LG's new dual-screen phone is like two phones in one!

The name says it all: LG G8X ThinkQ Dual Screen. This is an updated LG G8 phone with an additional screen that works effectively as a second device connected to the main phone. At a briefing at IFA in Berlin, the company described the dual-screen phone as the inevitable solution to our multitasking inclinations. After spending a few minutes on the G8X, I wonder if I should be more multitasking.

The double-screen nickname is almost misleading with the G8X. The second screen looks more like a plugged in box. So you can use the main device as a regular phone or plug it into the screen case to fully enjoy the dual screen. Once engaged, the second screen works almost like a clean device. The 6.4-inch OLED screen itself is the same size and resolution as the main camera display. The second screen has its own navigation bar and can display applications independently. Heck, the second screen even has its own notch, although you can not use the second screen as its own phone. It may be obvious. The experience is very similar to that of an external monitor connected to a desktop computer. The idea of ​​a dual-screen phone seems more reasonable. Imagine how to watch a YouTube video and read your favorite website at the same time on your phone. Or, if you are a livestreamer, you can watch yourself in the camera selfie of the main camera, and then read the comments on the second screen. At launch, LG also launches two applications, namely the camera app and the corresponding photo gallery, specially designed to live on both screens. Mobile games can also be easier and more fun because the second screen can be configured as a custom-designed controller.

As complicated as it may seem on two screens, it actually seems more complicated to use. I only spent a few minutes with a prototype in Berlin, but it was immediately obvious that you had to learn to manage two screens at once. As the second screen serves as a cover, I felt surprised to see it turn on when I opened the phone, so surprised that I never really knew what to do with it. It was convenient to use it as a game controller, but I also wondered if I would not prefer a real controller. The same goes for the second screen as a keyboard, although I realize that the compact screen design is much more convenient than carrying a Bluetooth game controller or an external keyboard.

The design is pretty stylish, too. The G8X has a 360-degree hinge, which allows you to completely rotate the second screen. You can also put the phone on a table and rotate it like a small laptop. In theory, you could use it as a small laptop, although the full keyboard of the second screen has a size difficult to type by hand. You can divide the keyboard for easier use of thumbs, but holding the device like that is really nil. The situation is impressive! I did not know what to do with this second screen. It is also a city with fingerprints since three of the four surfaces of the device are glass.

I can not stress enough how little time I had with the new LG G8X ThinkQ Dual Screen. It was a handful of minutes in a hotel, where I tinkered with the wifi settings and had trouble finding reasons to use the second screen. I could really see how the use of the device could be fun once the training wheels removed. The G8X is a powerful flagship phone featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, a built-in fingerprint sensor and a 32-megapixel camera. Unlike LG's previous dual-screen phone, released in Asia earlier this year, the G8X does not offer 5G support.

LG has not yet revealed the price or availability of the G8X. For the moment, the company says that the specifics of the dual-screen offer will depend on the operators. At this point, it's a bit of a race between LG's extra large-screen phone and the Samsung Galaxy Fold, which just came out on September 6th in Korea. That the best wacky thing wins.