LG will be launching their new Velvet on the 7^th of May, however, they have already announced the full specification and what it looks like, so the only details to be released are how much it costs and global availability.

This is another new phone that will feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G which is quickly becoming the most popular chipset of the year. Due to the high price of the SD865 this year, many brands are opting for the more affordable Snapdragon 765, and this is likely what the Google Pixel 5 will use.

Motorola is one of the other companies to recently launch a phone based on the Snapdragon 765G, giving premium design and specification, but a more affordable price compared to its Snapdragon 865 equipped Motorola Edge+ sibling.

The Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G was one of the first phones to launch with it, but it is is much more affordable than the other two. Then there is the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G which was announced last month and will likely be the first SD765 phone to be available through proper channels within the EU.

Chipset, RAM and Storage

All four phones have the excellent Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G offering 5G connectivity and superb performance without the extortionate costs of the Snapdragon 865.

As for storage and RAM, the base options for each phone is:

• LG Velvet – 8GB / 128GB with microSD
• Motorola Edge – 4GB / 128GB with microSD
• Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G – 6GB / 64GB no microSD
• Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G – 6GB / 128GB with microSD

Display and Design

The LG Velvet is a massive phone at 6.8-inches with a P-OLED display running at 1080 x 2460 pixels.

The Motorola Edge is the next largest at 6.7 inches with a 1080 x 2340 pixel OLED display running at 90Hz refresh rate.

Then the Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G at 6.67 inches with an IPS display but this runs at 120Hz refresh rate.

Finally, the smallest is the Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G with a 6.57 inch AMOLED display running at 1080 x 2340 pixels with a  standard refresh rate.

Camera

The camera specification is quickly becoming one of the factors that define a premium phone from an affordable one. It is not just the hardware that makes the camera, but the software processing. So it is not always clear which phone will be best.

However, looking at the hardware specs, from best to worse:

Motorola Edge

• 64 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.72″, 0.8µm, PDAF
• 8 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1.12µm, 2x optical zoom, PDAF
• 16 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1.0µm
• TOF 3D, (depth)
• 25MP selfie

Same primary sensor as the Redmi K30 5G but the telephoto lens makes this the stand out phone, plus it has the best ultra-wide lens

Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G

• 64 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/1.72″, 0.8µm, PDAF
• 8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm
• 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro), 1/5.0″, 1.75µm
• 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)
• 20MP selfie + 2MP depth sensor

This has the best selfie camera thanks to the additional depth sensor.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G

• 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, PDAF
• 8 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm
• 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro), 1.12µm
• 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)
• 16 MP selfie

To make matters more confusing, there is the unannounced Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite Zoom which swaps out the depth sensor to a 5x optical periscope zoom lens which would make this phone more appealing. Though we don’t know how this would be priced in the UK/EU.

LG Velvet

• 48 MP, f/1.8, (standard), 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS
• 8 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm
• 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro)
• 16 MP, (wide) selfie

Battery

All the phones have a large battery with both the Motorola Edge and Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G using a 4500mAh battery, then the LG Velvet at 4300 mAh and finally the Mi 10 Lite with a 4160 mAh battery.

Both the LG and Redmi have 30W charging, and the LG is the only phone to have wireless charging at 10W.

Then the Mi 10 Lite has 20W charging, and finally the Motorola at 18W

Price & Availability

The LG Velvet and Motorola Edge are priced at the higher end of the spectrum for a Snapdragon 765 based phone. However, they both justify this with a premium design and build quality along with flagship-like specs elsewhere.

It is believed the LG Velvet will be around £600 and the Motorall Edge will be priced at £549.

You can buy the Redmi K30 for a little as £321 on BangGood, but this is a grey import so not reflective on the true price you would pay in the UK. There has been no international release.

The Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G will cost €349 (£304) when it becomes available on Amazon Spain. It will be available in the UK at a later date.

Overall

The Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G is almost half the price of the LG and Motorola, though that is as a grey import, if it got launched in the UK they would be much closer in price.

While it does offer comparable specs in most departments, it lacks the finesse of the other two. There is no denying it is a superb choice and makes a great choice for anyone looking for the best band for your buck.

The Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G has comparable specs to the LG Velvet and will be officially available in the EU at a fantastic price, but it doesn’t quite compare with the Redmi K30 or Motorola Edge

We don’t have official confirmation on the LG Velvet, but assuming it is on the higher end of the market, a lot of the specs are a little underwhelming for what you are paying. It has the IP rating, and MIL-STD-810G compliance, all of which add to the cost. Plus you can use it dual screen with he separate display you can buy similar to the V60 ThinQ 5G — and stylus accessories. All of which could easily justify the cost, if those are things you want.

The Motorola Edge looks the most promising to me, though I wish it was IPS8 rated. The curved display looks beautiful from the pictures, and it has a well specced camera that should compete with many premium flagship phones. The 18W charge speed is a bit disappointing, but the 4500 mAh battery means it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Specification Comparison Table