Forget foldable phones, LG wants foldable display cases
In 2019, LG had a spinoff answer to the new “foldable smartphones” that popped up. Instead of looking to build something like the Galaxy Fold or Motorola razr (2019), LG added a “display case” to its regular top-tier phones. So, the LG V50 and LG G8x have this case accessory, which fits a screen with the same size and proportions as the respective handset’s main screen. When you open up the case, you can use both displays for multitasking or to play specific games, which were made to support the new scheme.
It seems LG might be looking to double down on this concept with something even more practical than a simple mirror screen. A patent, published just a couple of days ago, reveals that LG has been thinking about making a case entirely out of a plastic, foldable OLED display. The screen area wraps around the phone, keeping both the device and the secondary display safe. When you unravel the flap, you get a large screen, powered by the LG phone that’s connected to it. Essentially, it’s a tablet that folds around your phone.
Additional suggested uses in the patent — you can place the phone right next to the unfolded case to further expand the screen area. Or you can put the phone over half of the unfurled case, so you can use the configuration in a dual screen mode like the current LG display cases.
Of course, nowadays everybody patents everything and it’s never guaranteed that we’d see a patented product become reality. But this one doesn’t look too outlandish by today’s standards, and even sounds like it can be a very practical thing to have. Fingers crossed for 2020?