【Big Thing Chief: The Stolen Wife】

LG is Big Thing Chief: The Stolen Wifejoining 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.

SEE ALSO: LG is experimenting with rollable smartphones

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.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

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.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

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.

---

Featured Video For You

---

This flexible smartphone unfolds to become a 7.8-inch tablet

---

• Science
• Entertainment
• Shopping
• Tech
• Digital Culture
• Deals
• Social Good
• Games

• 5 Ways to Access a Locked Windows Account
• Let these men teach you how to smile, Hillary Clinton
• 13 awesome record holders to celebrate 'Guinness World Records 2017'
• Surprise, surprise! Meghan Markle was the most Googled person in 2018
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for April 17: Tips to solve Connections #206
• Graphic sexual assault photo series forces you to see the victim
• Samsung Galaxy S10+ to come with up to 1TB of storage, leak reveals
• 'Star Trek' captains have rocked a bold look for 50 years
• Reality Distortion Field: 10 Things Apple Won't Directly Say But We'll Infer About the iPhone X
• The creator of 'Doom' is releasing nine new levels for free in 2019

• Staff Picks: Solstad, Agee, Gates
• The Occult Experiments of Borges and Xul Solar
• Ishion Hutchinson on His Poem “The Difference”
• Christopher Robin Is Saying His Prayers
• Geoff Dyer on James Salter’s First Novel, “The Hunters”
• Drawings of Ambrose Bierce’s Bitter, Misanthropic Epigrams
• Jhumpa Lahiri on James Salter’s “Light Years”
• Ken Grimes’s Outsider Art Searches Restlessly for Alien Life
• Sex and Salter
• Rubbernecking

• Fritz vs. Ruud 2025 livestream: Watch Madrid Open for free
• Calvin Harris says 'all hell broke loose' after Taylor Swift breakup. Well, duh.
• 'Doctor Who' pulls a 'Game of Thrones', makes fans wait for the next season
• Now you can honor Tupac while eating a 'California Love' burger at this pop
• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for April 23, 2025
• Graphic sexual assault photo series forces you to see the victim
• Demi Lovato now co
• 'Mary Poppins Returns', but the magic's gone: Review
• NYT Connections hints and answers for April 26: Tips to solve 'Connections' #685.
• 'Aquaman' early reviews show critics can't agree

• Reality Distortion Field: 10 Things Apple Won't Directly Say But We'll Infer About the iPhone X
• 15 songs turning 20 in 2019
• Google CEO Sundar Pichai testifies before Congress
• Runner hilariously faceplants across the finish line, wins
• Amazon Book Sale: Shop early deals now
• Google Maps adds ‘For You’ tab on iOS
• YouTube Rewind 2018 is now the most disliked YouTube video of all time
• Man's genius money
• Best Apple deal: Save $19 on AirTag 4
• Happy holidays from this human Christmas tree walkin' around New York