LG Wing, Analysis: it is not enough just to be special

It’s 2020, and mobiles are fun again. The LG Wing is a new attempt by the South Korean firm to attract the public’s attention through a concept never seen before in the world of smartphones, which moves away from that of folding mobile phones and takes the format of the double screen.

With the Wing, LG has built on its dual-screen accessory with which it has been accompanying its high-end models for some years now. But this time, the firm has decided to twist it through a sliding mechanism that allows to show or hide the secondary screen of the device with a simple gesture of the wrist.

However, there are many other interesting things about the LG Wing beyond its sliding mechanism, and we have been able to see it for ourselves after spending a little over a week with the device. This is our review of the LG Wing.

• LG Wing datasheet
• The best of the LG Wing
  • Concept
  • Design and display
  • Performance
• The worst of the LG Wing
  • Price/profit ratio
  • software
• So are the cameras of the LG Wing
• LG Wing: opinion
• LG Wing price and where to buy

LG Wing datasheet

The best of the LG Wing

An innovative, different, and fun concept

In that sense, it is worth admiring LG’s work in creating a device that, with its large 6.8-inch main screen surrounded by narrow margins, could easily pass for a conventional smartphone. In fact, it is only slightly larger and heavier than phones like the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Behind the main panel, there is a mechanism that makes the large screen slide smoothly until it meets a hydraulic brake, which keeps the panel fixed in a horizontal position, giving the device its particular cross shape by unveiling a second one—3.9-inch OLED screen located just below.

The mechanism must be said to feel robust enough and does not appear to be damaged by normal use of the device.

We are left wondering whether the small particles that may remain on the surface of the smaller screen or the back of the main panel could damage the glass that covers the secondary screen. During my tests, I have to say that this situation has not occurred.

Something that I did not like so much is the fact that the opening can only be carried out if the device is held in the right hand, or else the screen will collide with our left hand. It will not be possible to “open” the terminal. . Also, due to the size of the phone itself, unfolding the sub-panel with one hand can be a little short of a risky sport, especially if you don’t use a case to protect the device.

Another detail that, despite not being so important, I find it convenient to mention, is that when using the device in the shape of a cross, access to the volume and on/off buttons becomes quite complicated, even more so if we add the fact that, for some reason, the three buttons are the same size.

When apps are optimized for dual-screen operation, performance is usually good enough to clearly appreciate the benefits of having a separate sub-panel – important detail: the two screens are not “connected,” and therefore not It is possible to drag or transfer content from one to the other.

This is the case of apps like YouTube, the LG music player, Telegram, or Google Maps. In the case of the Google video app, we will see how the smaller screen shows a controls screen perfectly adjusted to the size of the panel.

It is worth mentioning, however, that the small size of the secondary panel makes using it not so comfortable or convenient, especially when performing tasks such as browsing the Internet or writing messages.

Excellent build quality, along with a couple of high-quality panels

If I liked the concept of the LG Wing, it is, in large part, thanks to the fantastic build quality of the device.

Its aluminum and glass body feels especially robust and premium, and the sliding mechanism, together with the hydraulic brake, make the Wing look like a solid product and not an experimental version, as was the case with the first folding mobiles.

Just as good are the screens – the main one, by the way, is protected by slightly curved glass. Both panels offer a fantastic result under any circumstance in terms of sharpness, image quality, and brightness levels. Since we are talking about panels based on OLED technology, contrast is one of their great attractions.

On the other hand, I was not so convinced by the position of the fingerprint reader. While the operation is good in terms of speed and reliability, the fact that it is integrated into the screen makes it not entirely comfortable to use when the main screen is in landscape format. A side or rear fingerprint reader would have been a better option for this model.

On the other hand, mention that the two screens maintain a refresh rate of 60 Hz, and therefore we will not enjoy that extra smoothness that we find in the vast majority of similarly priced devices. I am afraid it is one of the tolls to pay if we want to enjoy two screens instead of one.

A performance that does not need a more powerful processor

2020 is the year in which manufacturers want to convince us that not everyone needs to have the most powerful processor in their mobiles. And I’m afraid it’s one of the smartest moves the industry has made in a long time.

Because the Snapdragon 765G of this LG Wing is powerful enough to offer a satisfactory experience to 99% of mortals, using this chip instead of the Snapdragon 865 allows LG to adjust the device’s price a little more. Otherwise, we would probably be talking about a much more expensive mobile.

The operation of the LG Wing is good in any situation: whether when playing heavy games, taking advantage of the double screen making use of multitasking, or making the most of its photographic section. Just some phases of lag can slightly mess up the experience with the phone, although I fear that it is due more to a problem of optimization of the software than to the datasheet of the device as such.

Its autonomy is also good, thanks to a 4,000 mAh capacity battery that allows the device to arrive alive at the end of the day with some juice still to be squeezed for the next day, even after making good use of the double screen.

