LG Wing Smartphone Review - An ingenious dual-screen concept?
With the LG Wing, the Korean manufacturer introduces a new format into the smartphone segment. In contrast to flip phones or foldable smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 or Microsoft Surface Duo, the LG Wing allows you to miraculously produce a secondary 3.9-inch G-OLED display below the 6.8-inch P-OLED main screen. This is supposed to make the LG Wing suitable for optimal multitasking operation.
In this country (Germany), only a single version of the heavy 262 gram (~9.2 oz) dual-screen smartphone that includes 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of expandable storage is available at a suggested retail price of 1099 Euros (~$1334; $999 in the US).
Possible Competitors in Our Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82.6 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2021 | LG Wing SD 765G, Adreno 620 | 260 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.80" | 2460x1080 | |
| 82.5 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2020 | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip SD 855+, Adreno 640 | 183 g | 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.70" | 2636x1080 | |
| 87.6 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2020 | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G SD 865+ (Plus), Adreno 650 | 279 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 7.60" | 2208x1768 | |
| 88.3 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra SD 865, Adreno 650 | 223 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2340x1080 | |
| 88.5 % v7 (old) | 04 / 2020 | OnePlus 8 Pro SD 865, Adreno 650 | 199 g | 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.78" | 3168x1440 | |
| 85 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2020 | LG Velvet SD 765G, Adreno 620 | 180 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.80" | 2460x1080 |
Case - LG smartphone without a notch
In the LG Wing, there is neither a notch nor a punch hole marring the view of the display, but instead a pop-up selfie cam slides up automatically on top of the case. However, the bezels around the 6.8-inch OLED panel still turned out slightly too large for this price class, resulting in a display-to-surface ratio of "only" 87%.
By sliding the main display to the side, a second, square OLED panel will appear underneath. After that, users of the dual-display smartphone will see a T-shaped display configuration. Of course, you can also use the LG Wing in portrait format with the secondary display positioned on the side.
The workmanship of the case is at a very attractive level and the gap clearances are even. However, in its opened state, the main display of our test unit can be wiggled slightly, but this might be normal considering the movable parts. According to LG, the rotating hinge, which is equipped with a sturdy, double guiding structure, is supposed to be very robust and able to withstand more than 200000 rotating movements.
The case of the LG Wing is IP54 certified and also passed the nine tests of the MIL-STD 810G military standard, which is supposed to protect the dual-display smartphone against drops and extreme temperature changes. In addition, according to LG it also implemented a dust protection technology that is supposed to prevent the secondary display from getting scratched by the rotating movements.
Equipment - LG smartphone storage can be expanded by 2 TB
The LG smartphone is charged using a USB Type-C connection at the bottom of the case, which only supports the USB-2.0 standard 2.0 and recognizes peripheral devices via OTG adapter. In the state of delivery, only 95 GB of the 128 GB internal UFS storage are still available to the user. However, the storage can be expanded by up to 2 TB (theoretically) using the microSD slot, but at this point microSD cards are only available up to 1 TB.
Video contents from streaming services can be viewed in HD quality on the LG Wing, since the Widevine DRM Level is specified as L1.
Software - LG Wing with Android 10
Google's Android version 10 is preinstalled on the LG Wing and expanded by the manufacturer's own user interface. According to some reports, Android 11 is supposed to come later. At the time of our testing, the security updates are on the level of September 2020.
There are two main usage scenarios to use the second display in sensible ways. Either you can move the navigation elements of an app to the additional 3.9-inch display, such as with YouTube, for example, or you can look at two different apps in parallel. You can easily create the corresponding app groups. This will allow for some very comfortable multitasking with the LG Wing, such as chatting and watching videos, or some navigation and controlling music in parallel.
Some third-party apps are preinstalled on the LG Wing, among them also some games that cannot be uninstalled.
Communication and GPS - LG smartphone with WiFi 5
In terms of the communication modules, as in the Velvet before, LG uses a Qualcomm SDX52 modem supporting the new 5G standard, as well as Bluetooth version 5.1. There is also an NFC chip for near-field communication including Google Pay onboard. As for LTE, the LG Wing covers all the frequencies relevant for Germany, including the LTE band 28.
