You can find good 4K TV deals during almost any time of the year, but along with Black Friday, Labor Day sales offer perhaps the best opportunity to score a new Ultra HD smart television on the cheap. The end of summer and beginning of fall is a time when people are getting back into the regular rhythm of school and work, and with movie theaters closed down and the future uncertain, people are enjoying more at-home entertainment than ever.
If you’ve been thinking about setting up your own 4K home theater (or maybe just upgrading your old TV to a newer model), then the Best Buy Labor Day Sale has a ton of great discounts right now on some top-of-the-line UHD TVs from LG. To save you some time, we’ve already picked out the five best deals from the Best Buy Labor Day LG TV Sale and rounded them up below. Read on — your new home theater experience could be waiting for you right here:
49-inch LG NanoCell 85 Series 4K TV — $600, was $650
If you want a modestly sized, modestly priced 4K TV that won’t overwhelm a smaller room (or totally empty your wallet), this 49-inch LG 85 Series model is just about perfect. Despite its budget-friendly price tag, the LG 85 Series 4K HDR TV doesn’t cut corners when it comes to the latest features: It packs LG ThinQ A.I. with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built-in, allowing you to use voice commands without having to own or purchase a separate smart device, and its Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity allows you to easily hook it up to your home’s internet network for streaming. It’s compatible with any streaming devices you already own, too, and has multiple hookups for things like Blu-ray players and gaming consoles.
The 49-inch NanoCell screen can also self-adjust the brightness, color settings, and contrast to enhance whatever picture you’re viewing at the moment (dark scenes will look dark and not grayed out, for instance), and you can even connect up to two Bluetooth speakers to the TV for a custom sound setup if you want. The Best Buy Labor Day LG TV sale knocks this television down to $600.
65-inch LG NanoCell 90 Series 4K TV — $1,200, was $1,300
If you need something a bit bigger, the 65-inch LG 90 Series 4K HDR smart TV offers a ton of theatrical bang for your buck. At 65 inches, its vibrant IPS panel hits the sweet spot for most standard-sized home theater setups and common rooms — large enough to provide a cinematic experience, but not so big that it will overwhelm your space or be too difficult to set up properly. Like the 85 Series TV, this one has Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa smart technology built right in, while its webOS interface makes it easy to integrate your content libraries from all your favorite streaming apps.
At $1,200 after a $200 discount for the Best Buy Labor Day LG TV Sale, the 65-inch LG 90 Series 4K TV is arguably the best choice for anyone looking for a high-value big-screen UHD television that won’t break the bank.
55-inch LG BX Series OLED 4K TV — $1,400, was $1,600
Moving up in picture quality brings us to LG’s BX Series 4K HDR TVs which boast the latest in OLED panel technology. OLED TVs like this 55-inch LG BX Series television offer better dynamic contrast than standard LED screens, making them a worthy upgrade if you’re willing to pay extra for an improved picture and some added future-proofing (read: You don’t want to replace this TV for a while and attach a premium to that sort of longevity).
Along with that crisp 4K OLED panel, the BX Series UHD television comes with a bevy of other modern features of the sort you’d expect from a modern LG TV including pixel-level dimming, ThinQ A.I., Google Assistant and Alexa, and — of course — Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity for seamless streaming. It even has Nvidia G-Sync for gaming, something you usually see on gaming monitors rather than televisions. OLED TVs like this one have come down in price quite a bit recently, and you can score the 55-inch LG BX Series 4K TV for $1,400 ($200 off) during the Best Buy Labor Day LG TV Sale.
65-inch LG GX Series OLED 4K TV — $2,800, was $3,200
If you’re specifically looking for a 4K HDR TV to mount on your wall, then it doesn’t get much better (or sleeker) than the LG GX Series. This nearly frameless slimline television comes in at 65 inches — hitting that “Goldilocks” sweet spot in size we like — and looks almost like a painting once it’s installed thanks to LG’s Gallery Design mount that sets it flush against your wall.
