LG V50 ThinQ preview: a 5G smartphone with extra screen feels incomplete

LG V50 ThinQ previewLG not only presented the G8 ThinQ during MWC 2019 but also came with its first 5G smartphone. The LG V50 ThinQ 5G also distinguishes itself in a different way, because the device has an optional second screen. We have tested for a moment how well that works.

Getting started with the LG V50 ThinQ preview

In our LG G8 ThinQ preview, we already started with the new flagship of the South Korean manufacturer, but the company has more in store for us. The V50 ThinQ is especially important because of the built-in 5G support, although we have little in the United States for the time being. From 2020 the first 5G networks will be available here, making it unlikely that the phone will appear here in the near future.

Nevertheless, we thought it was worth keeping the V50 ThinQ 5G in our hands after the presentation, and that is mainly due to the optional second screen. Through a kind of case you click a display on the left side of the V50, so you suddenly have a lot more screen space to work with. Works well, or is it a half-baked version of a folding smartphone that we saw at other manufacturers during MWC 2019?

The second screen is fun

The second screen is slightly smaller (6.2 inches) that the real display of the V50 ThinQ (6.4 inches), although I did not suffer from that during my previews session. You notice that you are dealing with a smaller screen because of the thicker edges, which are clearly visible on the top and bottom. However, both screens have an OLED panel and look sharp, clear and beautiful.

lg v50 thinq 5g preview

You can use that second screen for various purposes. The first thing that comes to mind is multitasking because you can run two apps completely side by side. Useful if you search through Google for locations and eateries, for example, and have Google Maps open on the optional screen to check where it is. That works basically fine, although I had to search for a moment how I let both screens work simultaneously.

Perhaps even more fun is that you can start a game on the second screen, and then use the display of the V50 ThinQ itself as a gamepad. A nice addition, also because you feel haptic feedback through the vibrating motor of the smartphone during gaming. It makes playing games easier and you do not cover the screen with your fingers, which is necessary if you do not have that extra image. After all, you are dependent on the on-screen buttons.

lg v50 thinq 5g preview

For fanatical mobile gamers, however, it is not an ideal solution. You control the game with a touchscreen and miss the feedback and the feeling of real buttons. In addition, I found the case – in which the second screen is processed – not feel very strong. It certainly is not creaky, but there was not too much play in the cover and that is a shame. Maybe it had to do with the specific demo model that I got from LG.

Misses features of the G8 ThinQ

The problem with the V50 ThinQ is that it stops there a bit. For the rest, the smartphone is fairly straightforward and all specifications that you would expect are also present. Think of the latest Snapdragon 855 chip, enough memory (6GB) and storage space (128GB), three cameras at the back and a hefty 4000 mAh battery that will last a long time.

lg v50 thinq 5g preview

In addition, it is a missed opportunity that all the features that make the LG G8 ThinQ so interesting are simply missing on the V50. The new Z Camera, which makes ‘palm recognition’ possible, is not present, the Air Gestures are not available and the advanced and safer face recognition is also transferred to the smartphone. The smartphone runs on Android 9.0 (Pie) , but unfortunately, LG continues to stick to its intense skin that changes a lot of Android.

On the 5G support – which in the United States, for the time being, has nothing – and the second screen – which is probably really interesting for a niche audience – there is little to be excited about.

LG V50 ThinQ release

It is still unclear when the LG V50 ThinQ is released, but this happens first in countries where 5G becomes available. The manufacturer also did not publish the recommended price.

The LG G8 ThinQ is coming to the United States for the summer, a spokesman told Android Plan. Keep following us to keep up to date with the new LG phones.

Leave a Comment