We take a look at the LG Velvet smartphone, which costs 369 dollars. Because some of its specs and features are a little obsolete, this mid-tier smartphone has a lot to prove, and the market can be harsh for it.
The mid-tier smartphone, which was launched for 369dollar, is sure to face stiff competition, as several of its specs and features have been outdone. However, given the price and features, it has some appeal and a few other aspects that work in its favor.
Display and design
We used the Velvet for a while, and the design gets a thumbs up right away. While LG phones have been improving year after year, the Velvet is a significant step forward in terms of design for the company's smartphone. With a curved screen on both sides, a glass back, and a metal chassis, it provides a luxury feel. It resembles Samsung Galaxy phones from a few years ago to some extent, but it is vastly superior.
There are colors as well. New Black, Aurora Silver, and Illusion Sunset are all available (Red-ish). However, because to the shiny glass, you will see a lot of smudges and fingerprints at the back, regardless of the color. It is undeniably eye-catching, but some people may not appreciate being the center of attention.
That said, the front is all screen, and the back is as straightforward as it gets, with three cameras placed on the top left corner, one below the other. There are no accents, curves, patterns, or anything like that. A plain back is all there is to it. The grip is also poor because to the sloping sides. The LG Velvet, on the other hand, can be perfect for you if you prefer elegant phones.
In terms of display, the Velvet has a tall screen on a narrow device. This is due to the fact that it boasts a 6.8-inch P-OLED panel with a resolution of 2460x1080 pixels and a 20.5:9 aspect ratio. However, the weight balance remains unchanged, and we found it to be just as usable as any other handset. The display is excellent, with bright and vibrant colors. Streaming FHD and QHD videos become a joy as a result. This one is also useful for gaming because it has a larger screen. However, because of the panel bends on both sides, playing for lengthy periods of time may be difficult.
Despite the fact that there are visible screen bezels on all sides, they won't bother you too much. The waterdrop notch at the top, which houses a single camera, may be a source of irritation. This appears to be the most archaic part of an otherwise attractive screen. But, then again, this is a matter of opinion.
Cameras, performance, and battery life
LG Velvet's performance isn't its best feature. While the global variant has the Snapdragon 765G, which is a newer and more sophisticated chipset, the Indian variant has the Snapdragon 845. Yes, the processor is old, but you won't notice any latency in day-to-day activities. The handset performs admirably even when playing games or juggling many programs. We also used it with the dual-screen add-on and had no issues.
Also, unlike the Galaxy Note and S series, LG does not appear to be positioning Velvet as a powerful and ultra-premium handset. Because of its market positioning, it is priced under $400 and is intended for typical use. However, we would have preferred if the business had used a little better SoC, as this one will not be future-proof for long. 6GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage support the processor, which is more than plenty even by today's standards.
A 48-megapixel wide-angle sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, and a depth sensor make up the triple back camera. The cameras, for the most part, perform admirably and default to 12-megapixel resolution. The camera UI is likewise good, easy to use, and feature-rich, as it has been for the past few years in other devices from the brand. The focus is swift, and the images that arise are brilliant, colorful, and pleasing to the eye. AI HDR is also on by default, and thankfully, it doesn't substantially alter your image.
While the photographs captured with the primary camera are sharp, those captured with the ultra-wide sensor are lacking in some details. It's only evident when you zoom in. The bokeh images, on the other hand, are well-handled, with a nice amount of background blur and quite precise edge detection. In low-light circumstances, we recommend using the dedicated Night Option rather than the standard mode because the former catches slightly more details and the colors appear more natural.
The 16-megapixel front camera is good for capturing details and portraits, with good background and subject detection. Selfies taken in low light aren't the best, but they'll suffice. Sharpness is difficult to achieve, but the colors are well represented.
The LG Velvet has a 4,300mAh battery, which is below average by today's smartphone standards. We're seeing handsets with 5,000mAh batteries as the new standard, with some going as high as 6,000mAh and even 7,000mAh. If you're an average user, Velvet's 4,300mAh battery will get you through the day. Heavy users would almost certainly need to bring a charger with them. But, then again, the phone isn't designed for heavy use. Hours of Call of Duty on'very high' graphics depleted the battery faster than intended. Using the secondary screen accessory will make it even worse because it draws power from Velvet's battery. However, the 'Settings' app contains software adjustments and choices that allow the handset to run for extended periods of time.
Verdict
The LG Velvet does its job well, and for $369 it appears to be a good value, since it can handle apps effectively, looks premium, and has a camera setup that can do its job while offering the user some changes for better control and in particular situations. Another benefit is that the device features a very well-designed display that is crisp, vibrant, and enjoyable to look at.
The Velvet, on the other hand, is not the finest pick if you go by numbers and specifications. You'll get the Snapdragon 845 processor from 2018, which is three generations old. The battery life isn't great for hard work or gaming, and while the overall build quality is excellent, the gleaming design with glass back isn't for everyone.
So, if you're looking for a sub-$400 handset that will last for the next 2-3 years, looks premium, and gets the job done quickly, Velvet is one of your possibilities. Otherwise, smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro provide higher specifications, including sophisticated processors, better camera specs, and features such as 144Hz refresh rate, 108-megapixel camera, and AMOLED panels.
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