That stunning design is paired with an OLED display that’s just as gorgeous, and under the hood, the LG GX Series packs a complete array of smart features for streaming, voice control, and picture quality that’s optimized for whatever sort of content you’re enjoying at the moment. A very nice $400 price cut just for the Best Buy Labor Day LG TV sale means you can score this perfect wall-mounted 4K HDR smart TV for $2,800 while this deal lasts.
77-inch LG CX Series OLED 4K TV — $3,800, was $5,000
For a super-sized home theater setup where even a 65-inch television would look too anemic, go big with the high-end 77-inch LG CX Series 4K HDR TV. This OLED-paneled smart television has it all: Pixel-level local dimming, LG ThinQ A.I., Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, auto-adjusting color settings, webOS and LG Channels for wired or wireless streaming, and Dolby Atmos sound — in other words, just about everything you could want from a bleeding-edge Ultra HD TV.
Pair this television with a full-on surround sound system and you’ll be able to enjoy the experience of the movie theater right at home. The Best Buy Labor Day LG TV Sale is your chance to score the beefy 77-inch LG CX Series 4K smart TV for $3,800 — a whopping $1,200 savings on its normal price.
We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we choose what we cover carefully and independently. The prices, details, and availability of the products and deals in this post may be subject to change at anytime. Be sure to check that they are still in effect before making a purchase.
Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.
Literally everything you need to know about the Galaxy S20
The Samsung Galaxy S20 is here, and with exciting upgrades in just about every area compared to the S10, it stands to be one of the best phones of the year. Whether you want to learn more about its design, specs, or price, here's absolutely everything you need to know.
Face masks in the near future might look a lot different.
The Korean electronic and appliance maker LG has announced plans to unveil its latest product: an air purifying face mask.
LG will showcase the PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier at this year’s annual International Franchise Association convention. The event is closed to the public this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The PuriCare Wearable uses two H13 HEPA filters to filter the air breathed in by the wearer, according to LG.
To assist with breathing, the wearable features dual fans and a respiratory sensor that detects the cycle and volume of the wearer’s breath, and adjusts the dual three-speed fans accordingly, the company says.
“The PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier is an exciting addition to our growing lineup of products designed to deliver meaningful health and hygiene benefits,” said Dan Song, president of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company. “At a time when consumers are seeking ways to make life safer and more convenient, it’s important that we’re able to offer solutions that add measurable value.”
According to LG, the wearable has a design that allows it to fit snugly on the user’s face for hours at a time, while minimizing air leakage around the nose and chin. The wearable has two settings including a low mode, which offers eight hours of use, and a high mode, which last two hours per use.
The wearable will come with a charging case that features a UV-LED light that kills harmful germs, the company said.
Details on a release for the PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier and its cost were not included in the news release.
You can find good 4K TV deals during almost any time of the year, but along with Black Friday, Labor Day sales offer perhaps the best opportunity to score a new Ultra HD smart television on the cheap. The end of summer and beginning of fall is a time when people are getting back into the regular rhythm of school and work, and with movie theaters closed down and the future uncertain, people are enjoying more at-home entertainment than ever.
If you’ve been thinking about setting up your own 4K home theater (or maybe just upgrading your old TV to a newer model), then the Best Buy Labor Day Sale has a ton of great discounts right now on some top-of-the-line UHD TVs from LG. To save you some time, we’ve already picked out the five best deals from the Best Buy Labor Day LG TV Sale and rounded them up below. Read on — your new home theater experience could be waiting for you right here:
49-inch LG NanoCell 85 Series 4K TV — $600, was $650
If you want a modestly sized, modestly priced 4K TV that won’t overwhelm a smaller room (or totally empty your wallet), this 49-inch LG 85 Series model is just about perfect. Despite its budget-friendly price tag, the LG 85 Series 4K HDR TV doesn’t cut corners when it comes to the latest features: It packs LG ThinQ A.I. with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built-in, allowing you to use voice commands without having to own or purchase a separate smart device, and its Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity allows you to easily hook it up to your home’s internet network for streaming. It’s compatible with any streaming devices you already own, too, and has multiple hookups for things like Blu-ray players and gaming consoles.
