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Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event was just earlier today at 10AM ET, and although endless leaks undercut the anticipation a bit, there's still reason to be excited. We got our first official glimpse of the new Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3, with plenty of improvements over last year's models. There was some concern that OnePlus would try to one-up Samsung with its own Galaxy-themed teaser, but it turns out that wasn't a problem, the company is just back to dumb and awful marketing, and you can go back to ignoring them.
Phones have gotten boring in the last few years, but things are getting weird again, and thank goodness. I have been doing this long enough to remember the last time phones got weird—I've reviewed phones with spring-loaded keyboards, tablet docks, curved bodies, and all manner of multi-screen configurations. After settling on the flat glass slab form factor, OEMs are finally starting to take more risks. No phone better exemplifies this trend than the LG Wing. While LG has been pushing dual-screen accessories for a while, the Wing is the first modern LG phone that integrates a second screen in the handset. The configuration is, well... it swivels.
Verizon pre-orders for LG's trivially swivel-ly phone begin Thursday
MSRP of $1,000 unless you're upgrading or moving numbers
There isn't a dual-screen smartphone quite like the LG Wing and after weeks of build-up and anticipation, consumers will be able to put down money for this swivel-out, lit-up board-on-a-board starting this week at Verizon. And if the machinery alone isn't enough for you to make a pre-order, the carrier is dealing out some saccharides.
LG confirms 'Wing' name for dual-screen phone, leak shows swivel mechanism in action
2008 called, it wants its form factor back
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We've already seen LG's different-for-the-sake-of-being-different Wing leaked in two videos, but LG has just published a video teaser for the highly unusual phone. It's slated to be unveiled September 14th.
Dual-screen LG Wing gets leaked again, rumored to cost $1,000 in US
The secondary screen swings out when you need to be a multitasking champ
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While much of the smartphone industry looks to folding screens for the future of handset design, LG sure seems to have different tastes. Though LG phones have long had secondary displays in some form, the last few have stepped that up with full-size Dual Screen accessories. Earlier this year we heard about a new effort that would try something else entirely — now a short video of this alleged LG Wing has surfaced, giving us a look at a rotating dual-screen phone that’s unlike anything else out there.
What's a phone? The Surface Duo breaks our definitions
Is this a new category, and do we need to see it as one?
Microsoft's been teasing the Surface Duo for the last year, and it's finally here — well, available for pre-order, anyway. But the entire time we've been talking about it, it's been difficult to pin down what exactly the Surface Duo is. Intuitively, we want to call it a phone. It's kinda phone-sized when folded up, it runs an operating system some phones do, and you can do phone stuff on it. But is it really a phone? Have we reached the Apple "What's a computer?" moment when it comes to phones?
Google is testing a concept dual-touchscreen Chromebook
But ChromeOS isn't even a great experience with one touchscreen yet
Thanks to the way ChromeOS is developed, we often get glimpses of upcoming features and devices through the open-source Chromium code. ChromeOS started out with traditional clamshells, and over the years we've gotten foldables, detachables, and even straight-up tablets. Now it looks like Google is experimenting with a new form factor: a touchscreen Chromebook with dual screens.
For those looking for a more affordable dual-screen smartphone than Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip or Galaxy Fold, LG's G8X ThinQ isn't a bad option. Available in the US through a couple of carriers, the AT&T model of the G8X has just begun receiving its Android 10 update, following in the footsteps of the unlocked version and the Sprint variant.
Verizon LG V60 sale offers the cheapest Snapdragon 865 phone you can get
At least $400 off, could be good as free...
It costs much to own a smartphone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 inside — some would say too much — and it doesn't look as if prices will tide off soon. But if you're hungry for a spec upgrade and are willing to jump hoops for it, you can get an LG V60 with complimentary Dual Screen case for $550 if you start a new line on Verizon and as low as free if you trade in a phone.
