is just plain ignorant.

I was generalizing because I'm typing on my phone. When I say dumb I'm referring them being fragile, expensive and limited in their functionality at this point am time. There has been a lot of progress over the last two years and I very much look forward to seeing where folding phones are in two years. It is just my opinion that folding phones aren't currently functional as a daily driver at any price point.

 

[Tams80]

I was generalizing because I'm typing on my phone. When I say dumb I'm referring them being fragile, expensive and limited in their functionality at this point am time. There has been a lot of progress over the last two years and I very much look forward to seeing where folding phones are in two years. It is just my opinion that folding phones aren't currently functional as a daily driver at any price point.

Yet I use my Fold as a daily driver and it's had no problems. It's even taken a few falls (though not onto anything particularly hard). And yes, you do need to be somewhat careful with the folding display, but that's really not hard to do.

 

[p51d007]

Phone manufacturers are OUT of ideas for innovation. When a design, such as the "candy bar" phone is the "perfect" design/form/function...it's hard to improve. So, what they've done instead
of innovation is come up with gimmicks. Colorful colors (which get covered by a protective case),
faster processors (not really needed anymore), brighter/faster displays (not really needed anymore)
more ram (same thing) etc. And with each new model, that small increase in speed, color and style comes with a HIGHER price. The smartphone market, is kind of out of ideas. Now they are coming up with wacky ideas in hopes of sparking interest in these gimmicks. Folding smartphones, won't really work because the screens will be too fragile. This rotating phone will fail also (if released) because the rotating part will fail. Why? Have you seen how people treat these overpriced things? Shoving them into their way too tight pants, sitting on them, dropping them and on and on.
Manufacturers just need to own up to the fact that smartphones have become the "toaster oven" of tech now. Everyone has one and it doesn't matter how fancy you make the color or design, they all still do the same thing.

 

[ShagnWagn]

Phone manufacturers are OUT of ideas for innovation. When a design, such as the "candy bar" phone is the "perfect" design/form/function...it's hard to improve. So, what they've done instead
of innovation is come up with gimmicks. Colorful colors (which get covered by a protective case),
faster processors (not really needed anymore), brighter/faster displays (not really needed anymore)
more ram (same thing) etc. And with each new model, that small increase in speed, color and style comes with a HIGHER price. The smartphone market, is kind of out of ideas. Now they are coming up with wacky ideas in hopes of sparking interest in these gimmicks. Folding smartphones, won't really work because the screens will be too fragile. This rotating phone will fail also (if released) because the rotating part will fail. Why? Have you seen how people treat these overpriced things? Shoving them into their way too tight pants, sitting on them, dropping them and on and on.
Manufacturers just need to own up to the fact that smartphones have become the "toaster oven" of tech now. Everyone has one and it doesn't matter how fancy you make the color or design, they all still do the same thing.

I agree. What I believe they should focus on is making the screen indestructible and bring back the removable battery. Oh, and just maybe... fix bluetooth from having a 1+ second audio delay since it was invented? That's a major facepalm.