LG's bold phone legacy: Dual screens, rotating bodies, and ergonomics are still missed

South Korean technology company LG sought different answers not only in the hardware race but also in design and usage habits throughout its years in the smartphone market. The company stopped phone production by closing its mobile division in 2021; however, some of the models it left behind still hold a unique place among today's similar-looking devices.

The standout point in LG's legacy was its approach of not shying away from taking risks. Dual-screen accessories, rotating main screen mechanisms, physical buttons moved to the back cover, and the importance given to sound quality showed that the brand followed a different path from mainstream manufacturers at times.

One of the strongest examples of this approach was the LG V60 ThinQ 5G, which hit the market in 2020. The Snapdragon 865 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of storage expandable up to 2 TB with a microSD card placed the device among the powerful flagships of its time. The model, whose 5,000 mAh capacity battery could last through the day under heavy use, also stood out with its 8K video recording and 32-bit Hi-Fi DAC audio chip.

The real element that made the V60 ThinQ 5G different was the optional Dual Screen accessory. At a time when foldable phones had not reached today's maturity, this solution gave users the opportunity to work with two screens without giving up the classic phone form. For this reason, the model is still remembered today as a remarkable idea in terms of multitasking experience.

The LG Wing remained in memory as one of the company's boldest experiments. When the main screen was rotated 90 degrees, a second 3.9-inch panel appeared underneath. Thus, scenarios such as using messaging, social media, or auxiliary controls on the bottom screen while navigation was open on the top screen became possible.

The model could not reach large audiences at the time of its release due to its high price and limited application support specifically for the second screen. However, in today's world where foldable device software and multi-screen usage have matured, the idea behind the LG Wing might have seemed more understandable and useful.

The LG G4, released in 2015, was also one of the models that showed the company's habit of thinking differently. At a time when smartphone screens were starting to grow and accessing side buttons was becoming difficult, LG moved the power and volume buttons to the back cover. This design decision aimed to make it easier to reach the buttons while holding the device.

Coming with a Snapdragon 808 processor, 3 GB of RAM, and a 5.5-inch QHD screen, the LG G4 also offered features like KnockOn, which wakes the device by tapping the screen twice, and Dual Window, which allows running two applications at the same time. Early examples of some usage habits that have become standard today were seen in these LG models.

LG no longer produces smartphones. Despite this, the experimental line the brand revealed with devices like the V60 ThinQ 5G, Wing, and G4 continues to remind us how important different ideas are in the mobile market.