The gorgeous LG Velvet 5G might be pretty affordable in the US after all
Initially expected out as early as February under a conventional G9 ThinQ name, LG's newest high-end (ish) smartphone was officially unveiled in May with an entirely different and decidedly unusual moniker, as well as an objectively gorgeous design.
But although the long-struggling mobile division of the Korea-based tech giant placed a lot of confidence in the mass appeal of the 5G-enabled Velvet, this budget-friendly bad boy is still not up for grabs in many key global markets. Fortunately, that's set to change soon, but while we were extremely optimistic about the affordability of the 6.8-inch handset prior to its domestic debut, our optimism took a big hit when the LG Velvet 5G started selling at the rough equivalent of $735.
Since then, the company kept mum on the official US retail pricing matter, which is rarely a good sign, but now a self-proclaimed "technology pundit" specialized in in-depth phone camera reviews has some pretty encouraging information to share. Apparently, Juan Carlos Bagnell was told by someone undoubtedly reliable at LG that the Velvet "will cost less" stateside "than the current KRW-to-USD conversion of $750."
That's actually not the encouraging part, mind you, as a recommended US price point of, say, $730 or $740 would still feel a little steep. But $650 certainly does not feel exaggerated for this absolute beaut, and indeed, the LG Velvet 5G "could cost more than $100 less" than $750 "depending on the US SKU."
Naturally, all the usual warnings and stipulations apply, with exact pricing and availability varying by carrier and retailer, not to mention that we obviously don't expect the Velvet to support Verizon's blazing fast mmWave 5G network at $650. But low and mid-band compatibility for T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint use would arguably be more than enough to make the LG Velvet 5G an excellent alternative to Samsung's $600 Galaxy A71 5G.
Apart from its eye-catching design, the Velvet has a large and sharp OLED display going for it, as well as the same respectable Snapdragon 765G processor as the US Galaxy A71 5G variant, a decent 6 gigs of memory, 128 gigs of internal storage space, microSD support, a headphone jack, hefty 4,300mAh battery, and a trio of rear-facing cameras including a primary 48MP shooter.
The upper mid-range handset stands out from the pack with a couple of truly unique features too, like active stylus support and dual screen capabilities, although both productivity-enhancing accessories are expected to be sold separately from the $650 device itself.
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