Forward-looking: LG's reputation for creating innovative, if not always successful, smartphones continued with the recent reveal of the LG Wing, but that was only the first product in the Explorer Project series. Following its keynote showing off the rotating-display device, a post-credit scene teased a handset with a slide-out, extending screen.
After months of rumors and leaks, LG finally unveiled the Wing yesterday. It's part of the company's new Explorer Project lineup that aims to "breathe new life into what makes a smartphone."
Following the LG Wing's prerecorded announcement, we caught a glimpse of a different device---a phone with a flexible, extending display. There was also a "hold your breath" catchphrase and the LG Explorer Project logo. Skip past the end credits in the video below to see more.
Rather than being two separate displays, it appears that LG's phone uses a flexible design to extend the screen when pulled out. Leaked photos revealed TCL was working on a similar device earlier this year, albeit one that extends horizontally rather than vertically. It's now a race to see which company's product makes it to market first.
LG has experience when it comes to flexible displays. It showed off the world's first rollable OLED TV at CES 2019 and revealed an updated, improved version at the start of the year. But flexible phones, of course, can present a slew of problems---just ask Samsung.
No word on when we might see this next Explorer Project handset, but with the LG Wing also on the way, it's refreshing to see a company taking risks with stale smartphone designs. Just how successful they prove remains to be seen.