Revisiting LG G8x ThinQ Dual Screen: Did LG get it right the first time?

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Android manufactures are trying to reshape the Android experience with dual or foldable screens, particularly to make our phones more suitable to handle hardcore productivity and creativity needs.

There are many different implementations of the dual-screen or foldable concept but the ball is already set rolling and as manufacturers gain a better understanding of what consumers are actually doing with more displays, we will finally see such displays evolve and become a lot more useful.

The jury is still out on the best dual-screen implementations and even as we write this, LG, never the one to shy away from bold experiments,  has showcased a crazy swivel screen phone –  ‘Wing’ – that’s wilder than anything we have seen till date.

Yet, we are left wondering if the South-Korean company got it right the very first time with the LG G8x ThinQ

First off – A great price

LG G8x ThinQ comes with a detachable screen cover that connects via USB Type-C port. The best part is that this kind of implementation is relatively inexpensive.

While all other dual-screen phones and Foldables cost more than a lakh, the LG G8x ThinQ launched in India at INR 49,990, and the price was later hiked to 53,990 to adjust the increased GST.

In the upcoming Flipkart Big Saving Days sale, LG G8x ThinQ will be available for just Rs. 39,990 and that’s a great price if you are remotely interested in dual screen multi-tasking. 

But it’s not just the price, there is a lot more to like about the LG G8x ThinQ’s foldable dual-screen display.

2 > 1-Foldable > 1

We sincerely believe that having two separate screens is a lot more productive and makes multitasking a lot more effective than splitting a bigger (foldable) display in two. 

On the LG G8 ThinQ, you can open two different apps on both screens and multi-task like a boss. I frequently deal with multiple apps on my phone, and after being used to the convenience of two different screens, it’s hard to go back.

Some of our frequent use cases involve opening one chrome tab on each screen, taking notes while watching a video or reading a book, opening internal links on the separate screen, comparing product features across two different eCommerce stores, googling facts after drafting but before publishing an impulsive tweet, checking real-time stock prices while reading financial news, and, of course, texting while watching a video.

These are things better accomplished using two separate screens. You can easily copy from one screen and paste on the other and move between apps more frictionlessly. 

LG bakes in several other useful dual-screen features in order to make the most of the additional display. These include the use of the primary display as a gamepad (which is surprisingly effective), viewing bigger previews of images on the secondary screen while scrolling through images in the gallery app, or using the additional display as an adjustable color temperature selfie flash.

There are also a few gimmicks like using the entire display as a keyboard, wide-view in the browser, or even the rotatable camera viewfinder.

That 360-degree hinge

A lot about the foldable experience literally anchors on the hinge quality. And thankfully, the hinge on the LG G8x ThingQ is flexible and sturdy. You can thus mount your phone at different angles, and this is again super useful on our work desk.

And on days you want to carry a slimmer phone or dial back to a regular one screen experience, you can simply detach the cover and unburden yourself to a conventional flagship-grade phone. LG considerately bundled a soft TPU case in the box that you can use while using the phone without the dual-screen attachment.

Moving forward…

A lot has changed since LG introduced the G8x ThinQ late last year. We now have a relatively better perspective of where the foldable game is heading and in the new context, the G8x ThinQ feels a lot more appealing.

Moving forward we’d like LG to further polish this dual experience. You can PIN one app to automatically open on one display but implementations like App pair would be helpful.

LG has its own apps and some google apps optimized to make better use of two screens but optimizations with social media apps like Instagram, the kind that Microsoft advertises for its dual-screen Surface Duo,  would be great to have.

Google is already encouraging developers to make apps for Foldables with different folding patterns and once support for two screens is natively backed into the Android OS and developers are on board, LG’s implementation could be the most pragmatic one – especially because it can be executed without bloating the price off the ceiling.

Initially l had that urge to pack away the extra display and go for the familiar one screen phone that we are so used to. But I ventured outside that comfort bubble, I got hooked really fast.

The LG G8x ThinQ is as is a very recommendable dual-screen phone for people who do a lot on their phones. That might not be a very wide demographic, but it’s at least worth checking out at its offer price of Rs. 39,990 (Rs. 15,000 off) in the next Flipkart sale that starts on April 18.

LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen Specs

Model LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen
Display 6.4-inch (2340 x 1080 pixels) 19.5:9 FHD+ FullVision OLED , In-display fingerprint sensor
Processor Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 7nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 640 GPU
RAM + Internal Storage 6GB LPDDR4x RAM, 128GB storage
Expandable Memory Expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD
Software Android 10 (after update)
Selfie Camera 32 MP (f/1.9 aperture)
Rear Camera 12 MP(f/1.8 aperture) + 13 MP (f/2.4 aperture) ultrawide lens
Battery 4000mAh with 21W Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
SIM Dual SIM (nano+nano) Dual-Standby (4G+4G)
Connectivity 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 5 LE, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C 2.0 (3.1 compatible)
Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
Colors Aurora Black
India Price Rs. 53,990 (Limited offer price: Rs. 39,990)
Deepak SinghDeepak Singh
Deepak has more than 8 years of experience in covering technology for several eminent publications in India. He currently leads an enthusiastic team of young writers at Smartprix and tries to uphold the highest quality standards.

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2 Comments
User
Olawoye Ayo
Anonymous
2 years ago

LG G8X thin Q Dual screen

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User
Olawoye Ayo
Anonymous
2 years ago

How can I get LG G8x Thin Q Dual screen to buy here in Nigeria or else where? And how much it will cost me

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