LG Velvet, the latest dual screen smartphone from LG, is the cheapest dual screen capable phone yet it is surprisingly a refresh on LG’s dual screen phone lineup.
LG Velvet retails for $599 which is remarkably cheaper then the around $800 retail price of LG V60, released in March of 2020. Needless to say – the specs are not going to be as impressive on this mid-range phone; for example, Velvet uses the Snapdragon 765. However, it is still quite an impressive device within its own category.
While LG Velvet is missing Quad DAC that is present in V60, it still retains the headphone jack. The Velvet still matches the 6.8 inch screen, 1080 x 2460 pixeles screen of V60 while increasing the screen-to-body ratio from 83.6% (on V60) to 88.6% and reducing the weight from 216 g to 179 g.
One of my initial complain about LG V60 was that it had significant weight when attached to a case on (351 grams), however the weight of Velvet with its dual screen case is 308 grams which feels much better in hands.
LG Velvet on top with LG V60 on bottom 
V60 on top, Velvet on bottom
My other minute complain was the glassy front cover of the V60 dual screen case. Fortunately, LG choose to not go that route with the Velvet.
LG Velvet on right 
LG V60 on left
The battery life of this phone is excellent as it is backed by a 4300 mAh battery. While this is a significant reduction from 5000 mAh battery of V60, 4300 mAh is still a large battery for its category and time. Velvet, like V60, supports a stylus which is also a novelty at this price range.
The dual screen case of LG Velvet does have one minor downside – it is a little extra work to take off. The idea for taking off these LG dual screen cases have always been the same – push on the camera cutout portion and the case will easily popup like shown in this video. Unfortunately, because the camera cutout is not centered in Velvet, so removing the case requires extra steps like shown in this video.
The dual screen functionality in LG Velvet is practically the same as that of its predecessors. Since I have extensively written about covered dual screen functionality on my LG V60 review, I won’t bother writing the same things all over again.
“media consumption mode” 
possible “reading mode” 
“gaming mode” 
“typing mode” 
portrait typing mode for the brave
And if this phone could not get better, it is one of the cheapest 2020 phone, if not the cheapest, to support desktop mode. For reference, desktop modes is, for most part, only supported by compatible phones from Samsung, Huawei, and LG. Essentially, you can plug your phone to a monitor, connect a mouse and keyboard, and enjoy the content of your phone in a traditionally desktop looking platform. One of the major way LG improved desktop mode in Velvet is by including inclusion icon of the minimized application on the “taskbar”. Said feature is absent in V60’s desktop mode.
Closing Thoughts
LG Velvet is a good phone on its own but it becomes an excellent device when coupled with dual screen case and niche features like desktop mode, stylus support, and LG Pay. I wish LG had bumped the refresh rate from 60 Hz to at least a 90 Hz which would have made it more future proof, however LG’s choice to include 5G has gone a long way in establishing Velvet as a future proof device.
P.S. My review unit came with a UV phone sanitizer (shown in this post) but I am not sure if consumers can get it or not.