The 49-inch NanoCell screen can also self-adjust the brightness, color settings, and contrast to enhance whatever picture you’re viewing at the moment (dark scenes will look dark and not grayed out, for instance), and you can even connect up to two Bluetooth speakers to the TV for a custom sound setup if you want. The Best Buy Labor Day LG TV sale knocks this television down to $600.
65-inch LG NanoCell 90 Series 4K TV — $1,200, was $1,300
If you need something a bit bigger, the 65-inch LG 90 Series 4K HDR smart TV offers a ton of theatrical bang for your buck. At 65 inches, its vibrant IPS panel hits the sweet spot for most standard-sized home theater setups and common rooms — large enough to provide a cinematic experience, but not so big that it will overwhelm your space or be too difficult to set up properly. Like the 85 Series TV, this one has Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa smart technology built right in, while its webOS interface makes it easy to integrate your content libraries from all your favorite streaming apps.
At $1,200 after a $200 discount for the Best Buy Labor Day LG TV Sale, the 65-inch LG 90 Series 4K TV is arguably the best choice for anyone looking for a high-value big-screen UHD television that won’t break the bank.
55-inch LG BX Series OLED 4K TV — $1,400, was $1,600
Moving up in picture quality brings us to LG’s BX Series 4K HDR TVs which boast the latest in OLED panel technology. OLED TVs like this 55-inch LG BX Series television offer better dynamic contrast than standard LED screens, making them a worthy upgrade if you’re willing to pay extra for an improved picture and some added future-proofing (read: You don’t want to replace this TV for a while and attach a premium to that sort of longevity).
Along with that crisp 4K OLED panel, the BX Series UHD television comes with a bevy of other modern features of the sort you’d expect from a modern LG TV including pixel-level dimming, ThinQ A.I., Google Assistant and Alexa, and — of course — Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity for seamless streaming. It even has Nvidia G-Sync for gaming, something you usually see on gaming monitors rather than televisions. OLED TVs like this one have come down in price quite a bit recently, and you can score the 55-inch LG BX Series 4K TV for $1,400 ($200 off) during the Best Buy Labor Day LG TV Sale.
65-inch LG GX Series OLED 4K TV — $2,800, was $3,200
If you’re specifically looking for a 4K HDR TV to mount on your wall, then it doesn’t get much better (or sleeker) than the LG GX Series. This nearly frameless slimline television comes in at 65 inches — hitting that “Goldilocks” sweet spot in size we like — and looks almost like a painting once it’s installed thanks to LG’s Gallery Design mount that sets it flush against your wall.
That stunning design is paired with an OLED display that’s just as gorgeous, and under the hood, the LG GX Series packs a complete array of smart features for streaming, voice control, and picture quality that’s optimized for whatever sort of content you’re enjoying at the moment. A very nice $400 price cut just for the Best Buy Labor Day LG TV sale means you can score this perfect wall-mounted 4K HDR smart TV for $2,800 while this deal lasts.
77-inch LG CX Series OLED 4K TV — $3,800, was $5,000
For a super-sized home theater setup where even a 65-inch television would look too anemic, go big with the high-end 77-inch LG CX Series 4K HDR TV. This OLED-paneled smart television has it all: Pixel-level local dimming, LG ThinQ A.I., Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, auto-adjusting color settings, webOS and LG Channels for wired or wireless streaming, and Dolby Atmos sound — in other words, just about everything you could want from a bleeding-edge Ultra HD TV.
Pair this television with a full-on surround sound system and you’ll be able to enjoy the experience of the movie theater right at home. The Best Buy Labor Day LG TV Sale is your chance to score the beefy 77-inch LG CX Series 4K smart TV for $3,800 — a whopping $1,200 savings on its normal price.