Within the WLAN network at home, the LG smartphone delivers satisfactory and also relatively constant transfer rates with WiFi 5 and multi-user MIMO. In combination with our Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router, the dual-display smartphone achieves maximum values of about 650 Mbit/s, which is not very high for a smartphone of this price class, though.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G | |
| LG Wing | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra | |
| LG Velvet | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G | |
| LG Velvet | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip | |
| LG Wing | |
In order to evaluate the locating accuracy our test unit in practice, we record a route in parallel with the Garmin Edge 520 bicycle computer for comparison. The measured discrepancies of the GPS module are very low at about 10 meters (~33 ft). The locating via the GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, SBAS and BeiDou satellite systems also occurs fast and with an accuracy of 3 meters (~10 ft).
Telephone Functions and Voice Quality - LG Wing with VoLTE
The dual-SIM smartphone supports VoLTE and calls using the WLAN at home are also allowed (WiFi calling).
The voice quality is inconspicuous in the LG Wing. Video calls via Skype using the built-in pop-up camera also work without any problems during our test. The voice quality using the built-in speaker is good, and the built-in microphone also conveys our voices easily understandable to our conversation partners.
Cameras - LG smartphone with triple-camera system
While the 32-MP pop-up camera delivers solid results, the LG Wing already starts to blur selfies in indoor light conditions, and some details are lost in slight blurriness.
The LG Wing presents a triple-camera setup in the back, which offers a "Gimbal" mode as a special feature, without having a gimbal camera system such as the Vivo X50 Pro, for example.
The Korean manufacturer does not reveal any technical details, but the special 12-MP gimbal motion camera is supposed to enable particularly stabilized 1080p video recordings via dual-compass, dual-acceleration, and dual-gyroscope sensors. The main display does not have to be moved, since the secondary display functions as the control element here. In the test, recordings in the Gimbal mode convince with good stabilization. However, the camera needs a lot of light to produce acceptable videos.
The 64-MP main sensor also records the objects fairly dark and the dynamic could also turn out better. On the other had, the color reproduction and amount of detail in the photos are at a good level, while the sharpness is unable to keep up with the best camera smartphones on the market. The same goes for the wide-angle camera that reproduces attractive colors. You have to make some compromises in terms of the brightness, dynamic, and basic sharpness.
The LG Wing records videos at most in UHD quality at up to 60 fps. It is possible to change between the camera lenses during the recording.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
HautpkameraHautpkameraLow LightWeitwinkel
Accessories and Warranty - LG smartphone with a case
The box of the LG Wing includes a modular 25-Watt charger, a USB cable, and a protective case.
The warranty is 24 months starting from the date of purchase.
Input Devices and Operation - LG Wing with an in-display fingerprint sensor
Inputs on the 6.8-inch display are registered accurately and quickly up to the corners of the the touchscreen. The LG Wing possesses a relatively reliable fingerprint sensor, which is placed below the OLED panel. However, the speed is not very high. There is no biometric identification via face recognition.
Display - LG Wing with P-OLED
The P-OLED FullVision display offers a refresh rate of 60 Hz and resolution of 2460 x 1080 pixels, achieving a pixel density of about 400 ppi. The maximum brightness is very good, but could have been even higher considering the price point of the dual-screen smartphone.
In automatic mode with the brightness sensor activated, we measure a maximum of 681 cd/m² with a pure white background. In the more realistic APL50 measurement, which simulates an even distribution of bright and dark areas on the panel, the brightness is also very good at 865 cd/m².
