LG G5 Case Released Before Smartphone Launch Confirming Always-On Display

With Samsung, Sony, Xiaomi, Huawei and more all seeking to attract attention at Mobile World Congress in 10 days time, it can be difficult to get the attention of the media. One way of doing that in the build up to the smartphone -focused trade show is to release accessories for your new smartphone before you release the smartphone itself.

That is exactly what South Korean manufacturer LG has done. It has launched a new version of its Quick Cover case, designed specifically for its 2016 flagship smartphone, the LG G5 which the company says "answers the age old question – what came first, the smartphone or the cover?"

The smartphone case features a "semi-transparent mesh cover" through which you can seen in-coming call alerts and messages. The cover is touch sensitive so you can answer phone calls without having to access the screen directly.

The cover features a cut-out to allow users see what is expected to be the "always-on" portion of the screen, where information like time and notifications will be displayed. LG indicated this feature was coming in a teaser it published on its Facebook page Wednesday, and in its strange press release accompanying the launch of the Quick Cover case LG says, the "always-on-display" is "rumored to be a feature in the highly anticipated LG G5."

It is unclear how this always-on aspect of the screen will work with some reports suggesting LG could move to an OLED screen technology to facilitate this feature. However, a report from Android Authority suggests it won't switch to OLED and that the screen will simply be on all the time, and unlike similar features from the likes of Motorola, you won't need to wave your hand in front of the device to bring up the information.

The LG G5 is set to feature a significant redesign over last year's G4 while featuring a 5.1-inch screen with a super high resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels. It is also expected to come with powerful hardware components including Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 820 chip along with a huge 4GB of RAM.

MWC kicks off in Barcelona on February 21 when LG, Samsung and Huawei will all hold press conferences. LG is fighting with Samsung to have the most-leaked smartphone of MWC 2016 with the Samsung Galaxy S7 popping up on numerous occasions in the last couple of weeks.

Additionally, Sony and Xiaomi will be holding press conferences later in the week, with theChinese manufacturer's presence at the European trade show of particular interest considering if as yet doesn't sell its smartphones in that part of the world.