We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we choose what we cover carefully and independently. The prices, details, and availability of the products and deals in this post may be subject to change at anytime. Be sure to check that they are still in effect before making a purchase.
Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.
Screen size: 6.8-inch p-OLED (2460 x 1080) CPU: Snapdragon 765G RAM: 6GB Storage: 128GB microSD: Yes, up to 2TB Rear cameras: 48MP main (f/1.8); 8MP wide (f/2.2); 5MP depth (f/2.4) Front camera: 16MP (f/1.9) Battery size: 4,300 mAh (AT&T); 4,000 mAh (Verizon) Battery life: 10 hrs: 29 mins Size: 6.6 x 2.9 x 0.31 inches Weight: 6.3 ounces
The LG Velvet is the electronics giant’s attempt to break out of the "seen one, seen 'em all" cycle of smartphone updates. While not groundbreaking, the handsome 3D Arc design on the mid-range LG Velvet at least represents something different. Even the Velvet name represents an attempt to break away from the string of letters and numbers that make up most smartphone monikers.
Our LG Velvet phone review found a stylish looking device that's capable of producing some pretty colorful photos, thanks to a trio of rear lenses. You also get 5G capability and pretty good battery life. Priced at $599, the LG Velvet would be a great alternative to pricier flagships -- if there weren't already cheaper phones that perform just as well.
LG Velvet review: Release date and price
The LG Velvet was first released in July in the U.S. after debuting in South Korea. AT&T sells the LG Velvet for $599. You can also get the phone at Verizon now, where you'll pay a $100 premium for a version designed to work with Verizon's Ultra Wideband 5G network. T-Mobile is slated to start selling the phone as well.
The LG Velvet's price puts it on the less expensive end of the 5G phone spectrum, costing $100 less than the OnePlus 8 and Samsung Galaxy A71 5G (provided you're buying AT&T's version of the phone). So far, only the £379 OnePlus Nord costs less among the best 5G phones, though that device isn't available in the US. The upcoming Pixel 4a 5G will cost $499 when it arrives, reportedly at the end of September.
LG Velvet review: Design
Design was clearly at the top of LG's priority list when it started work on the Velvet, and that focus pays off in the final product. This is not just another black slab of a phone, but one with curves and character.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
I particularly like what LG calls the phone's 3D Arc Design, which gives the Velvet symmetrical front and rear edges. More importantly, the curved corners really helped me get a good grip on the phone. Today's slick smartphones have a tendency to squirt out of my hand, but that never was a problem during my time with the LG Velvet.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
Flip the phone over, and you'll see another nice design detail. The three rear cameras on the LG Velvet are arranged on the left side of the phone in descending order. LG calls this the "raindrop" array, and while it seems like a small thing, it's a nice minimalist approach in an age where camera arrays bulge out from the backs of phones. You only need to look at the LG Velvet next to the comically oversized array on the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra to realize that LG went with the more clever design.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
AT&T offers the LG Velvet in Aurora Silver and Aurora Gray, which is a shame because those are the two least interesting colors in the rainbow of options LG has assembled. (Verizon at least livens things up with Aurora Red and Pink White versions to go with the gray model.) The Aurora Silver model I used to test the LG Velvet looks decent enough, but the flashier colors are more eye-catching. Also, the phone's glass-and-metal case is a fingerprint magnet.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
The LG Velvet's rounded edges make the phone appear a little thicker than rival devices, but it's a visual trick — at 0.31 inches, the Velvet is actually thinner than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Unlike those phones, the Velvet also includes a headphone jack, so who's complaining?
LG Velvet review: Display
The LG Velvet features a bright, colorful P-OLED screen with 2,460 x 1,080 resolution. LG uses a teardrop notch and small though still noticeable bezels at top and bottom of the phone to fit an expansive 6.8-inch display into the Velvet. The result is a pretty immersive viewing experience, whether you're playing games or watching videos, even if you don't get the faster 120Hz refresh rate found on other phones.
