The Evolution of Smartphone Design: The LG Wing's Innovative Approach

In recent years, smartphones have evolved to become increasingly feature-rich and versatile devices. However, one aspect that has remained relatively stagnant is design. Most smartphones are now rectangular slabs with one straight screen, but some companies like Samsung and Motorola have taken a different approach by incorporating flexible screens into their devices. The LG Wing, however, takes this concept a step further by featuring two screens that can swivel on top of each other.

The LG Wing's design is certainly unique, and at first glance, it may seem overwhelming or even crazy. However, after spending some time with the device, I can assure you that it's not as ridiculous as it seems. The phone itself is a pretty straightforward device, featuring a large 1080p display, wireless charging, and an in-screen fingerprint reader. However, it also has a few notable omissions, including a headphone jack and formal IP rating for water protection.

One of the most striking features of the LG Wing is its size. While it's heavier and thicker than some other phones when folded, it's still bigger than most smartphones. In fact, I would estimate that it's about one-third thicker than you might expect, simply because the top panel is thinner than the bottom. When it comes to durability, LG estimates that the phone can survive up to 200,000 rotations over the course of five years.

The LG Wing's ability to swivel its two screens open is also worth noting. While it may seem gimmicky at first, this feature has some practical benefits. For example, multitasking becomes much easier, as you can watch YouTube while looking up something on the web or have maps open in your car while controlling music. You can even customize the layout of your apps to launch them together quickly.

The new form factor also opens up different experiences for gameplay. While not all games are optimized for two screens, some do take advantage of this feature. However, it's worth noting that holding the phone upside down can be uncomfortable due to its top-heavy design. Additionally, some apps, such as messaging, are only partially optimized for the swivel screen.

One of the most interesting features of the LG Wing is its camera system. The device boasts three rear cameras, including a standard camera and two ultra-wide cameras, one of which features a gimbal. Gimbals are used to stabilize the camera even when you're moving around, and they're commonly seen at conventions and trade shows. When we tried out the LG Wing's camera, footage was super steady even as we were shooting video while walking quickly.

The phone also features a special gimbal mode with extra controls, which allows you to pan and follow your subject as they move. Additionally, using the bottom screen as a grip makes shooting horizontal video much more comfortable. The LG Wing also has a 32 megapixel camera that pops up when in use, keeping the display continuous and uninterrupted.

Powering the phone is a Snapdragon 765G chipset and a 4 ampere hour battery. While this is a pre-production model, it's clear that the LG Wing has decent battery life with mild usage of both screens. In fact, it was able to last a full day without charging in the US. The phone will be available first on Verizon, then T-Mobile, and all on their respective 5G networks. Pricing hasn't been released at the time of this video, but it's likely to be around $1,000 or more.

While the LG Wing may not be for everyone, I appreciate the company's willingness to experiment with design. In an era where smartphones are increasingly identical, it's refreshing to see a device that dares to be different. Whether or not people will pay and give its vision a shot is another question that remains to be seen.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthese days most smartphones are either rectangular slabs with one straight screen or in the case of samsung and motorola they're slabs with flexible screens that open up in the case of the lg wing though it's neither instead it's two screens one that swivels on top of the other yes it's weird yes it's probably going to be expensive but it's not as crazy and useless as you might think this is the lg wing so i have a pre-production model with me and before i swivel it open you can see that the lg wing is a pretty straightforward phone it has a large 1080p display wireless charging and an in-screen fingerprint reader but it's also missing a few things that other lg phones usually have it doesn't have a headphone jack for instance and it doesn't have a formal ip rating for water protection now compared to the galaxy z fold 2 samsung's phone is still heavier and thicker when it's folded but the lg wing is still bigger than most smartphones i'd actually guess that it's about a third thicker not twice as you'd assume only because the top panel is actually thinner than the bottom when it comes time to open it up you got to make sure it's in your right hand because it only rotates one way as a left-hander i was very confused in the first time when i received my unit because i thought mine was stuck but no lg estimates that the phone is durable enough to survive two hundred thousand rotations over the course of five years if you want more protection lg is working on cases but those will undoubtedly add more bulk now while i don't recommend going buck wild and ripping these two displays apart i also didn't feel like i needed to be any more careful with the phone than any other premium phone multitasking is the most obvious benefit like watching youtube while looking up something on the web or you can have maps open in your car while controlling music or you can make plans with a buddy on the phone while checking your calendar for an available time if you find yourself opening the same pairs of apps you can customize it so they'll launch together quickly the new form factor also opens up different experiences for gameplay but not all games accommodate the two screens for now and when you hold it upside down it's top heavy so it did get uncomfortable in my hands having two screens to navigate one app is also interesting with messaging for instance you can view a large part of the conversation while texting but not every app is optimized for instance i'd love to watch a youtube video while reading comments on the screen but i couldn't do it you could also use a bottom screen as a trackpad to navigate the top display and if you just don't want to use the bottom display at all you can just black it out and hold it as a grip the lg has three rear cameras one standard camera and two ultra wide cameras one of which features a gimbal inside that we're using right now gimbals are used to stabilize the camera even as you move around and if you've ever been to a convention or a trade show you'll see a lot of video people walking around with them when we tried it out footage was super steady even as we were shooting video while walking quickly down a lot lg added a special gimbal mode with extra controls as well so you can pan and follow your subject as they move and if nothing else using the bottom screen as a grip made shooting horizontal video way more comfortable on the top edge is a 32 megapixel camera that's inside the phone and pops up when in use we've seen this tech before in the oneplus 7 pro and vivo and opal phones so it keeps the display continuous and uninterrupted powering the phone is a snapdragon 765g chipset and a 4 ampere hour battery since this is a pre-production model it wouldn't make sense to conduct battery tests now but anecdotally the wing has a decent battery life with mild usage of both screens it was able to last a full day without charging in the us the lg wing will be available first on verizon then a t in the fall and t-mobile all on their respective 5g networks pricing hasn't been released at the time of this video but this phone could easily cost a thousand dollars or more the lg wing isn't going to be for everybody and lg knows this its design and its potential price is going to get many people to write it off but i appreciate the company's willingness to experiment especially given the sea of identical phones out there also swivel phones themselves aren't exactly new they were around back when physical keyboards for phones were a thing i think lg thoughtfully applied that design to this current era of smartphones whether or not people are willing to pay and give its vision a shot however is another question that's it for now come back to cnn when we get the full review going and in the meantime check out the rest of our channel for more videos on tech stay safe be well and i'll see you next time\n"