LG Velvet
LG Promises Updates for Current Phones
LG today announced that it will continue to issue Android operating system updates for three years for its premium phones, and two years for its lower-end phones. The pledge follows the news earlier this week that LG will stop making phones by mid-year. For premium phones, LG's commitment is "up to three iterations of Android operating system updates from the year of purchase". This applies to G series and V series phones released in 2019 and later, as well as the Velvet and Wing. Lower-end models include the K series and Stylo phones released in 2020 "will receive two OS updates".
T-Mobile Successfully Tests Carrier Aggregation with 5G
T-Mobile has successfully tested the world's first 5G standalone (SA) data session with New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR CA) on a commercial smartphone. Carrier aggregation lets a mobile device on a wireless network use more than one frequency band simultaneously, boosting available bandwidth and therefore increasing data speeds. Carrier aggregation has long been a standard feature of 4G (LTE) networks, but is just now coming to 5G (NR) networks. T-Mobile's test used an LG Velvet phone with a MediaTek Dimensity 1000C chipset to connect to Ericsson network equipment over two bands: band 41 (2.5 Ghz, AKA mid-band) and band 71 (600 MHz, AKA low-band). T-Mobile says CA boosts download speeds on its band 41 by 20 percent on average initially.
T-Mobile's LG Velvet is Cheaper Thanks to MediaTek 5G Chip
T-Mobile today announced that will start selling the LG Velvet on September 10th. T-Mobile's version will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1000C chip, instead of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765G. This change will allow T-Mobile to offer the Velvet for $588, a tad cheaper than the $600 that AT&T charges for its Velvet. The Dimensity 1000 is MediaTek's flagship SoC with integrated 5G, and the 1000C variant is tailored to the US market. The 1000C also adds supports for Dual Display, a key feature of flagship LG phones such as the Velvet. The Velvet will be the first 5G phone in the US powered by a MediaTek chip. T-Mobile will offer two color choices: Aurora Gray and Pink White.
Hands On with the LG Velvet
The Velvet is LG's 5G flagship phone for 2020. Instead of aiming for the very best specs on the market, LG has attempted to deliver a very premium 5G experience at a reasonable price. For example, the Velvet uses a Snapdragon 765 chip instead of Qualcomm's pricier 865. Did LG strike the right balance? In this hands-on, we take the Velvet for a spin to find out.
Red Velvet Comes to Verizon This Week for $700
Verizon will start selling the LG Velvet this Friday, August 21st, for $700. Verizon has a US exclusive on the Aurora Red color. AT&T already sells the Velvet in silver and gray, and T-Mobile also plans to sell the Velvet. As with many 5G phones this year, only Verizon's model includes mmWave 5G as well as sub-6 GHz 5G. Verizon currently only offers a mmWave 5G network, with higher speeds but limited coverage. The company will launch its sub-6 5G network (with broad coverage but less impressive speeds) "soon".
LG's Premium "Velvet" Launching in US for $600
LG today finally revealed the US launch details for its design-centric flagship phone for 2020, the Velvet. The Velvet will be offered by all three major US carriers, starting with AT&T tomorrow. It specs are just shy of competing flagship phones, but still very high-end. Crucially, it's significantly cheaper at just $600. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chip, 6 GB of RAM, and a 4,300 mAh battery. The AT&T and T-Mobile versions offer sub-6 GHz 5G. As usual, Verizon will offer a special version that also supports mmWave 5G. Other specs include a 6.8-inch full-HD OLED display with HDR10, 48 megapixel main camera, 8 megapixel wide-angle camera, 16 megapixel selfie camera, Quick Charge 4+, and IP68 water resistance. It also has 128 GB of storage, memory card slot, headset jack, NFC, stereo speakers, and an in-display fingerprint reader. The Velvet supports its own Dual Display, which adds a second full-size display plus small outer display as part of a hinged case accessory. The Velvet also supports and optional stylus, and can operate in a special desktop mode when connected to a large external monitor or TV. LG has emphasized design in launching the Velvet, touting its "3D Arc Design", "raindrop-inspired rear camera array", "flowing lines, polished surfaces, curved corners and symmetrical front and rear edges". Colors available in the US include Aurora Gray, Aurora Silver, Aurora Red, and Pink White, although specific colors and pricing "will vary by network partner". The Velvet will come to T-Mobile and Verizon "later this summer".
LG Shows a Little More Velvet in New Video
LG has released a new teaser video for its next major phone, the Velvet. The video confirms several color options, and that the phone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 chipset with 5G. The video shows the phone in white, black, dark green, and a color-shifting purple/pink/gold design with a gold metal frame. LG has been slowly teasing the new phone for several weeks. Previously, LG had revealed the phone's name, and shown design sketches. The new video provides a much clearer look at the Velvet.
LG's Next Flagship Phone Will be Called "Velvet", Not G9
LG Electronics has announced that it is "moving away from alphanumerical designations [such as V60 or G9] in favor of familiar and expressive names that will help the consumer capture the essence of the device best suited for his or her personality and ever changing trends". The first new phone launched under this new strategy will be the LG "Velvet". All indications are that this will be the phone that was previously expected to be called the LG G9.
