Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 set to face off against this RADICAL new contender

The LG Wing is coming to turn the folding phone landscape upside down with its newly-announced price tag

LG Wing
(Image credit: LG)

The LG Wing may be something of a curiosity due to its radical new form factor, but it's also a serious contender in the folding phone realm – especially now that we know how much it costs. 

LG's ambitious swivelling phone will cost a full $1000 less than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 2, coming in at just $999. For comparison, Samsung’s latest folding device costs a whopping$1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,999. 

The LG Wing will be available with US mobile operator Verizon from October 15, and preorders are available right now. While $999 is still a lot for a smartphone, even if it does gamble on an inventive new format, it's also undercutting other foldable phones by at least half the price, which may end up helping the LG Wing dominate the market. 

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 2 is an impressive foldable phone by several accounts, and Samsung's third foldable smartphone overall. Its screen size rivals devices like Microsoft's Surface Duo and Samsung's own Galaxy Fold, but it retains the same form and shape of most foldable devices on the market.

The LG Wing, on the other hand, chooses to defy convention in almost every single way; it features a 6.8-inch display that can swivel up and around to the top of the phone, revealing a second 3.9-inch panel underneath. It accomplishes this unique T-shaped arrangement by way of a special hinge.

Flipping the phone is similar to the type of unfolding that accompanies the classic T-Mobile Sidekick, and it's just as easy to slide the top display back down so the phone resembles a typical candy bar model again.

In the aptly-named Swivel Mode, the LG Wing offers a new way for users to engage with their device. The main screen is perfect for watching video content of navgating menus, while the smaller, vertical portion can handle all of your menial tasks, like reading comments or scrolling through texts. 

The bottom panel also functions as a handy grip to hold the handset while you focus your attention on the main panel – in fact, there's even a dedicated Grip Lock mode specifically geared to facilitate this.  

There's also an impressive array of cameras: the pop-up 32MP selfie camera eliminates the need for notches or holes, while the main set of cameras is actually a triple threat (64MP f/1.8 wide, 13MP f/1.9 ultra-wide, 12MP f/2.2), and both front and back-facing cameras can be employed for dual recording.

As far as internals go, the phone features the Snapdragon 765G 5G processor, 8GB RAM, and either 128GB or 256GB storage options.

The LG Wing is currently only available to pre-order in the US, but its $999 price tag translates to around £770/ AU$1,390 – although regional pricing is never as simple as this, but expect it to be in the general ballpark. 

The radical new smartphone is set to go toe to toe with the current foldable phones on the market, offering a more affordable option with a design that's just as unique as the Galaxy Z Fold 2. 

If you're in the market for smartphone that isn't going to set you back $1,000, don't forget to check out T3's round-up of Amazon Prime Day deals. 

Source: TechRadar