While Samsung may be blazing a trail with its flexible, fairly fragile Galaxy Fold at the moment, rival LG is attempting to increase the available screen space in a less challenging way courtesy of the G8X ThinQ.
It may have a somewhat clunky name, but this phone promises to offer all the benefits of a foldable phone without some of the major drawbacks which are making cheap phone insurance essential for early adopters of the Galaxy Fold.
2 Become 1
There is no doubting the unusual design of the G8X ThinQ, which offers 2 screens instead of the usual 1. These displays are mounted side by side, with a solid hinge sitting between them. They operate in tandem, allowing users to do two or more things on each screen simultaneously.
There are some drawbacks to this setup, other than the size and thickness that is inherent in the design. For example, at the moment there is not a huge amount of software support for such hardware, although as foldable phones become more common this is expected to change.
It is worth noting that the G8X is actually available more affordably if buyers choose to steer clear of the secondary display. Furthermore the main device body can be detached from the hinged dock and used independently, which is a nice touch that is simply impossible with the Galaxy Fold.
Gaming Perks
The ability to watch YouTube on one screen while having social media open on the other is a perk, but perhaps the biggest benefit to the LG G8X is that it makes a lot of sense as a portable gaming device.
The reason for this is that the second screen can function as a touch-capable controller, while the main screen is filled with the action. This means that the user’s fingers will not get in the way during play and there are almost infinite input setups available.
This is not necessarily a selling point that will appeal to a huge audience, but then the entire phone feels more like a concept device come to life rather than something that will be a mainstream bestseller.
Affordability
Perhaps the single most important reason that the LG G8X ThinQ has been gaining traction is because it is significantly more affordable than the Galaxy Fold; in some cases costing half as much as its ambitious but potentially flawed competitor.
Samsung itself has yet to prove that there is enough interest in foldable phones to make more cost-conscious versions of the fold and the technology behind them is certainly several years from being as robust as that available on standard flat screen handsets.
That said, LG’s dual display solution is not exactly ideal and for the time being is more of a novelty that will be interesting to gadget lovers until the next big thing comes along. The rest of the market will probably prefer to stay with a standard form factor, protected with the best gadget insurance.