Hands-on with LG's 6.4-inch G8X ThinQ, an upgraded G8 with a secondary display case that transforms LG's flagship into a dual-screen handset
The rumors both are, and aren't true. LG has built a dual-screen smartphone that drops around the same time as Samsung's Galaxy Fold and Huawei's Mate X …
Context & Ripple Effects
This is LG's second run at the dual-screen idea in one year: the V50 ThinQ launched with a clip-on second OLED display back in February, and the G8X now extends that accessory strategy to the G line rather than requiring a new 5G flagship purchase. It lands in the same window as Samsung's Galaxy Fold and Huawei's Mate X, giving LG a two-screen story without committing to a folding display.
The lineage matters: LG has been pushing split-screen multitasking since the G6's UX 6.0 software and has iterated annually through the G7 and the palm-scanning G8. The G8X's case-based approach is the cheapest way yet to deliver on that long-running multitasking pitch.
First-order effects
- Buyers get a dual-screen handset at roughly the price of one phone plus an accessory, sidestepping the cost and unproven hinges of the Galaxy Fold and Mate X launching around the same time.
- LG effectively splits its own lineup: the G8X plus case becomes the multitasking play, while the standard G8 remains the conventional flagship.
Second-order effects
- Samsung and Huawei's foldables now have a direct low-risk comparison point — reviewers can judge whether a hinged second screen justifies foldable pricing over LG's attachable one.
- A follow-up review of the G8X Dual Screen found the hardware strong for multitasking but the software half-baked, which pressures LG to treat dual-screen UX as a first-class product rather than an add-on.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, LG consolidates around a hinge-free alternative path to big-screen phones — repeated across the V50 and G8X — while rivals bet on integrated foldable panels, splitting the market into two competing form-factor camps.
- The recurring gap between dual-screen hardware and unfinished software suggests the accessory route only works for makers willing to fund dedicated OS-level support, not bolt-on cases.
The trend: Smartphone makers are diverging into two camps for bigger screens — folding displays versus attachable second screens — with LG betting its flagship line on the latter.