LG Velvet Review: LG's flagship is finally competitive again
"LG throws away its old designs and comes back with the smartest phone it has ever made."
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Great design
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Nice screen
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Waterproof and durable
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Decent battery life
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Camera needs to be improved
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No screen refresh rate of 90 Hz / 120 Hz
Someone woke up at LG, looked at the smartphone edition in recent years and said, "No, that's all wrong. Let's start again."
The result is the LG Velvet, the most interesting smartphone in LG's ages. Gone is the confusing ThinQ branding. The legacy of the G-and-the-V series was included in the history books. After all, LG designers didn't just look at the last phone they wrote and thought, "Whatever. We'll just do it again."
Instead, the Velvet has a fascinating new design that fits its new, catchy name. But even if you remember the name, do you want to buy one?
design
Compared to newer LG phones, the LG Velvet is wonderfully thin. But how does it stack up next to other cellphones that vie for your attention? It is still asserting itself. It's elegant, light, stylish, colorful and full of interesting flourishes that make it unique.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Hyperbole? No. The LG Velvet is 7.9 mm thick, but due to LG's curved “3D Arc Design” concept, it feels even slimmer than the one in your hand. The edges taper strongly and the overall shape of the body is reminiscent of OnePlus 8 Pro. It weighs only 180 grams. In those days when phones regularly tip over 200 and even 220 grams on the scales, the Velvet is positively feathery.
My test model came in Aurora Green, which looks great. It reminds me of Bentley's green green and when you put it in the sun it shimmers and glows. There are several other equally pretty colors, including Illusion Sunset, which looks a little like Samsung's Aura Glow.
Yes, we've been seeing great colors on phones for a few years now, but not on an LG phone. Welcome to 2020, LG. It's nice to have you.
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The camera array is also special. The two lower lenses and the flash are arranged in a raindrop formation that gets smaller as the lenses decrease. The main lens is a bit proud, but not very proud. It would have been nice if it was also flush, but it is not unattractive. I particularly like that the inner lens frame is the same green color as the body.
LG has attached the volume buttons and the special Google Assistant button on the side of the case opposite the power switch. For right-handed people, it's ergonomically not the best. The Google Assistant button is snug against the body of the phone and I never accidentally pressed it. I never pressed it deliberately and wondered why it was there.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The disadvantage of the velvet is its sharp edges. Sharp-edged phones all have the same problem. They are not comfortable to hold. The velvet is no exception. It's not pleasant to hold on to. Apart from that, the design of the phone is a win. It is light, stylish and modern.
Screen and audio
The LG Velvet is large and slim due to its P-OLED screen with an aspect ratio of 20.5: 9, which measures 6.8 inches and has a resolution of 2,460 x 1,080 pixels. This brings it close to the 21: 9 aspect ratio that Motorola has adopted for the Edge Plus. Despite the curved edges, the screen doesn't cascade over the sides, and there's a substantial bezel over, under, and under both sides of the phone.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Although LG does not mention this in the press materials, the Velvet supports HDR10 and likes to play HDR content from YouTube. I like the central tear section of the selfie camera. Since we see more oversized, pill-shaped double selfie cameras on high-end phones, this is a neat and unobtrusive alternative.
The sound comes from stereo speakers that sound great. My favorite video test channel is Carfection, and the review of the Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye shows the best of the LG Velvet. The rugged sound of the Hellcat Redeye's V8 and the wild whine of the compressor are as important as the colorful graphics, all shot in the blazing sunshine. The velvet treats both sides well and offers a visual and acoustic pleasure.
There is a 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom, but unfortunately the excellent Quad DAC that can be seen on many older LG phones is not yet included. It's such a shame that the Velvet just sounds normal without it with wired headphones. However, if you connect headphones to Bluetooth, you will get AptX HD, provided they support the codec with a higher resolution.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Disadvantage? The screen does not have a high refresh rate, which prevents many potential buyers from doing so. A variety of alternatives, from the OnePlus 8 to the Samsung Galaxy S20, offer a high refresh rate as a standard function or as an optional mode.
