LG has formalized in South Korea the Velvet, a new smartphone that inaugurates a new series in the brand’s range. Far from being a standard-bearer like the V60 ThinQ 5G, the Velvet wants to reconnect with the tradition of LG where design takes precedence over the design of the technical sheet. Its price does not exceed 700 euros. It will go on sale in Korea on May 15.
On April 28, the Velvet, evoked by LG a month ago, was fully unveiled 10 days in advance. That is to say the eagerness of the group to present it. The Asian brand’s teasers suggested that the phone could be the starting point for a new chapter in LG’s long history in telephony. The sign of a revival for a brand that has just very difficulty finding a new lease of life.
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But the Velvet is a curious way to approach this new chapter. Indeed, it is not a “standard bearer”, as a V60 ThinQ 5G could be, but a less technologically ambitious model. The Velvet has a premium mid-range smartphone technical sheet. Either the same market segment as the Motorola Edge (not the Plus version) or the Nokia 8.3 5G formalized a month ago. These three mobiles share the same platform and probably the same ambition: to offer 5G access at a relatively affordable price.
10 days later, LG announces the price of the Velvet. It will be sold from 15 May to the three major Korean operators (LGU, SKT and KT) for 899,800 won. That’s about 680 euros. This price is slightly higher than that of the Motorola Edge and The Nokia 8.3 5G, both sold for 599 euros. By approaching 700 euros, LG positions itself more against a OnePlus 8 (128GB version), for example. Note that LG has not yet confirmed whether the Velvet will be available outside of South Korea.
LG first takes care of appearances
Unlike the V-range, the Velvet swaps technological ambition for physiological ambition, thus taking longer to heal appearances. A large 6.8-inch OLED Full HD display in 20.5/9th format (almost 21/9th in cinemas) with fingerprint reader. A retro-looking circular notch for the selfie sensor. Rounded and metallic angles. Curved slices on both sides. A mineral glass dress. And a lack of protrusions in the photo sensors. We almost think we’re back from the days of the Black Label line and the New Chocolate, when design took precedence over everything else.
What’s inside? A Snapdragon 765G to bring 5G. 8GB of RAM connectivity and 128GB of expandable internal storage with a memory card. 4300 mAh compatible fast charging and wireless charging. Triple 48-8-megapixel photo sensor at the back. 16-megapixel selfie sensor at the front. Port jack 3.5 mm on one of the slices. Android 10 preinstalled. In short, a balanced technical sheet, but that will not always satisfy the most demanding. It remains to be seen whether the price, much lower than that of the flagships of the competition, will appeal to those who are more sensitive to aesthetics than to performance.
