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LG may be working on a phone with a second swivel display

The unique design goes under the codename "Wing".

ET News

LG has just launched its latest mid-range phone, the Velvet, heralding the start of a new descriptive naming strategy for the brand. So what’s next on its agenda? According to reports from South Korea’s Herald Corp and ETNews, the company’s next smartphone could be a phone codenamed “Wing”, so named for the unique appearance the two-screen device takes on when “opened” (which is not totally unlike LG’s then-futuristic V9000, released in 2006).

Two concept images show a phone with two screens atop one another, where the bottom screen is only revealed when the top one has been swivelled horizontally. The top screen looks like your standard 6.8-inch Android offering, while the “sub screen” comprises a four-inch square. The exact purpose of this design is unclear — the images show the sub screen being used as a keyboard, and then again as an extension of the top screen. This T-shape makes traditional screen viewing a little awkward, which suggests the screens are intended to have individual purposes. This sort of layout could lend itself well to streaming, for example.

LG Wing
LG Wing (Herald Corp)

Of course, it’s not clear if these images represent a planned handset or are simply whimsical concept designs — they might amount to nothing. That said, LG has previous when it comes to quirky phone features and the Wing does align with the brand’s ambition to set itself apart from its rivals. However, how the Wing would work out in theory — there will no doubt be multiple hardware and software challenges to overcome, never mind getting app developers on board to support it — remains to be seen.