The LG Velvet's display is not the brightest, and I found that the brightness in the sunlight or when watching videos during the day must be maximum. I also found that the palm rejection was a little hypersensitive when I grabbed the slightly curved edges of the phone. Nevertheless, the screen of the LG Velvet is solid overall and is supported by strong audio.
camera
The camera lenses on the back of the LG Velvet are arranged in an attractive raindrop formation. You will find a 48 megapixel 1: 1.8 sensor, an 8 megapixel 1: 2.2 sensor and a 5 megapixel 1: 2.4 depth sensor.
On paper, this is not great, not when some mid-range phones cost less than LG Velvet and offer more. The Edge Plus from Motorola, for example, increases the main sensor to 108 MP and is not alone. Other options, such as Samsung and Huawei flagships, double the zoom.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Does real performance overcome these perceived specification constraints? Not really, no.
The LG Velvet's camera is anything but bad, but inconsistent, and that can be frustrating. The wide angle takes very sharp photos with a strong HDR effect with a bright blue sky, intensified green and strong red tones. However, use the main lens, and the camera will forget about all of this and take photos that are a bit washed out. Sometimes shots are sharpened so much that they look beyond the world.
Bokeh portrait mode has poor edge detection, zoom mode (which isn't supported by a telephoto lens) is only twice (and the results aren't particularly good), and the app is frustrated when trying to between Wide angle standard switch and 2x modes.
I also lost the number of times Google Assistant was activated instead of quickly opening the camera using the lock screen swipe shortcut.
A positive note is that many photos are very detailed. If you agree with the HDR look, some of the wide-angle shots can be shared instantly.
LG Velvet wide angle Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
LG Velvet standard lens Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
LG Velvet 2x zoom Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
LG Velvet 10x zoom Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
LG could fix or at least fix the inconsistencies with software updates. However, as tested here, it needs to be improved to highlight. Flagship phones usually have good cameras, and the best ones are truly exceptional. LG's Velvet cannot delete this bar.
Performance and software
The LG Velvet has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G with 5G connectivity and, depending on the model available, either 6 GB or 8 GB RAM. My review phone has 6 GB of RAM. Here are some benchmark results:
3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 2,708 (volcano)
Geekbench 5: 1856 multi core / 580 single core
The Motorola Edge is a strong competitor to the LG Velvet, and its results are essentially the same. I didn't notice any significant differences in overall everyday performance or gameplay either. Asphalt 9 Legends is great with the standard graphics settings and 1945 was played smoothly. Casual games fit the Snapdragon 756G, but cannot be compared to mobile phones with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 like the OnePlus 8, which is a very strong alternative to the LG Velvet.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Like the Motorola Edge, the LG Velvet is fast enough for everyday use. It doesn't get hot, it plays casual games easily and does everything I wanted without fuss. Hardcore cellphone players will want the flagship chip, but if you watch videos, use social networking apps, make calls, and take photos, for example, you'll be happy with the Velvet's performance. Call quality is also good, but since my region doesn't have 5G connectivity, I couldn't test this feature.
The LG Velvet has Android 10 with the Android security patch from June 1, 2020 as well as LG's own user interface. It's closer to Samsung's OneUI than Android on a Google Pixel, but neat, colorful, and uniform in design. An app tray and a conventionally designed notification shadow complement a great gesture control system that is quick and fluid. However, I find some of the app animations slow, e.g. For example, opening a folder and then opening an app. It takes a beat longer than it should and is particularly noticeable on a non-LG phone.
