LG Velvet with DualScreen review

Introduction

So we've got three Galaxy S20s with rumors of Lite spin-offs on the way, three iPhone 11s and mumblings of an even larger Apple family this year, a sizeable bunch of Mi (Note) 10s, and several Find X2s. Pros and Lites, and Pluses, and Maxes, and Notes and whatnot.

LG? Well, LG has the Velvet now.

To be fair, LG's upper echelon hasn't been a masterclass in clarity itself. G8, G8x, G8s? Which market gets what, is it a midranger, is it a flagship, how many cameras does it even have - the G8 situation was the worst with some markets getting three, others two, on a handset with the same commercial name. And that ThinQ at the end was always more of a nuisance than a true brand identity. The V lineup has been somewhat more straightforward, though the V50S was but a 5G version of the G8X for South Korea.

There'll be none of that anymore. LG's giving up on the alphanumeric gibberish, and will be making phones that have expressive names, character and individuality, and the Velvet comes first.

It's a premium offering - the Velvet has a glass-aluminum build with IP68-qualifying sealing, properly stunning paintjobs, curved and extra tall OLED display, 5G capability. It has some mid-tier DNA too - that 5G-capable chipset comes from Qualcomm's 700 series, the camera system uses a middle-of-the-road 48MP main unit and is missing a telephoto, the 6.8-inch OLED maxes out at 60Hz. LG's goal for 'differentiated products with a clear character' shines though, even in the dryness of specsheet below.

LG Velvet specs

• Body: 167.2x74.1x7.9mm; 180g; MIL-STD-810G compliant; IP68 water and dust resistant; Aurora White, Aurora Green, Aurora Gray, Illusion Sunset, Red, Pink color schemes.
• Screen: 6.8" FHD+ (2460x1080px) OLED Cinematic FullVision Display; 20.5:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi; 60Hz refresh rate.
• Chipset: Snapdragon 765G (7nm+): Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1x2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver).
• Memory: 6/8GB RAM, 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage, microSD slot.
• OS/Software: Android 10, LG UX 9.0.
• Rear cameras: Main: 48MP, 1/2.0" sensor, 0.8µm pixels, 26mm equiv. focal length lens, f/1.8 aperture, PDAF. Ultra wide angle: 8MP, 1/4.0", 1.12µm, 15mm f/2.2fixed focus. Depth sensor: 5MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 16MP, 1/3.1", 1.0µm, 29mm, f/1.9 aperture, fixed focus.
• Battery: 4,300 mAh battery, Quick Charge 4.0+, USB PowerDelivery support up to 25W, fast wireless charging support up to 9W.
• Misc: Dedicated Google Assistant key; FM Radio (South Korea only), 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo speakers; optical under-display fingerprint sensor.
• Dual Screen: Optional snap-in secondary display; 6.8-inch FHD+ OLED (same as main one); additional 2.1-inch monochrome display on the front. 174.4x84.6x14.4mm; 129g, (309g combined); magnetic USB-C passthrough; no battery.

LG Velvet unboxing

The Velvet arrives in a relatively plain white cardboard box with its name stamped in a sleek typeface. LG's logo is relegated to one of the short sides of the box.

Inside the package, you'll find an adapter, rated at 9V/1.8A - so just 16.2 watts, and far from the promised 25W PowerDelivery support. It's also on the QuickCharge branch of the QC/PD compatibility as it has a USB-A port. A USB-A-to-C cable is included, naturally.

Also included is a set of in-ear headphones with nice attention to detail like braided cables and a reinforced L-shaped plug. LG may not be advertising QuadDACs this time around, but its focus on audio apparently remains.

Pre-orders of the LG Velvet in some markets will be getting a whole bunch of extras. Starting with the least important, those include a silicone case, but also a pair of truly wireless earphones, and finally and most importantly, the Dual Screen accessory. We got that last bit as part of the reviewers' package and we'll go over its functionality in due time. It has its own box, inside it - the snap-on screen and its magnetic port coupler.