LG Banks on Dual-Screen 5G Phone
26 February, 2019
LG unveiled its latest V50 ThinQ smartphone in Barcelona on Sunday, a day before the opening of the Mobile World Congress there.
While the launch was far less spectacular than Samsung's foldable-screen phone, LG hopes the dual-screen phone can grab a slice of the 5G market before foldable handsets become mainstream.
The phone's dual screen enables users to watch movies on one screen and surf the Internet or chat at the same time.
LG did not reveal the price tag, but a staffer said it will be much cheaper than the whopping W2 million Samsung's foldable phone costs (US$1=W1,125).
Another flaghip phone, the G8 ThinQ for 4G LTE was also unveiled on Sunday. It enables users to access functions by hand gestures without touching the screen. The phone also recognizes a user's vein pattern, width and other characteristics to replace fingerprints.
The company's smartphone business suffered a W322.3 billion operating loss last year, continuing losses for the 15th-straight quarter. That makes the V50 effectively its final wager since it has nowhere else to go.
One advantage may be that it will catch the 5G market in its early stage while prices are still high. Kwon Bong-seok, head of LG's home appliance and mobile business, said at a recent press event, "We did consider rolling out a foldable phone but decided against it. However, we already have the technology so we can always do it later if there is demand."