The 3.9-inch G-OLED secondary display is visibly less bright, and we measure a brightness of 508 cd/m². As typical for OLED screens, LG uses PWM for brightness control, and the frequency in the Wing model is quite low at 200 Hz.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 96 %
Center on Battery: 677 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.03 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 2.5 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
94.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.014
| LG Wing P-OLED, 2460x1080, 6.8" | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Dynamic AMOLED, 2636x1080, 6.7" | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G AMOLED, 2208x1768, 7.6" | Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra OLED, 2340x1080, 6.7" | OnePlus 8 Pro AMOLED, 3168x1440, 6.8" | LG Velvet P-OLED, 2460x1080, 6.8" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 10% | 16% | 40% | 42% | 7% | |
| Brightness middle | 677 | 705 4% | 637 -6% | 779 15% | 796 18% | 586 -13% |
| Brightness | 681 | 709 4% | 635 -7% | 779 14% | 779 14% | 587 -14% |
| Brightness Distribution | 96 | 97 1% | 96 0% | 96 0% | 94 -2% | 97 1% |
| Black Level * | ||||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.03 | 3.1 23% | 2.25 44% | 0.8 80% | 0.68 83% | 2.8 31% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.52 | 5.4 37% | 4.12 52% | 1.4 84% | 1.55 82% | 6.3 26% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.5 | 2.7 -8% | 2.2 12% | 1.4 44% | 1.1 56% | 2.3 8% |
| Gamma | 2.014 109% | 2.11 104% | 2.17 101% | 2.25 98% | 2.237 98% | 2.01 109% |
| CCT | 6814 95% | 6264 104% | 6689 97% | 6250 104% | 6310 103% | 6827 95% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 200 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 200 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 200 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
In addition to a pronounced contrast, the LG Wing offers a good color space coverage and attractive calibration. The analysis of the photo spectrometer and CalMAN software results in slightly high, but still satisfactory Delta-E deviations of 4 (colors) and 2.5 (Grayscale) on average compared to the sRGB color space (Profile: Natural).
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 3 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 3 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 15 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 10 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 5 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 20 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Due to the high brightness and very good contrast, the main display of the LG Wing can be used without any problems outdoors, but you have to make some smaller compromises in the secondary display.
The viewing angle stability of the OLED panel is at an attractive level.
Performance - LG smartphone with a Snapdragon 765G
Despite the suggested retail price of more than 1000 Euros (~$1214), the LG Wing is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G. The chipset of the US manufacturer integrates a fast Prime core with a top clock speed of 2.4 GHz and a Gold core at 2.2 GHz. Both those cores are Cortex-A76 cores, while the six remaining Cortex-A55 cores have a clock speed of 1.8 GHz. The Adreno 620 integrated into the Snapdragon 765G forms the graphics subsystem.
In everyday operation, the midrange processor and built-in 8 GB of RAM ensure a convincing system performance. Due to the UFS storage, the load times of apps are short and animations are fairly smooth. However, the Wing still shows some small performance drops from time to time, so that even a change of the start screen will produce a short stutter.
In our benchmark measurements, the LG Wing achieves very similar values to the LG Velvet, which is also based on the Snapdragon 765G. Considering the price class, the performance capabilities of the LG Wing turn out low.
| AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| LG Wing | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro | |
| LG Velvet | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (285731 - 332305, n=14) | |
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 387, n=164, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G (Chrome 85) | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip (Chrome 80) | |
| LG Wing (Chrome 87) | |
| LG Velvet (Chrome 83) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (15.8 - 60.5, n=12) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra (Mi Browser V12) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38 - 347, n=79, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra (Mi Browser V12) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G (Chrome 85) | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip (Chrome 80) | |
| LG Wing (Chrome 87) | |
| LG Velvet (Chrome 83) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (20 - 101, n=13) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=204, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G (Chrome 85) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra (Mi Browser V12) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip (Chrome 80) | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| LG Wing (Chrome 87) | |
| LG Velvet (Chrome 83) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (3592 - 19143, n=14) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (2359 - 15230, n=14) | |
| LG Velvet (Chrome 83) | |
| LG Wing (Chrome 87) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra (Mi Browser V12) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip (Chrome 80) | |
| OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G (Chrome 85) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=163, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
| LG Wing | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G | Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra | OnePlus 8 Pro | LG Velvet | Average 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 36% | 64% | 59% | 53% | -5% | -13% | 131% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 961 | 1443 50% | 1681 75% | 1674 74% | 1627 69% | 925 -4% | 760 ? -21% | 1867 ? 94% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 472.3 | 523 11% | 757 60% | 740 57% | 730 55% | 409.2 -13% | 297 ? -37% | 1451 ? 207% |
| Random Read 4KB | 146.3 | 184.5 26% | 232.1 59% | 209.9 43% | 208.3 42% | 154.3 5% | 152.9 ? 5% | 279 ? 91% |
| Random Write 4KB | 135 | 212.9 58% | 220.6 63% | 219.5 63% | 197.7 46% | 135.9 1% | 131.6 ? -3% | 311 ? 130% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 87 ? | 77.8 ? -11% | 76 ? -13% | |||||
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 66.3 ? | 60.3 ? -9% | 59.6 ? -10% |
Games - LG Wing with an Adreno GPU
The graphics power of the Adreno 620 is sufficient even for demanding 3D games from the Android Play Store. "PUBG Mobile" and "Asphalt 9" are reproduced mostly smoothly at high details, but there are still some visible drops in the frame rate from time to time.