Watching the teaser trailer for the Suicide Squad sequel — we all have to make sacrifices for our job — John Cena's red Peacemaker getup popped off the LG Velvet's screen. Other phones I've tested have had problems with darkly lit scenes in the trailer for No Time to Die, but the LG Velvet handled those with aplomb. And the bright Golden of Age of Hollywood tones from Hail, Caesar! shone through when I streamed that movie over Netflix.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
According to our tests, the default display setting for the LG Velvet captures 140.6% of the sRGB color spectrum. That's a wider range of colors than the Pixel 4a (105.8%), though the Motorola Edge, which uses a Saturated setting as its default, captured 194.1%. When we set the Motorola Edge's display to a more natural setting, its sRGB reading of 138.8% was in line with what we saw from the LG Velvet.
The LG Velvet renders colors as accurately as other phones in this price range, with a Delta-E rating of 0.30. That's a little bit better than the Motorola Edge (0.32) and Galaxy A71 5G (0.33), as numbers closer to zero are more accurate.
The best part about the LG Velvet's display is how bright it is. With adaptive brightness turned on, we got a reading of 567 nits. That's not as good as the Pixel 4a's reading of 681 nits with adaptive brightness enabled, but it's ahead of the Motorola Edge (558 nits) and Galaxy A71 5G (481 nits).
LG Velvet review: Camera
You get three cameras on the LG Velvet — a 48-megapixel main camera, augmented by an 8MP wide angle lens and 5MP depth sensor. That means no telephoto lens — a common sacrifice for phones at this price range, though the Motorola Edge includes one.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
The LG Velvet can't compete against the best camera phones out there, but it still produces some decent-looking shots. And in some cases, the cameras can even surprise you with what they produce.
This shot of an apple tree in my backyard features realistic colors and a reasonable amount of detail — you can see some of the the patterns in the leaves in the foreground of the shot, and I think the LG Velvet did a good job recreating the splash of red beginning to stretch across the ripening apples.
A similar shot from the Moto Edge puts the focus on the apples toward the back of the tree, leaving the apple toward the front of the shot somewhat blurred around its edges. The LG Velvet takes the opposite approach, and the result is a better composed shot.
Moving indoors, this plate of waffles looks bright and colorful in the LG Velvet's photo, with the strawberries and sausage links glistening. However, the Velvet struggles a little bit with light pouring in from a nearby window. The Pixel 4 XL doesn't have that problem, and while its photo is a little bit darker than what the Velvet produced, it's also a more balanced photo that keeps everything sharply focused.
The LG Velvet really has a hard time when the lights are low, even after you enable the camera’s Night View feature. Some stuffed animals arranged in my backyard under a string of unforgiving blue LED lights aren't really in focus in the LG Velvet’s picture, and you have a hard time making out details, like the fig tree trunk in the background. My daughter's bubble-blowing toy on the left-hand side of the table is also a psychedelic blur.
The Pixel keeps the blue cast in its Night Sight shot, but all the animals and other objects are in focus. It's not a great shot, by any means, but it's better detailed than what the LG Velvet has to offer.
Wildfires in California make this a crummy time to take landscape shots with any wide angle lens, but this hazy shot of the Oakland skyline from across the San Leandro Channel looks a little better in the LG Velvet's version. The LG Velvet managed to keep all the building in focus, while the Motorola Edge's rendition loses some of the sharpness.
The depth sensor on the LG Velvet didn't really help when it was time to take a portrait shot. This photo of my daughter turned out okay, and even the shadows caused by the light from the nearby window are used to good effect here. But zoom in on the hair on the left of my daughter's head — the LG Velvet gets a little over-aggressive when it comes to blurring that hair, a problem the Motorola Edge didn't run into. I also prefer the Motorola Edge using a tighter frame on my daughter when it's in portrait mode.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
Besides blurs, you can have the LG Velvet try out other effects on portrait shots, everything from stage lighting to 3D photo effects. I used a cartoon effect on that same portrait of my daughter and I like what the effect imposed on the view outside the window on the left of the shot. I think the Velvet struggled with separating my daughter's hair and shirt from the rest of the background, though.