The worst of the LG Wing

A price/utility ratio difficult to justify

As much as the Wing is a fun and unique mobile, we must not forget that it is a smartphone that costs more than 1,000 euros. And it is necessary to value it as such.

And it is that if it is already difficult to compete in the high-end segment, it is even more so when you do it with a technical sheet more in line with that of mobile of the intermediate segment, which is only supported by a concept that, while being innovative It is still experimental. Most likely, it will not attract everyone in the same way.

Because let’s face it: how many times are you really going to need to use the secondary display? Although the mechanism and the format are worth studying because of how well thought out and worked they are, the reality is that the practical uses in which the second screen of the LG Wing has been useful have been rather few.

That leads me to believe that choosing the Wing over other models with similar specifications but much lower prices, such as the Pixel 5 or the LG Velvet itself, will be very difficult for most of the public.

Software that needs an urgent facelift

I must admit that the last time I used an LG smartphone for more than a week was back in 2014 when I used an LG G2 as a personal smartphone.

And, although the experience has changed, the truth is that the company’s software has been dragging some of the same problems since then. The operation of the LG layer is not as fluid as it should be, and from time to time, we run into the occasional slowdown that can mess up the experience.

In addition, the colors were chosen for the interface – green and orange, mainly – become somewhat strident and are far from the sobriety that most manufacturers have been pursuing over the last few years.

Not to mention how LG has practically copied many of the elements of One UI, the software of Samsung mobiles, such as the layout and format of the settings menu; or how, for some reason, in the middle of 2020, the application drawer is not only not arranged alphabetically, but it is also necessary to reorder it each time a new application is installed or uninstalled. Why?

These are small details that, when added, make the experience with an LG mobile not as pleasant and consistent as it is with other terminals of similar price. In addition, we must not forget that LG is not exactly the brand with the best reputation in terms of support, and I am afraid that not everyone will be willing to spend more than 1,000 euros on a mobile with Android 10, who knows when they receive the update to Android 11.

So are the cameras of the LG Wing

Let’s start with the latter, as it is the one that truly makes the LG Wing stand out from the rest of the models of the same price.

This third sensor can only be used when both Wing screens are unfolded, and the main panel is in landscape format. And is that with it, it is possible to capture video as if the mobile was coupled to a stabilizer or gimbal so that the secondary screen is used for movement and recording controls.

Now: the third sensor is not mobile, and therefore the operation is not the same as that of a gimbal. Actually, it is a software-based function that takes advantage of the wide-angle to cut the scene depending on what part of the image we want to capture in our video.

In this way, the LG Wing offers surprisingly stabilized videos and the feeling of using a handheld stabilizer with an included grip. In this sense, in addition, functions such as a follow-up mode, first-person view mode, or “Pan follow” mode is included, as well as the option of blocking a point of the scene so that it remains within the frame regardless of whether we move the device.

And it must be said that the results are good, at least in terms of utility. The option to control the video parameters through the secondary screen is very useful, and the device’s format makes it much more comfortable to record video by being able to hold it in hand vertically.

But the image quality, unfortunately, is not as good as what the main 64-megapixel sensor can deliver, and only in well-lit environments will decent results be obtained.

Something similar happens with the rest of the cameras: the captures made with the LG Wing are good when the circumstances are good, with vivid colors and a good level of detail. But if the light falls or we face the cameras with complicated scenes, the quality suffers greatly. In addition, LG’s night mode is still far from the main market benchmarks in this regard. Image processing tends to excessively soften human faces when taking portraits, whether they are captured with the main camera or with the sensor to 32-megapixel selfies that, by the way, are hidden inside the phone through a “pop-up” type mechanism capable of appearing and disappearing in just under a second.

LG Wing, opinion and final thoughts from Andro4all

The innovation behind the LG Wing is undeniable, as is how fun its format can be.

Its problem, like the rest of experiments of this type carried out by LG – the modular format of the G5, the secondary screen of the LG V10 and V20, or to a lesser extent the concave panel of the LG G Flex – is that it That innovation brings is not enough to justify the premium that all new technology brings with it, especially if it is as advanced as this one.

That does not mean that LG deserves all our respect for the simple fact of continuing to try to bring something new to a market flooded with clones of traced design and identical technical specifications. After all, it is advances of this kind that move the industry forward.

In any case, as a first attempt, it couldn’t have been better. The concept seems polished, the construction is robust, and everything that surrounds the mechanism – screens, performance, and battery mainly – has nothing to envy other models in the same category. Perhaps a future LG Wing 2, not so big or heavy, with a tighter price and better-optimized software to make the most of its technology, is the model that can really give wings to this format.

Price and where to buy the LG Wing

The new LG terminal can be purchased from November 1 for 1,099 euros.

Those who get it will receive a gift of a 49-inch LG Smart TV with 4K resolution, valued at more than 500 euros.

The LG Wing can be purchased from the brand’s official online store, as well as from authorized operators and distributors.