LG V60 ThinQ Dual Screen review: Low-key flagship with a smart price
Power, performance, and even a secondary display could have you wondering why anyone would pay over a grand for a phone
LG's got a new design language in the works — a fresh take on its phones that's supposed to usher the company into this decade with a clean look and some updated thinking towards flagship hardware. But before we turn the page to that next chapter, we've still got its first big 2020 launch to check out, the 5G-equipped, Dual Screen, 865-packing LG V60 ThinQ.Granted, that's still a pretty steep bill, but compared to a $1,200 Galaxy S20+ or $1,400 S20 Ultra, the V60 stands out with its "mere" three-digit sticker price. We've seen what OnePlus has been able to do and slide in under that thousand-dollar mark — what about LG? Did LG make any serious sacrifices to give us a $900 phone, or is this one of the better flagship deals around? Let's take a look:
LG V60 supports active pens and so does its Dual Screen display
Two big screens deserve a strong stylus
Not all phones with a stylus are created equal: Samsung's Galaxy Note series support active pens; the recently-launched Moto G Stylus does not. A part of that function is due to their price gap, but you wouldn't think that phones that don't come with complimentary styluses would also have digitized displays. Well, the LG V60 comes with not one, but two small surprises in that aspect.
Microsoft revealed two upcoming dual-screen devices last year: the Android-based Surface Duo, and the larger Surface Neo running Windows 10X. Today the company released a preview SDK for the Surface Duo, so developers can start working on apps that take advantage of both displays.
Every smartphone manufacturer wants to get in on the ground floor of the latest trends, and in 2019 the name of the game is “folding.” After teasing flexible technology at trade shows for years, we're finally seeing the arrival of big-screen phones that bend down the middle for easy storage. But other companies are turning to more old-school tech to accomplish a similar feat, like LG and its dual-screen hardware. After getting started with the V50, LG's back with its follow-up: the G8X with Dual Screen case.
Let's face it, notches aren't necessarily pleasant-looking, but they're a way to maximize the screen-to-body ratio while keeping essential sensors on the front of the phone. Some brands are dodging the issue with motorized cameras, creating gorgeous looking devices that are more fragile and costly.
LG seems really invested in making Dual Screen cases for its phones, expanding the amount of real estate available to smartphone users while bypassing the engineering requirements of a folding phone. There's one for the V50 and one for the sorta all-new G8X that just debuted at IFA 2019. But there's one detail that about that Dual Screen case for the G8X that seems particularly fishy and quite ugly.
A few companies over the years have experimented with adding a rear screen to smartphones, resulting in devices like the Yota Phone. If that sounds like something you might want, the China-based Nubia just announced its own dual-screen phone.
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- A pre-IFA leak suggests that LG may be about to introduce a handset dubbed the V50s. Even if we're not quite moving into V60 territory just yet, this still feels like the device the manufacturer may have been referring to with its latest dual-screen teaser.
A month ahead of the event, LG has just pushed out a teaser video, telling folks to "save the date" on Friday, September 6th during IFA. In the video, LG shows off what looks like a folding, dual-screen device, though it's probably another dual-screen case for an upcoming phone, similar to the one made for the V50 ThinQ 5G. Given the timing and the dual-screen connection, LG is probably going to show off the V60 (ThinQ?) at IFA.
MWC 2019 is full of folding phones, but LG wants you to forget about them and consider the possibility of a dual display setup without all the fuss of a flexible screen. Enter the Dual Screen accessory for the V50 ThinQ 5G. It's a case with a second screen, and it works exactly like you would expect that to do (read: not so convincing).
The history of Android is peppered with the occasional dual-screen phone, but none of them have made an impact beyond shock value. None of those secondary screens have solved a problem well enough to be a success, but Nubia is the latest to try with the Nubia X. This phone has a 6.26-inch LCD on the front with a 93.6% screen-to-body ratio. A smaller OLED display lives on the back of the phone, eliminating the need for a front-facing camera. Yes, this is yet another way to avoid the notch.
ZTE, and its subsidiary Nubia, has a thing for dual-screen phones. After it released the Axon M last year, with two screens that unfolded into a single larger display, the company decided to put one on the front and another on the back. Why is it doing this? We’re not really sure, other than it eliminates the need for a selfie camera. The Nubia Z18S leaked in September, and now we have our first look at specs and confirmation of its October 31st launch date.