Battery and security
A 4,300 mAh battery keeps the screen on the Velvet illuminated, with 25 W wired charging and wireless charging to fill it up. A fingerprint sensor is set very low on the screen. Just like the LG G8X ThinQ, face unlock is not available. I would like to have it there, but the fingerprint sensor is obviously safer and thankfully quick and reliable.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Locking restrictions mean that most of my phone is connected to Wi-Fi. The average daily usage is two or three hours. Video calls, voice calls, apps and the camera are at the top of my usage list.
The battery has a good lifespan, but not as good as other phones under the same conditions. When I went to bed it was up to 10% on my most used days, which makes me suspect that it doesn't take more than a day when there is no Wi-Fi connection.
Dual screen case
LG offered its own version of dual-screen cell phones with a case of the LG G8X ThinQ. Instead of going all-in on a folding screen, LG uses a second screen attached to a case. It's a heavier, less elegant solution than the Samsung Galaxy Fold, but it's cheaper and (probably) more durable in the long run.
This time, the dual-screen case is sold separately and not bundled together like the LG G8X ThinQ. It adds a second 6.8-inch P-OLED screen to the Velvet that wraps everything in a protective white or black plastic wrap with a small 2.1-inch screen on the front so you can still check the time and view notifications.
I didn't mind covering up the LG G8X ThinQ in the case, as it's not particularly pretty, but the Velvet is different.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
I didn't want to put it in a pocket and didn't like the mass it added to the slim velvet. It adds 129 grams to the 180 gram LG Velvet, a significant increase, and increases the overall depth from 7.9 mm to 14.4 mm without the dual screen case. It does not have its own battery and is powered by the phone. To charge the velvet with the attached case, you need to use a small magnetic adapter, which can definitely be lost.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
So is it a miss?
In fact, there is a lot to like with the dual screen if you can overcome the extra size. From opening a separate browser window to using the case's 360-degree hinge to create a stand for watching videos to using the main screen as a control for selected games, this can be helpful. The user interface is also solid and its use is logical and straightforward.
LG told me that they expect people to turn the case on and off instead of leaving it on all the time. Although the screen folds around the back of the phone so it won't interfere, I preferred to remove the case for general use. On the other hand, I rarely found a compelling reason to put it back on.
Price and availability
The LG Velvet costs EUR 650 in Europe, which corresponds to a price of around USD 735. LG has not announced the official price in the United States and has left pricing to local airlines in the past. The launch date in the U.S. is also unknown at the time of writing, but the phone is now available in South Korea and parts of Europe. So expect more news soon.
Our opinion
For LG, the LG Velvet is a significant advance in phone design. The screen is as beautiful as most other phones, but it's a shame that the camera hasn't made any similar progress. I love the slim body, the performance is more than enough for most people and the battery life is decent.
However, I need a camera that takes great photos all the time, and the Velvet doesn't quite deliver. This is the phone's biggest weakness and will take the Velvet out of the competition for frequent smartphone photographers.
Is there a better alternative?
On the basis of the euro price as a basis for comparison, the LG Velvet can face the OnePlus 8 (699 euros) and the Motorola Edge (599 euros). Expect these phones to compete with LG Velvet when it launches in the U.S. and UK.
The OnePlus 8 is the better buy because of the faster processor, better camera, higher screen refresh rate and great software. However, the LG Velvet is lighter and more attractive, which makes it stand out. The OnePlus 8 and the LG Velvet both defeat the Motorola Edge, which also has a mediocre camera and struggles with some software quirks.
How long it will take?
The LG Velvet may be slim and slim, but it's also robust. The body has an IP68 waterproof rating and meets the MIL-STD 810G toughness test, making it durable. The 5G connection makes the Velvet a good buy for the future, too, because even if you don't have a 5G signal near you now, it may come later, and the phone gives you the chance to try it out without trying a new one buy phone.
Android 10 is now installed and updates the software. The company has been slow to upgrade older phones to Android 10, which means that an update to Android 11 may not be done very quickly later this year.
Should you buy it
Yes. The LG Velvet is an attractive, lightweight phone that performs well across the board, although it doesn't have a single outstanding function.
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