LG’s new smartphone is Velvet, looks radically different from previous efforts

It’s about time we saw something really new from LG’s smartphone division. It’s a shame it’s taken the end of of the freaking world as we know it for it to happen. LG’s announced a new smartphone design and roadmap from the company, called LG Velvet. Which… is quite a departure from the company’s G-series naming convention. But then, the phones’ll look a little different too.

Something borrowed, something new

LG’s redesign has yet to be seen in the flesh but the company’s released a few renders of what their smartphones are expected to look like when we can finally head out to buy them. We’ve also got some idea what the redesign is concealing.

Expect a new Raindrop camera design, which looks far artsier than previous workmanlike designs. The cascading set of drops making up the main sensor, secondary sensors, and the flash do look rather pretty. LG’s also touting 3D Arc Design, a new curved shape to its smartphones that put us in mind of Samsung’s design reinvention with the Galaxy S8. If LG’s changes go even half as well as their South Korean competition’s did, they should be rather pleased indeed.

What we don’t know is when we’ll see LG’s Velvet platform (which may or may not still carry the old naming conventions, let’s be honest). The Verge claims that a handset from the line was set to release on 15 May but that, like so many other things this year, may be postponed. Apparently LG’s fashion statement smartphone won’t launch with the highest-end specs, however. The company hopes to make the lineup a little more… affordable.