The LG Wing showed us what’s possible when companies think outside of the box.
In 2019, innovation was around foldable phones. But in 2020, innovation is around weird phones like the LG Wing. It won our Most Innovative Smartphone of 2020 award this year for being different and of course innovative. Not only for being a new form-factor, but also throwing in some new tech that we had never seen in a smartphone before.
The LG Wing was a smartphone that we didn’t really expect to see in 2020. With the main screen rotating 90-degrees and showing a smaller square-ish display on the bottom. While the main display is in landscape mode. Which, honestly, is weird but also really cool. It’s a lot like a larger (much more expensive) fidget spinner.
The most common reaction to the LG Wing was, “why”. Which most of us that used the phone replied with “Why not?” It’s actually a really cool and unique form-factor that can make some things really useful. For example, watching a YouTube video on the main screen in landscape and then browsing twitter, or sending a text message from the secondary display. Without covering up your video, is a very popular one.
LG also put in a few pretty cool features with the Wing. Like a built-in gimbal. Where most people are using their phones for taking photos, and recording video now, versus a real camera. This is a pretty big deal. And with the Display swiveled into landscape, it makes it easier to shoot in landscape. Using the bottom portion of the phone almost like a handle. For some smooth video capture.
LG thought outside of the box in 2020
In 2020, LG decided to go back to its “weird” way of doing things. Instead of releasing basically cookie-cutter phones like the LG G8X last year. The LG Wing was much different and you could tell LG went with a “think outside the box” approach this year. That may not mean that LG sold millions of these phones, but it did make for a conversational piece, and push the boundaries of the smartphone.
We are all pretty tired of the same old slab smartphones we’ve had for the past (almost a) decade. And the Wing provided us with something different. Something unique. Not just something that was different, just to be different. The LG Wing did have a bit of a bumpy road after it was announced in the second half of 2020, but that is to be expected with first-generation technology. And LG has worked to iron out most of the issues. But we are definitely excited for what LG has planned for the Wing 2.
The fact that LG was willing to step outside of the box and release a pretty impressive device in the Wing, that earned LG our Most Innovative Smartphone of 2020 award.