Update, August 25, 2020 (06:30 PM ET): The article below has been updated with the exclusive leaked video footage we received of the LG Wing in action.
Original article: Pretty much every flagship smartphone released over the past few years could be described very succinctly as a “glass sandwich.” Sure, there are some cool design trends happening and each OEM brings its own flavor to its lines, but they are all very similar. That is decidedly not the case with the LG Wing.
The LG Wing is the codename for an upcoming smartphone that will have a rotating display. This rotation will allow the user to optionally use a landscape-oriented smartphone display with a smaller display underneath. It sounds kooky, but we have substantial evidence to suggest it’s a real consumer product.
We expect the LG Wing to launch at some point in 2020. Here’s everything we know so far about the device! Be sure to bookmark this page so you can stay up-to-date on the latest info.
LG Wing: Name and release date
As far as we know, the LG Wing name is only a codename. It is possible it will launch as the “Wing” commercially, but smartphone companies very rarely use codenames as official names.
LG did significantly change up its naming scheme this year when it launched the LG Velvet. With that in mind, it is possible the LG Wing could end up launching under that moniker. We aren’t ruling anything out yet, but we’d be very surprised if LG didn’t use a different name at launch.
Related: LG Velvet review: Style points
Speaking of the launch, when can we expect to see LG unveil this device? We don’t yet have a solid date, but we have heard rumors saying to expect it in October 2020. That’s a huge launch month for phones (it’s commonly called “Techtober”), so that makes sense to us. Unfortunately, we don’t have anything more specific than that as of now.
Yes, it has a rotating display
If you’re having trouble imagining what a modern smartphone with a rotating display would look like, the leaked video above might help you out. That’s a real LG Wing in its “opened” state. In its closed state, it would likely look like a typical smartphone, albeit much thicker.
When you want to “open” the LG Wing, you would rotate the top-most display in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. This would expose the smaller display underneath.
We’ve actually seen this kind of thing in plenty of other phones over the years. Check out three very old designs below to get an idea of what might be inspiring the LG Wing’s design:
According to ET News, the secondary display that lives underneath the main display of the LG Wing could have a 1:1 aspect ratio. The main display might be 6.8 inches, which would obviously make the phone pretty big. It also would likely be pretty heavy due to the multiple displays and hinge mechanism.
LG Wing: Specs and features
According to ET News, the LG Wing could be equipped with the same processor found in the LG Velvet, which is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765. This would make the Wing a 5G-ready phone but would prevent it from having the speed of a flagship running the high-end Snapdragon 865. It’s also possible it could come with the Snapdragon 765G, a gaming-centric version of the SD765.
Other than that info, though, we don’t know much else about the LG Wing’s specs. It’s difficult to even make many assumptions about it because it appears to be so unique. For example, how big of a battery could LG fit in a phone with this kind of design? We assume the hinge mechanism would take up some considerable space, so what would LG need to sacrifice to fit it in?
The LG Wing might have a Snapdragon 765G, making it 5G-capable.
The video in the previous section makes the leading feature of this device pretty clear, though. In the video, the user has a maps apps navigating on the large main screen and then takes a phone call using the smaller 1:1 display. It’s very likely that LG has many use cases similar to this at the ready for the LG Wing. For example, maybe you could have a YouTube video playing on the main display while you compose a tweet on the secondary screen.
Since the features of the LG Wing will probably be incredibly unique, it’s hard to speculate much on specs for now. Rest assured, though, that we should find out more on this front very soon.
Price and availability
Unfortunately, there’s not much to go on yet for pricing and availability of the LG Wing. Since we have info suggesting that the phone could launch in October 2020, it’s possible it will land in stores in time for the holiday shopping season, as that’s the primary reason so many phones and tech products launch in October.
However, it’s also possible LG will only unveil the Wing in October and then release it sometime later, possibly even in 2021.
As far as pricing goes, this product is so unlike other smartphones on the market that it’s impossible to even guess. It’s not a foldable phone so we hope it won’t be priced in the range of prominent folding phones, such as the $1,400 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. However, its unique rotating feature as well as its novelty might drive the price way up, so $1,400 (or more) shouldn’t be written off, either.
Keep this page bookmarked for all the latest rumors related to the LG Wing!
