LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen review

Dual Screen Case: The hardware

The Dual Screen case looks a lot like the one we saw first with the LG V50, but there are two crucial differences.

First, the V50 accessory was powered through magnetic pins at the back of the phone and thus left the USB port free to use. The one for the G8X uses a male USB-C port where you attach the phone, and you are left without a proper USB-C and you need an external adapter.

And second, there's a new Cover Display at the front of the case - it's a 2.1-inch monochrome OLED panel for notifications and keeping track of time. This was user's complaint numero uno regarding the V50 DS case so good thing LG fixed that.

It's not always on but it lights up every time you pick the phone up or when take it out of your pocket or bag. The Cover Screen shows the time and date, and app icons that have new notifications.

So, the G8X slides into the case, bottom end first and it plugs into the phone's USB-C port - the add-on has no battery of its own and draws power from the phone. The port is now occupied, so charging the G8X while inside the Dual Screen can happens either wirelessly or by using the supplied adapter which mates to the pogo pins on the bottom of the Dual Screen case. Not ideal, but not too bad either.

The DS case has the same 6.4" P-OLED screen inside as the one on the G8X. Funnily, it also has a notch despite the fact that it is not needed here as there is no front camera on this side. There is a thin hole at the top for letting on the sound from the earpiece during calls.

Some users may complain about the second notch without the need for a camera, but we can see how it makes sense from a manufacturing standpoint. And we do love the symmetry and continuity between the two displays.

The accessory makes the whole thing bulky, there are no two ways about that. With the case attached, the ensemble measures 165.9 x 84.6 x 15.0 mm in its closed state. The extra 134 grams add up to a total of 326g which does make a pretty good case for leaving the DualScreen at home, when not using it.

The front of the case is all glass, dark gray or black - it's hard to say. Unfortunately, this seems to be the biggest fingerprint magnet we've encountered lately, but the good news is - it seems to have some sort of oleophobic coating and is very easy to clean.

The back of the DS case revels half of the G8X back, while the other half is covered by a plastic piece with faux-leather finish.

Finally, the two hinges click nicely, and you can rotate the screen at whatever angle you like. Yes, it can go all the way to the back of the phone.

But let's face it - this dual-screen case was not meant for non-stop use. It sure is great for gaming (onscreen controls outside the main screen), multi-tasking, watching movies and texting, and various other use cases. But for the most part - the phone will do just fine without it.

And that's what we like about this accessory - you put it on when you need it, and you slide the phone out of it when you don't. You can't do that on the Galaxy Fold, can you?

LG Dual Screen: the software implementation

LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen accessory is quite easy to use - slide the phone in, and you are good to go. The second (left) screen is turned off by default the first time, but once you are in the case, you will notice a small and floating dual-screen button on your main screen. This is your controller for the entire Dual Screen behavior, and this is where you switch the screens on and off.

The second screen has an app drawer, and from there, you can populate it with app shortcuts. Widgets are supported, too. There is also a shortcut for the Dual Screen settings - here you can adjust brightness, set wallpapers, enable or disable the DS floating key too, and opt for or out of the Cover Display (more on that in a bit).

So, what this screen can do? Multi-tasking is its primary function. You can open any app on either screen and work with two apps simultaneously - it can be a messenger and video, a doc editor and web browser, navigation, and travel guide, you get the possibilities.

Turn the second screen on • Floating controls • Second homescreen • App Drawer

There is also the so-called Wide view, which extends an app on both screens. It's not pretty as there is more than 15mm distance between the two screens, and then the rounded edges make things even worse. But if you want a web page, a document, or even a video to use the whole screen estate - you can very much do that.

You can also swap the screens and the second one can become the primary one.

Dual Screen options

Another thing you can use the second screen for is as a gamepad. LG has designed a proprietary onscreen game controller, and it has everything on it - D-Pad, two O-pads, triggers, 4 action buttons. Android OS recognizes it as a connected Bluetooth hardware controller, which expands its compatibility a lot. If a game supports any Bluetooth gamepad, it can work with the second screen.

We tried this, and it works just as advertised - easy, hassle-free, and it helps improve the gaming experience by a mile. It's not a physical gamepad, obviously, but it's the next best thing. You don't even need to map anything, the game will tell you which keys are for what, and then if you don't like the arrangement, you can opt for different (if the game allows it, that is).

While using the gamepad, you will see a floating button for rotating the pad or turning it off. You can also choose the type of controller from here - console, racing, arcade, basic, or you can even design one of your own - depending on the keys you need!

The LG gamepad

So, the second screen comes in handy in quite a few use cases and there are people who will appreciate it. It adds some extra weight and makes the phone bulky, yes, but since you can put the DS case on and off anytime you want, we'd recommend buying the G8X Dual Screen bundle rather than the vanilla package.