While LG appears to be not ready to make an own foldable phone, it is still set to take on the dual-screen phone trend-- specifically with a detachable Dual Screen accessory revealed with the upcoming V50 ThinQ 5G.
Revealed at MWC 2019, the second screen is designed to look like a cover case. It offers a 6.2-inch OLED panel for "double the viewing, gaming and multitasking experience," as well as hinge able to rotate a full 360-degrees. Connectivity takes place via proprietary wifi chipset allowing very short-range and high-bandwidth communication between the display and the phone, while Pogo pins hook the Dual Screen in place and provide power from the phone battery.
LG says the Dual Screen can find a number of uses. MWC 2019 demos have it take the role of a game controller, or simply allow users to browse the internet while watching a video. Another demo has one take a screenshot on one screen and attach it to a message or email on the other by tapping a special icon. A final use case is photography, by either previewing photos on the second screen or using it as a reflector to ensure the best lighting in selfies.
The Dual Screen will be compatible with upcoming LG phones, with the first being the V50 ThinQ 5G-- a souped-up version of the 2018 V40 featuring, as the name might suggest, 5G connectivity. It is a 6.4-inch handset with a QHD+ OLED display in 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and is powered with a Snapdragon 855 processor and a larger 4000mAh battery. Another interesting feature is a vapor chamber heat dissipation system LG says allows the phone to handle the heat from the processor and battery more efficiently.
The V50 ThinQ 5G and Dual Screen should be available in European markets sometime in H1 2019.