Those different portrait effects reveal that the LG Velvet has been designed with creative types in mind. That's also apparent when you explore the video capture capabilities of the phone.
You can record video at up to Ultra HD resolution, but LG has thrown in a few other features for capturing more distinct-looking footage. An ASMR recording mode, for example, lets you amplify faint sounds without having to worry about distortion. A short clip of some sausage links cooking in my oven amplifies the sizzle to make it sound like we're in a rainstorm.
I was less impressed by a voice bokeh feature that allows you to hone in on a particular subject's voice instead of any background noise. I tried to capture a video of my daughter singing along to her favorite pop song, but I noticed no real improvement with the bokeh voice feature enabled.
Up front, the LG Velvet features a 16MP camera that produces decent selfies, though you'll find better self-portraits elsewhere. Turning on the portrait feature with the Velvet's front camera, I look a little washed out, though the background blur effect is rendered decently enough. The Pixel 4 XL's version is brighter, though, even if my face isn't as ruddy in really life. I also think the Pixel does a better job accounting for the ambient light in the background.
LG Velvet review: Performance
The LG Velvet replaces LG's old G series of phones, which typically used the best Qualcomm silicon available at the time of release. The LG G8x ThinQ, for example, turned to the Snapdragon 855, the best Android system-on-chip when that phone debuted last year.
With the Velvet, LG is taking a different route, stepping down to Qualcomm's 7 Series of chipsets. You'll still get decent performance from the Snapdragon 765G powering the LG Velvet, but nothing approaching the Snapdragon 865 found in the best Android phones to come out in 2020.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
Not that the trade-off really matters. The Snapdragon 765G can handle most of what mobile apps and games throw at it, and as a result, the LG Velvet's performance either matches or exceeds comparably priced phones.
On the Geekbench 5 test, which measures overall performance, the LG Velvet posted a multicore score of 1,927. The OnePlus Nord — which also uses a Snapdragon 765G chipset — beats that ever so slightly with a score of 1,948. But the LG Velvet outperforms comparably priced phones like the Galaxy A71 5G (1,796) and Motorola Edge (1,867), both of which run on a Snapdragon 765.
The Snapdragon 765G is characterized by better graphic performance, so you'd expect a phone like the LG Velvet to dominate the competition. Our tests found a mixed bag, however. In 3DMark's Sling Shot Extreme OpenGL test, for example, the LG Velvet's score of 4,644 bested both the OnePlus Nord (4,251) and Motorola Edge (4,237). But on the GFXBench Aztec Ruins Vulkan test for high-tier devices, the LG Velvet's score of 548 frames or 8.5 frames per second fell just behind the Galaxy A71 5G and its standard Snapdragon 765 chipset, which produced a result of 551 frames, or 8.6 frames per second.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
The Snapdragon 765G comes with a built-in X52 modem, meaning the LG Velvet can connect to 5G networks where available. Our review unit came with an AT&T SIM card, and from my front porch, I could hop on to AT&T’s nationwide 5G network, which produces slightly faster download speeds than LTE. Once I moved to the backyard, thought, I was back in AT&T's 5GE network — a fancy way of saying LTE. That experience just speaks to the vagaries of 5G coverage at this point. Standing in my driveway, AT&T’s 5G network provided download speeds of 16.1 Mbps over 5G on the LG Velvet, and if that sounds bad, consider that a few feet way over LTE, my speeds topped out at 2.64 Mbps.
LG Velvet review: Battery life and charging
The 4,300 mAh inside the AT&T version of the LG Velvet hints at decent battery life, and the phone delivered in our testing. We set the LG Velvet's screen to 150 nits and then had it surf the web over a cellular connection — AT&T's in this instance — until it ran out of power. The LG Velvet lasted 10 hours and 29 minutes on this test, which is better than the average for smartphones.
