LG patents a foldable OLED case that looks like the Mate X

It's another potentially bold choice from LG.

What you need to know

• LG has just published a new patent for an updated version of its Dual Screen accessory.
• The new patented smart display wraps around the phone, allowing for a more traditional-looking foldable device.
• Unlike the previous display, you'll also be able to place the phone outside the display case area, allowing for an even larger canvas.

Foldable phones are nice and all, but LG's been thinking of them in a whole other way this past year. Rather than making a full time foldable, LG's been pushing its Dual Screen display case that lets select LG flagship phones moonlight as foldables in their spare time. It's a nice idea, but the firm's devices didn't receive as much airtime as flashier rivals like the Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X.

The South Korean tech giant has been working on another version of its flexible case, revealed in patents spotted by LetsGoDigital. Like LG's older Dual Screen case, it's an external display for your LG phone. Unlike the older version, it can fold out into a tablet-sized display, giving you more space than before.

This is because the phone will be able to both sit in the display case like LG's current dual-screen case, or sit outside it entirely via a new connector design allowing for a larger surface area. When folded, it'll be pretty much like the Huawei Mate X, when unfolded, it'll be able to be a bit larger than your typical foldable. Since the display and the phone aren't linked together, you'll also be able to easily replace it should it get damaged.

Now, it's just a patent and not necessarily evocative of an actual shipping product, but it's interesting in itself. One thing LG does really well is thinking outside the box. It started the whole ultra-wide camera trend for one, its nifty Second Screen made the V-series stand out, and the original Dual Screen was a genuinely interesting (albeit boringly practical) idea that actually shipped without breaking or exploding or something.

While patents don't always show us a certain future, they do offer a little bit of a peek into what tech firms are thinking, and I'd love for LG to run with this crazy ball provided they stick the landing.

LG G8X hands-on: Detachable Dual Screen makes for a practical (but uninspired) foldable

by Michael Allison