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LG V60 ThinQ 5G hands-on: Two screens, not enough polish
LG's smartphone business spent most of last year struggling to turn a profit, but the company has found at least one strategy it wants to stick with. Instead of giving people unpolished, unproven, expensive foldables, it starting building phones you could attach secondary screens to when you needed a little extra room to work with. LG hopes this wide-eyed idea enough to convince people to buy its new V60 ThinQ 5G, but after a little hands-on time, I'd advise a little caution.
LG's next dual-screen phone may gain a small outer display (updated)
While Samsung and Huawei refine their foldable devices, LG has introduced expanding hardware with its V50 ThinQ (shown above) that uses a case to add a second screen. The company's invite to its unveiling event on September 6th at IFA 2019 in Germany suggests it will continue to develop that strategy, with a video done up in 8-bit style that expands from one narrow screen across a second one. What's new, though, is a small screen on the outer side for showing the time and date.
LG's V50 ThinQ 5G comes to Verizon on June 20th
It's still slim pickings for 5G smartphones in the US, but your choices are widening ever so slightly. Verizon (Engadget's parent company) is adding the LG V50 ThinQ to its 5G lineup on June 20th, ending Sprint's brief head start on carrying the handset. It's expensive as you might imagine, but it might be a better deal than at its rival if you don't factor in a current promo. Big Red is selling the V50 for either $1,000 up front or $42 per month over two years, a fair discount over Sprint's $1,152 outright price and $48 per month (albeit over 18 months).
Sprint turns on 5G service in four cities
Make that three big US carriers that have hopped aboard the 5G bandwagon -- Sprint has launched its 5G service in parts of Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Kansas City. You'll need to wait until May 31st to buy the LG V50 ThinQ or HTC 5G Hub to take advantage of those speeds, but the experience might be better than for some rivals when Sprint is boasting of the biggest "initial" 5G coverage to date.
The LG V50's Dual Screen is a half-step towards a foldable phone
Despite foldable phones being all the rage at MWC, one of the bigger companies at the show didn't have one. LG has been clear that it won't introduce a foldable phone anytime soon, choosing instead to focus on its 5G flagship, the V50 ThinQ. And it's for good reason. As the company's head of mobile Brian Kwon told The Korea Times earlier this month, LG's more pressing concern "is to regain its market position. Considering this situation, it is too early for LG to launch a foldable smartphone." So instead of trotting out a foldable model for the hordes in Barcelona to swoon over, it showed off a second-display case for the V50 ThinQ. Or as LG calls it, the Dual Screen.
LG’s first 5G phone is the V50 ThinQ
In case you've somehow avoided everyone talking about it, 2019 is the year you'll finally be able to buy a 5G smartphone. Samsung has its Galaxy S10 5G. Huawei has its gorgeous Mate X. And now, LG is jumping into the mix with a 5G device of its own: the V50 ThinQ.
What to expect at MWC 2019
There's always plenty of news from MWC, and it's either entirely expected or word gets out early. This year is shaping up to be slightly different, though, as companies are preparing their version of the future of smartphones. From foldable designs to 5G and more, this year's Mobile World Congress won't only be jam-packed with news, but it should also be exciting once again.
LG's first 5G phone will likely be the V50 ThinQ for Sprint
LG and Sprint haven't been shy about their plans to launch a 5G smartphone in 2019. Now, though, you might be looking at the device in question. Well-known scoop provider Evan Blass has obtained an image of the V50 ThinQ, a Sprint-bound flagship with some very conspicuous 5G branding. The picture doesn't include many details outside of a notched display and an abundance of cameras, but it hints at a February 24th reveal date that lines up with LG's South Korean announcement promising a 5G phone introduction that day, just ahead of Mobile World Congress.