(Note that the Verizon version of the LG Velvet has a smaller 4,000 mAh battery to accommodate the antennas needed to connect to the carrier’s 5G network. We’d anticipate a different battery result test for that model of the LG Velvet.)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
Some rival phones last longer. The Galaxy A71 5G, for instance, held out for 20 minutes longer on our test, getting closer to the 11-hour mark that's the standard for the best phone battery life. But the LG Velvet outperformed the Pixel 4a (8:55), which struggled in our testing.
You can charge the LG Velvet wirelessly if you want, and AT&T’s version of the phone comes with a 16.2W charger. (Verizon customers are treated to a 25W charger.) We got the phone back to a 24% charge after 30 minutes. The Galaxy A71 5G promises to get back up to 60% after half-an-hour of charging, and the OnePlus Nord's Warp Charge 30T gets you close to 70%, so the LG Velvet is on the slow side here.
LG Velvet review: Software and special features
The LG Velvet runs Android 10 with LG's overly fussy UX skin. At least, there's minimal duplication between LG's included apps and the Google ones that come with Android, but the AT&T version of this phone comes loaded down with extra software. In addition to an entire folder's worth of apps like AT&T ProTech, myAT&T, Call Protect and Mobile Security, you'll find icons for AT&T TV, HBO Max, and multiple Game of Thrones games among other non-essential downloads.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
LG offers a $199 Dual Screen case for the LG Velvet that adds a second 6.8-inch screen alongside the Velvet's standard display. As with other phones like the LG V60 ThinQ, you can use this second screen to run apps side by side or, in some cases, across a full screen. Gamers can turn one of the displays into a virtual gamepad. It's a little bit clunky, to be honest, though I did appreciate the 2.1-inch display on the Dual Screen case where notifications and other information can appear.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
Like the V60, the LG Velvet supports pens with Active Electrostatic (AES) digitizer technology. An included QuickMemo+ app works with such pens to let you sketch and create handwritten notes. I didn't have a chance to test this feature.
Recent LG flagships have featured a quad digital-to-audio converter, which have made those models some of the best sounding phones you can buy. That's missing from the LG Velvet, which offers stereo speakers and an LG 3D Sound Engine. Personally, I found the audio on the Velvet to be fine, but if you're used to that DAC on previous phones, prepare for a bit of a step back.
LG Velvet review: Final verdict
LG deserves credit for trying to shake up its phone lineup. The LG G series that the Velvet replaces just wasn't resonating with people. Swapping in a better looking phone — which the LG Velvet clearly is — is a big step toward making LG's handsets relevant with a wider audience. The cameras also take decent pictures, though LG would be advised to improve with low-light performance and portrait shots.
The problem the LG Velvet faces is that at $599 — or more, if you opt for Verizon's version — you're not getting maximum value for your buck. In the past few months, Apple, Google and OnePlus have all released phones that cost less than the Velvet and outperform it in crucial areas. The Velvet can claim better battery life than the iPhone SE and Pixel 4a, and it's got 5G compatibility, but otherwise Apple and Google offer more compelling phones. The OnePlus Nord is a better value, too, though at least LG has made its new phone available to U.S. shoppers.
The LG Velvet is a good phone that with a tweak here or there can be a great one. Anyone who puts a premium on style will be pleased with this device, but there are better bargains.
ALPHARETTA, Ga., Aug. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- HVAC industry veteran Steven R. Scarbrough has been named senior vice president and general manager of Air Conditioning Technologies for LG Electronics USA. Scarbrough, who brings nearly two decades of experience to his new role at LG, will be responsible for leading LG's commercial, residential, and applied air conditioning business in the United States.
HVAC industry veteran Steven R. Scarbrough has been named senior vice president and general manager of Air Conditioning Technologies for LG Electronics USA.
Based at LG's U.S. air conditioning headquarters in Alpharetta, Ga., Scarbrough reports to Senior Vice President DJ Kang, who leads the LG Electronics Air Solutions division in the U.S. Scarbrough succeeds Kevin McNamara, who has retired from LG.