Emissions - LG smartphone with low heat development
Temperature
While the heat development of the case is uneven, it is not very pronounced and unproblematic in everyday operation.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37.5 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.4 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.9 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The LG Wing has only a single speaker, which is rare at this point in this price class. With a maximum volume of 81 dB, the speaker is not very loud, but our measurements show a fairly linear frequency reproduction for the mids in the dual-screen smartphone, and there is also only a slight drop in the high frequencies. Bass is not present in the sound spectrum.
LG Wing audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 65.5% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 65.5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 65.5% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (116.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 86% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 8% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 96% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 2% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 11% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 31% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery Life - LG Wing with a good battery life
Power Consumption
The battery of the LG Wing offers a 4000-mAh capacity and can be recharged within 2 hours via Quick Charge 4.0+ using the included 25-Watt charger. The smartphone can also be charged wirelessly at up to 12 watts.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle |  1.1 / 1.5 / 2.1 Watt |
| Load |
6.3 / 10.3 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| LG Wing 4000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3300 mAh | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra 4500 mAh | OnePlus 8 Pro 4510 mAh | LG Velvet 4300 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 36% | -15% | 14% | -54% | 31% | 13% | 9% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.1 | 0.59 46% | 1 9% | 0.82 25% | 2.2 -100% | 0.66 40% | 0.965 ? 12% | 0.885 ? 20% |
| Idle Average * | 1.5 | 0.88 41% | 2.1 -40% | 1.67 -11% | 3.3 -120% | 1.58 -5% | 1.899 ? -27% | 1.451 ? 3% |
| Idle Maximum * | 2.1 | 0.95 55% | 2.8 -33% | 1.69 20% | 3.7 -76% | 1.6 24% | 2.07 ? 1% | 1.608 ? 23% |
| Load Average * | 6.3 | 4.97 21% | 6.8 -8% | 4.33 31% | 5.9 6% | 3.3 48% | 3.98 ? 37% | 6.55 ? -4% |
| Load Maximum * | 10.3 | 8.37 19% | 10.5 -2% | 9.72 6% | 8.3 19% | 5.46 47% | 6.19 ? 40% | 9.92 ? 4% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
In our WLAN test with the display brightness adjusted to 150 cd/m², the battery of the LG Wing lasts for almost 12 hours. If you use the LG smartphone in dual-screen mode, the displays turn off after 571 minutes.
| LG Wing 4000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3300 mAh | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra 4500 mAh | OnePlus 8 Pro 4510 mAh | LG Velvet 4300 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | ||||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 701 | 647 -8% | 736 5% | 729 4% | 923 32% | 741 6% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict on the LG Wing - The individualist in 2020
The LG Wing is a midrange smartphone at a price point of a high-end smartphone. For this, the dual-display smartphone offers a very special concept that is unique at this point. Those who have only little use for this should better choose another smartphone.
If you disregard the hidden secondary display, the LG Wing does not offer any more than an LG Velvet (suggested retail price: 599 Euros, ~$727), which corresponds to the higher midrange. The latter also represents an interesting alternative to the LG Wing, since a Velvet also offers the option of a dual-screen mode in the Galaxy Fold style if you use it with the corresponding case - but at a considerably cheaper purchase price.
The benefit of LG's dual-screen completely hinges on the software. At this point, only few apps or games are adjusted for the secondary screen, so that at times its additional value can turn out low in your favorite apps.
Price and Availability
The LG Wing is currently available at a price of about 950 to 1100 Euros (~$1153 - 1335; $999 - $1050 in the US from Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile).
LG Wing
- 08/31/2022 v7 (old)
Marcus Herbrich
Price comparison
