Get ready to rock and roll(able).
In September 2020, LG announced its next big focus for smartphones — the Explorer Project. LG is using the Explorer Project to tackle all-new form factors we don't see in "normal" phones, with the first result of this initiative being the LG Wing.
Not looking to waste any time at all, LG has already shared details on the next addition to the Explorer Project. It's called the LG Rollable, and rather than having a flip-out design, the Rollable features a display that can roll in and out as you see fit.
From the latest news, pricing info, and so much more, here's everything you need to know about the LG Rollable!
Current weirdness
LG Wing
$1050 at AT&T $1000 at Verizon $696 at T-Mobile
LG's entry first step into wacky smartphones
If you're in the market for an unconventional smartphone but can't wait for the Rollable, you might be interested in the LG Wing. The LG Wing is far from a perfect phone, but when it comes to uniqueness, it has you covered. The two-screen design allows for some really creative use cases, allowing you to run two apps side-by-side, extend one app across both screens, and more.
LG Rollable Release date
LG first unveiled the Rollable during its keynote event at CES 2021, offering little information outside of the device's name and a small tease of its design.
One of the bits of information LG has confirmed is that the LG Rollable will be available for purchase at some point this year. It's unclear at what point in 2021 that'll be, but what we can say is that it'll be out between now and December.
LG Rollable Price
Even more important than release info is pricing, and unfortunately, this is something LG has yet to comment on. We'll hopefully have more to share about this soon, but in the meantime, we can do some speculating.
The LG Wing is the only other Explorer Project device we've seen so far, and that has a retail price of about $1000 in the U.S. It's a pretty reasonable price given the Wing's radical design, but looking ahead at the Rollable, we expect it to be a pricier phone.
Where the LG Wing is a phone with two normal glass displays and a hinge mechanism, the LG Rollable will feature a flexible display that can expand and retract based on how you want to use it. That kind of design is a lot more advanced than what we saw on the Wing, and as evident by folding phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Motorola RAZR, those folding screens come at a steep cost.
We wouldn't be surprised if the LG Rollable retails for $1500 or more, but given that we've yet to see a rollable smartphone come to market in the United States, it's difficult to make an accurate guess of any kind.
LG Rollable Design
As its name implies, the main appeal to the LG Rollable is its rollable display. It can function as a traditional smartphone, and in an instant, the screen can expand and stretch out to be the size of a small tablet.
This idea of having a phone and tablet in one device is the same general goal we see with foldable gadgets like the Galaxy Z Fold 2, but unlike that particular device where you have two distinct displays, the LG Rollable looks to give you that 2-in-1 design with a single display panel.
The main benefit of this should be a phone that's much more manageable and pocketable, but on the flip side, it also means the rollable screen is constantly exposed to the world around it. Flexible displays are inherently more fragile than static ones, so the question around durability is a big one we're going to have for the LG Rollable.
LG Rollable Specs
The design of the LG Rollable is going to be the main appeal of the phone, but as we all know, a crazy design means nothing if it doesn't have competent specs to back it up. Nothing official has been shared regarding what kind of specifications we could see for the LG Rollable, but we do have some educated guesses.
One of the cost-cutting measures we saw for the LG Wing was it being powered by a Snapdragon 765G chipset instead of the more expensive Snapdragon 865. For the LG Rollable, we wouldn't be surprised to see the Snapdragon 870 at the heart of it.
Qualcomm is marketing the Snapdragon 870 as a high-performing chipset for value flagships in 2021, similar to the goal of the 765G last year. The 870 has nearly identical performance compared to the 865+ that launched in July 2020, and while it won't be as impressive as the flagship 888, it also costs a lot less for companies to use. It's entirely possible the LG Rollable won't use the Snapdragon 870 at all, but from where we're at right now, it's what makes the most sense.
In regards to other specs, we anticipate an OLED panel for the display, at least 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and likely a triple or quad-camera setup. If all is handled well, we could be dealing with one of the best Android phones of 2021.
LG Rollable Is this replacing the LG Wing?
We aren't 100% sure what's going to happen to the Wing once the LG Rollable comes out. Right now, there are a couple of possibilities.
Given how different the two phones are, it would make sense for LG to sell the Wing and Rollable side-by-side. It would also look good for the Explorer Project to have two distinct products available for purchase, hopefully drawing more attention towards the program and resulting in more sales for LG.
It's also possible that LG will cease production of the Wing to focus its efforts on the Rollable, especially if sales of the Wing haven't been up to the company's expectations.
LG will likely shed more light on this once we get closer to the Rollable's release, but for the time being, the LG Wing is alive, well, and available for purchase if you're interested in picking it up.
Current weirdness
LG Wing
$1050 at AT&T $1000 at Verizon $696 at T-Mobile
LG's entry first step into wacky smartphones
If you're in the market for an unconventional smartphone but can't wait for the Rollable, you might be interested in the LG Wing. The LG Wing is far from a perfect phone, but when it comes to uniqueness, it has you covered. The two-screen design allows for some really creative use cases, allowing you to run two apps side-by-side, extend one app across both screens, and more.
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