Verizon may carry the LG Velvet upon its US release in August
Instead of the predictable G9 flagship, LG took the dustier road, and revamped not only the naming concept of its flagship line, but also its specs niche and its looks. Instead of uninspiring G-series numbers that rarely proved a hit with consumers, the company now has a new Velvet phone with the name reflecting its individuality.
Chief among the telltale signs of a different design concept is the "raindrop" camera arrangement on the back of the LG Velvet, and it's precisely the inspiration for this new approach that the chief LG designer recently sat and talked about.
It was led by the desire to break with the "uniform design" flow these days. The result? Well, a rather unorthodox look from the back, and something that immediately attracts attention in the world of giant camera island abominations (looking at you, S20 Ultra).
It was led by the desire to break with the "uniform design" flow these days. The result? Well, a rather unorthodox look from the back, and something that immediately attracts attention in the world of giant camera island abominations (looking at you, S20 Ultra).
The raindrop/teardrop/dewdrop shape of the camera is additionally emphasized by flushing two out of the three lenses with the rear surface. Again, unlike those ugly protrusions we see left and right these days. The camera is not the only signature design piece, though, as LG will offer the Velvet in a variety of cool new finishes, and those are able to look very different from different viewing angles.
LG Velvet release date in the US
While the phone is released in its home turf, and the US pricing has been tipped already, it is yet to hit the shelves in the US. Yesterday, "sources familiar with the matter" tipped The Elec that LG will start mass production of the US model "next month," so August is the LG Velvet release month on Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile.
The reason we say Verizon is because LG is reportedly making "design changes, including adding a millimeter (mm) wave antenna," indicating a big possibility that we will see it in Big Red's roster.
This will be LG's signature phone for the second half of the year in the US, report the sources, but the company is comparatively modest with its Velvet sales projections of about 300,000 units in the US.
LG Velvet specs and price list:
- Display: 6.7" 1080p, 20.5:9 aspect ratio
- Processor: Snapdragon 765 5G
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 128GB
- Main cameras: 48MP main + 8MP wide-angle + 5MP depth
- Front camera: 16MP
- Battery: 4300mAh
- Price: $650
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