LG WING Aurora Gray Android 10.0 Smartphone

Product Information

You can technically open any app on the small screen, though you'll have to deliberately toggle the apps that aren't specced for it in a special menu screen (when swiveled open, swipe up on the app tray and tap the three vertical dots, then tap 'Second Screen apps'). In that same upside-down configuration, LG's keyboard even allows you to swipe outwards for a more ergonomic, split keyboard arrangement. (That said, using the Wing in anything other than the "closed" or "T-shaped" configurations isn't the most comfortable experience.)

LG Wing work in United Kingdom? - Kimovil Will LG Wing work in United Kingdom? - Kimovil

Using the LG Wing 5G effectively boils down to knowing when to swivel. You won't need to open it all the time, as the 6.8-inch main display works just fine for regular tasks, especially while on the go. Yes, you can use it one-handed while swiveled open, but it's cumbersome.While proper foldables and dual-screen phones like the Microsoft Surface Duo have more evenly-distributed displays that more easily run multiple apps (one on each screen, say), you’ll need to use both hands to get the most out of these book-shaped devices. The appeal of the LG Wing 5G is using more screen one-handed. The Wing does have flagship levels of RAM, though, and that's important. The 8GB of RAM is needed to keep all of that multitasking running. The second 12MP 120-degree FoV f/2.2 ultra-wide camera is specifically used for a video mode that uses the swivel functionality. Once you've flipped up the main screen, you can use Gimbal Mode to simulate shooting with a gimbal device, using controls on the mini display to move the camera. While there feels like a lot of image stabilization at play, this feels like the footage is cropped from a larger picture captured by the ultra-wide lens. In other words, the format has a lot of potential; in practice, the one-and-a-half screens take some time to use effectively, because the software isn't quite intuitive yet. LG got the basics down of transitioning between swivel modes, but loading up apps on either screen is convoluted. A successor might make it as easy as swiping an app from one screen to the next, but not the LG Wing 5G.

LG Wing review: An imperfect dual-screen experience LG Wing review: An imperfect dual-screen experience

And while 3.9 inches for the mini-screen seems tiny by today’s standards, it’s only a little smaller in area than the 4-inch display in the iPhone 5 / original iPhone SE. It’s perfectly suitable for texting and light browsing, but more on that below. A bigger problem is that Android's default task-switching system just isn't suited to this form factor. App switching when the Wing is opened out is frustrating and unreliable with gesture navigation. Thankfully, a recent update has made juggling apps between the two displays a little easier — similar to LG's Dual Screen accessory, you can transfer apps between the two panels with a three-fingered swipe. In T-shape, the phone is nicely balanced. Whether I was cradling it along its length or gripping the bottom screen as a handle, it didn't feel like it was about to fall out of my hand. The big screen then defaults to a carousel of apps designed for the dual-screen experience, although you can run pretty much any app on either screen. Look at that Wing swing!

Cameras: a Gimbal Gambol

On the LG V60 with Dual Screen, you could use a multi-finger gesture to semi-reliably swap apps between screens, but there’s no such function on the LG Wing 5G (yet); that kind of fluid exchange is what’s really missing from the Wing. And not just for power users, either: it’s going to require a whole lot of trial-and-error for users to figure out which app combinations work best – and which apps won’t even work on the small screen at all. There are countless fun possibilities here, like having a Google Meet call going on the secondary panel while playing a game on the main screen. LG has even worked with app partners like Gameloft to bring extra functionality to Asphalt 9 when played on the Wing, like a map view while racing. The hinge moves smoothly, and LG says that it's rated for at least 200,000 rotations. It doesn't hold at any location other than zero and 90 degrees; once you push it, it's going to swivel automatically on a spring until it snaps into place.

LG Wing 5G review | TechRadar

There’s other unique applications of the extra screen, like using it as a touchpad while browsing online for precise control. Even better, swivel out while in camera mode and the mini-screen will show simulated gimbal controls for precisely following subjects thanks to image stabilization software. Combine that with the pop-up selfie camera, which allows you to simultaneously record rear and front-facing footage – great for streamers, say.

Performance That Doesn't Really Take Flight

It's been four months since the LG Wing first launched, and in recent months there has been plenty of speculation around the future of LG's mobile division. Recent reports even cast doubt on the future of the promising LG Rollable. As for the Wing itself, the core experience remains much the same as at launch, with the device still running firmware based on Android 10. LG's update roadmap suggests an update to Android 11 might not arrive before the middle of the year, just a few short months before Android 12 is finalized.