LG announces new X Cam and X Screen phones ahead of MWC - CNET

It looks like LG is too excited about its 2016 lineup to leave any of it as a surprise for Mobile World Congress. The company, having already showed off a new cover for the yet-unveiled G5, on Monday released details on two new midrange phones it'll debut in Barcelona at MWC.

The first, the X Cam, features dual cameras on the rear, which LG says will "deliver the most advanced camera experience in a mass-tier smartphone." That's basically all we know for now as LG did not say what features having dual cameras will provide. Rumour is that Apple's iPhone 7 could support optical zoom, which could also be a possibility for the X Cam. An optical zoom would allow more accurate zooming, and would capture details that would otherwise be lost when using a digital zoom.

Meanwhile, like the LG V10, the X Screen will feature an "always-on" second 1.76-inch screen that sits above the phone's 4.9-inch display. The always-on screen is similar to what has been teased for the LG G5, the South Korean electronics giant's next flagship device. This feature will let users check the time, battery status and notifications without having to tu on the phone.

Both phones are set for markets in Asia, Europe and Latin America next month, with no word of a US launch. The X Cam and X Screen will debut officially on February 21 in Barcelona during Mobile World Congress 2016. We'll be on the ground so check back then for more videos, photos and analysis.