LG Velvet 5G – Our Hands-on Review
Reading a review about a phone and experiencing it first-hand are different experiences – what works for one is annoying for another. What stands out for one pales in comparison for another. For me, I am just an everyday person who wants my device to work – and to work well. No, I am not an influencer, nor am I anyone famous, but what I am is impatient. I hate to wait, and I hate to struggle with tech. With that I mind, I reviewed the LG Velvet, and I loved it.
First things first, the design is something futuristic. It’s Tall and long would think it would be awkward to operate, but that was not the case at all. Easy and comfortable to hold the design made sense to me, and I believe other devices could and should consider going this route. The mix of glass and metal in the design gives it an elegant yet sexy look – kinda like the cool kid on the block. The curved 6.8-inch OLED display offers a bright, vivid and dare I say exciting viewing experience. Exciting because no matter what I was viewing, I felt immersed. The screen-embedded fingerprint sensor was also very convenient to operate and gave me no issues at all. The design comes with the comfort of being IP68 water and dust resistant, and while not rugged, it is MIL-STD-810G compliant, so whether you get thrown in the pool or take a tumble it is all good!
Now, back to my patience issue… I think LG may have missed the boat on calling this beauty Velvet Lighting. This baby is quick! Although it sports a mid-range processor – you wouldn’t say. I experienced no lag and no buffering – an issue I had on my previous mid-range device. I must have spent at least 10 minutes, just scrolling from one YouTube post to the next just because I was that impressed. Truth be told I was trying to catch the phone out – it did not work! And yes, its 5G – one of the few models on the market that are. Packed with 6GB RAM multitasking was a breeze.
If I am going to nitpick – the camera could have performed a little better; however, it still produced great shots. The placement of the triple camera system vertically on the back makes sense and its neat. Day time shots are great, and the night view mode works just as well. Featuring 10x zoom I must admit the photos were a bit grainy but seriously I would never use this function anyway, so I’m not even mad. What I did really like is the simple access of Google Lens built into the software. If you haven’t used it before it has several functions like identifying what you are looking at and suggesting where you can buy it, to translating signs in a foreign language. Also, the obligatory food and building identifiers. We cannot travel now, but it’s a cool feature to have at the tip of your fingers.
The video function can record in Full HD and has a handy stabilizer built into the software as well. So, if you’re nervous or just naturally shaky, the Velvet has your back! What I liked about the recording function was the sound options built into the recording software. ASMR recording amplifies the sound, so even the softest noise becomes audible. Voice Bokeh reduces this noise so you can focus on the subject at hand. And yes, I am sure there are apps for this but it is cool to have decent options ready to go.
The sound is great. It does not have LG’s Quad DAC tech built-in, but that’s okay. The speakers were loud enough, and the sound quality was excellent And, LG has included the 3.5mm jack which seems to be disappearing from the scene – I see you LG and thank you!
Finally, the battery comes in at 4300mAh – now considering the size of the screen this may not seem impressive, but the Velvet lasted me through the day with mid to heavy usage, and I still had a little to spare by bedtime – so good going and well done.
If you could not tell already, I love this device. It is cool, it is slick, and most importantly, it does what it is supposed to and well. For me, the way the device works is paramount – not necessarily what it can offer. The LG Velvet delivers on features, and my user experience was top class – I would recommend this phone to anyone. Coming at R11799 on prepaid you can also get a cool cover and screen protector for this device from R150 each.
My sign off? If you get this phone – you will not be disappointed!
