LG Doubleplay Pro Reviews

The LG DoublePlay gets extra points for doing something almost entirely different. For some, the second screen will be a productive aid. However, at the end of the day the second screen feels more like a mistake than a revolution, and as an everyday phone, the DoublePlay just doesn't cut it. It's too bulky, too unintuitive, and too low-tech to be anything besides a gimmick.

When I look at the LG DoublePlay now, I see a great idea that went terribly wrong. There's plenty you can do with two screens, but this handset barely scratches the surface. More importantly, between conception and release the physical hardware morphed into one of the heaviest, bulkiest Android handsets out there. The phone's not completely terrible, though. If you happen to like the gimmicks of a split keyboard and a second screen well enough to carry around a brick, the handset's moderately peppy internals may actually serve you well. Charging $100 on-contract for such a phone seems outrageous, though, and you can do far better. If you have to have a QWERTY keyboard on T-Mobile, the Sidekick 4G offers a fantastic one for just $80 on contract, not to mention a far better screen, and if you can settle for an all-touchscreen phone, there's the dual-core G2x and the Galaxy S 4G priced at $100 each. The bar is far too high now for the LG DoublePlay to compete.

We must admit: before laying hands on our review unit, we weren't sure whether the DoublePlay's second screen was more marketing ploy or useful feature. After spending some time with the device, however, we can say that it provides some significant utility. The two-inch panel improves the smartphone experience by better enabling Android's quasi-multitasking abilities (in certain apps), but it's by no means a must-have feature. If you have the need for a hardware keyboard, are a messaging maven and crave a handset that stands out from the crowd, the DoublePlay may be just what you're looking for -- just know you'll be sacrificing video chat due to the lack of a front-facing camera and you'll pay for the privilege with weighed-down pockets.

The LG DoublePlay for T-Mobile is a decent phone. It offers a solid user experience as an Android device, and doesn't suffer from the same performance problems that the myTouch Q does. With its trick extra display, the LG DoublePlay delivers a little but more functionality than the standard Android phone, but in a limited way. Too few applications are compatible with the small screen, and those that are offer a really limited experience. There's plenty of potential here, but I feel like LG could have done much better. Still, the ability to clear your messages and control the MP3 player without leaving your browser session on the main screen is pretty neat.

The LG Doubleplay is a good, solid handset. As a phone, it works wonders with good 4G over T-Mobile’s network and everyday apps like Gmail, Google Maps, Pandora, etc. The secondary screen is also great for texting and web browsing simultaneously. However, a mediocre camera and poor benchmark performance hold it back from being a great smartphone.

The LG DoublePlay is built around an interesting concept, but T-Mobile users can easily find a better phone with a QWERTY keyboard.

If you disregard its quirky design, the LG Doubleplay is actually a remarkably solid Android smartphone. It ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and has plenty of great features like Wi-Fi calling, mobile hot-spot capability, and support for T-Mobile's 4G/HSPA+ network. We're also mostly impressed with the 1GHz Qualcomm Scorpion processor, and LG's Android overlay does not offend us. Yet, we can't help but be put off by the bizarre subdisplay set right smack dab in the middle of the keyboard. We understand the multitasking reasoning behind it, but we don't think it's necessary--it feels like a solution waiting for a problem. The dual displays might even be a big contributor to the rather lackluster battery life. If you're willing to suspend your prejudices, you're welcome to take a chance with the LG Doubleplay for $99.99 after a new two-year service agreement with T-Mobile, but excuse us if we don't share your enthusiasm.

Kudos to LG for thinking outside the box when it comes to the design of the LG Doubleplay, but in all seriousness, it's simply not practical when it comes down to typing messages. Rather, we find the whole thing challenging as we resort to using the on-screen keyboard instead. In addition, we do like the multi-tasking aspects found with the secondary touchscreen, but it doesn't particularly deepen the experience – nor does it bring any innovative qualities. Flaunting a $99.99 on-contract price, it doesn't seem fitting for the LG Doubleplay, and instead, we'd recommend saving the money and spending it on something better – say like the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G.