LG Velvet 5G is a Worthy Launch of a New Design Direction
This marriage of conformist design, solid performance, and sub-$600 price could make it a good mid-range choice
It’s been a while since I’ve carried an LG phone that might draw stares. Over the years, the company’s ThinQ series has grown to belie its name, getting thicker and bulkier with each iteration. I remember holding the LG V60 ThinQ in my hands at a launch event last year as LG execs told me that a big change was coming.
The LG Velvet 5G (approximately $599 in the U.S.) Android 10 smartphone is the harbinger of that change.
Gone is the bulk and thick, utilitarian edges. In their place is a sleek, subtle design that shows far more glass than metal. The front of the 6.8-inch, Android 10, 5G handset features waterfall curves that meet a thin chrome spine, which features a power/sleep button on the right side, volume rockers on the left, and below that, a dedicated Google Assistant button. Along the bottom edge is a speaker grill, USB-C power and data port, and a throwback 3.5 mm headphone jack (the phone does not ship with earphones).
