I loved LG phones because they were affordable, risky, and weird – and the smartphone world could use more of that

It's been four years since LG pulled the plug on its once robust phone business, and there have been no new LG handsets since then; but some people still own and use them, and many of us have a drawer filled with classic models.

Now, though, all LG phones will begin the slow, steady march to brickatude, as software updates end on June 30. It's a sad moment, and it got me thinking about how LG did things differently (really differently) and what the rest of the phone industry (looking at you, Samsung, Apple, Google) can learn from it.

In some ways, LG (formerly Lucky Goldstar, which should tell you something) was just like any other phone company, albeit one that always appeared to be on a little bit of acid.

LG, for instance, has an obsession with multiples. Even before foldables, it slapped two screens on a ...