Scarbrough joins LG from Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC U.S., where he has held a variety of key roles over the past decade, most recently as vice president overseeing its U.S. residential business. Previously, he was President of HVAC distributor Climatic Comfort Products. He brings strong sales leadership capability, industry experience and expertise in wholesale distribution sales management to LG.
"Steve's broad experience in the residential and commercial air conditioning sector will take our vision to the next level," said Kang. "His market expertise and focus on the customer and strategic growth will help strengthen our position as an HVAC industry innovator."
Scarbrough added, "LG has made tremendous inroads over the past decade with an incredible leadership team and has a well-defined vision for bringing groundbreaking HVAC products and controls to market. My focus is to build on this momentum to help the business achieve its full potential while further increasing recognition of the powerful reputation the LG brand has created in the HVAC industry."
About LG Air Conditioning Technologies The LG Electronics USA Air Conditioning Technologies business is based in Alpharetta, Ga. LG is a leading player in the global air conditioning market, manufacturing both commercial and residential air conditioners and providing total sustainability and building management solutions. From consumer and individual units to industrial and specialized air conditioning systems, LG provides a wide range of products for heating, ventilating and air conditioning. The company's industry-leading variable refrigerant flow (VRF) technology minimizes efficiency losses, provides sustainable energy savings and offers some of the lowest life cycle cost of any system on the market today. LG is a 2020 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year-Sustained Excellence. LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics Inc., a $53 billion global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, mobile communications, home appliances and air solutions. For more information, please visit lghvac.com.
Although it seems to have trouble selling its phones, LG arguably has no qualms taking risks in making very interesting ones. From the curved LG G Flex “banana phone” to the modular LG G5 to the recent generation of dual screen cases, the company has admittedly released impressive phones in the past years. It seems that LG will be at it again with the rather odd “LG Wing” and recent leaks are painting a picture of an eccentric phone that might actually be interesting and, more importantly, affordable.
It’s easy enough to make fun of the idea of a second square screen swiveling from beneath the main, full-length one. It’s is probably because it’s a bit inconceivable what you’d do with a second screen that’s only half the size of your phone. Fortunately, there are videos that give ideas on exactly that.
The first exclusive leaked video, courtesy of Android Authority, showed how the LG Wing would allow for running two apps at once, which is probably the main use case for this design. A new video clip, however, also suggests that the second screen could be used as an extension for the same app, for displaying maps or even stats in a game.
Of course, this would suggest that the app or game supports such a setup and Android apps, by default, don’t. As with LG’s Dual Screen cases, it requires that app developers take the extra steps to add support for utilizing a second display. And developers’ motivation will closely be tied on whether the volume of sales of a particularly unique device will be worth that extra work.
If the rumored US pricing for the LG Wing is on the mark, it could be an easy buy at around $1,000. That would suggest, however, that the phone will have less than premium specs, at least if the $600 LG Velvet is any indicator. That said, Korean media do report that the LG Wing will be one of the company’s most expensive, priced at around 1.9 million KRW (roughly $1,600), making it a more difficult sell in that case.
Can it fly? No, but the LG Wing is looking pretty slick.
We got an exclusive first look at the new LG Wing, a typical looking modern smartphone until you flip out the second display, or maybe you flip out the main display to reveal the half-sized second display underneath, we’re still unclear on that. Regardless the action, LG seems to understand that we often need more than just one display, but maybe don’t need two full displays, the LG Wing could be a fantastic solution.
Personally, I wonder if this is not an entirely new one-piece phone, but maybe an attachment that will clamp onto future LG devices? I can’t but think of Moto Mods and LG Friends, just as a display and extra speaker this time.
In other news, it’s been about a fortnight since Fortnite announced it’s intent to split ways from Apple and then split ways with Google. They’ve removed their app from the app stores, so they don’t have to continue paying the roughly 35% fees to Google and Apple, those amounted to over $365 million. Moving forward, you will need to side-load Fortnite, and not all phones are supported. That’s why we’re here right now:
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