LG to launch a phone with a detachable secondary screen, report claims

LG is joining the “foldable” phone craze, but the company’s approaching the concept in a novel way. 

According to a report from CNET, LG will launch a smartphone that will allow users to attach a second screen, potentially doubling the total screen size.

The details are vague, but it seems that the attachment carrying the second screen might in fact be a case. It’s likely that the phone — alongside other devices — will be launched at the Mobile World Congress trade show, which kicks off on Feb 25 in Barcelona.

The concept of a second screen on a case is not entirely new; Alcatel did something similar in 2014, and we’ve seen phone cases with an additional E Ink screen, but the idea never really caught on. 

This might be a smart play for LG, whose smartphone division isn’t afraid to experiment, albeit sometimes with disastrous results (remember the modular LG G5 and its “friends”?). Yes, foldable phones are a definite trend coming into 2019, but it’s still early days for them and the concept is thoroughly untested in the real world. My guess is that developing the second-screen-case-thingy was cheaper than developing a foldable phone, so it might be a cost-effective way of riding with the trend. And, if foldable phones turn out to be a dud, LG won’t be as much in the red as, say, Samsung. 

It’s also worth noting that LG publicly said it’s experimenting with “many” form factors for smartphones, including foldable and rollable designs. 

LG is known to “leak” details about its own upcoming devices ahead of a big show, so expect more news about the company’s new phones in the weeks ahead.