LG Velvet vs Samsung Galaxy S23: Can a 2020 Flagship Still Compete?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user in 2024, the Samsung Galaxy S23 is the clear winner. While the LG Velvet offers a unique design and may be available at a significantly lower price, the S23’s vastly superior Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, coupled with its brighter display and longer software support, provides a substantially better overall experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | LG Velvet | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE | HSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 7, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, July 28. Released 2020, July 31 | 2023, February 01 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2023, February 17 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 167.1 x 74.1 x 7.9 mm (6.58 x 2.92 x 0.31 in) | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6 mm (5.76 x 2.79 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) |
| Weight | 180 g (6.35 oz) | 168 g (5.93 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) MIL-STD-810G compliant* *does not guarantee ruggedness or use in extreme conditions | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2460 pixels (~395 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.8 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~88.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | P-OLED | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1750 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) | Octa-core (1x3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 630 | Adreno 740 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12 | Android 13, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 3.1 - 128GB only UFS 4.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Triple | 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 15mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm Auxiliary lens | 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Single | 16 MP, f/1.9, 29mm (standard), 1/3.06, 1.0µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | FM radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 15W wired, QC3 9W wireless | 25W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4300 mAh | Li-Ion 3900 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Aurora Silver | Phantom Black, Cream, Green, Lavender, Graphite, Lime |
| Models | LMG910EMW, LM-G910EMW | SM-S911B, SM-S911B/DS, SM-S911U, SM-S911U1, SM-S911W, SM-S911N, SM-S9110, SM-S911E, SM-S911E/DS |
| Price | About 360 EUR | $ 237.95 / C$ 336.75 / £ 255.00 / € 322.41 / ₹ 49,990 |
| SAR | - | 0.95 W/kg (head) 0.88 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.96 W/kg (head) 1.30 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 101h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - | -27.0 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 1231075 (v9) GeekBench: 4950 (v5.1) GFXBench: 110fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
LG Velvet
- Potentially significantly lower price
- Unique and stylish design
- May appeal to users seeking a smaller form factor
- Outdated chipset and performance
- Limited software support
- Inferior camera capabilities
- Slower charging speeds
Samsung Galaxy S23
- Exceptional performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Bright and vibrant display
- Excellent camera system
- Long-term software support
- Fast charging capabilities
- Higher price point
- May be too small for some users
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S23 boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching a measured 1198 nits, compared to the LG Velvet’s unspecified peak brightness (though likely considerably lower). This difference translates to vastly improved visibility in direct sunlight. While the Velvet’s display quality is likely adequate, the S23’s superior brightness and infinite contrast ratio provide a more immersive and enjoyable viewing experience. The S23 likely utilizes LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates, further enhancing efficiency and smoothness, a feature absent in the Velvet.
Camera Comparison
Both devices offer photo and video capabilities, but the S23 likely holds a significant advantage in image processing and overall quality. While specific sensor details for the Velvet are unavailable, the S23 benefits from Samsung’s advanced image signal processing (ISP) and likely a larger main sensor. The S23’s superior processing power allows for better low-light performance, dynamic range, and detail capture. The Velvet’s camera system, while functional, will likely fall short in challenging conditions. We're ignoring the likely presence of low-resolution auxiliary cameras on both devices.
Performance
The performance gap between these two devices is substantial. The LG Velvet’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (10nm) is a capable chip, but it’s generations behind the Samsung Galaxy S23’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm). The 4nm process node of the S23’s chip offers significantly improved power efficiency and thermal management, resulting in less throttling during sustained workloads. The S23’s CPU, featuring a Cortex-X3 prime core, delivers a noticeable performance boost in demanding applications and gaming. The Velvet’s older architecture will struggle with modern, resource-intensive tasks.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy S23 achieves an impressive 11:27h of active use and an endurance rating of 101 hours, demonstrating excellent battery life. While the LG Velvet’s battery capacity is unknown, its older chipset and less efficient display likely result in shorter runtimes. The S23’s 25W wired charging with PD3.0 and 50% charge in 30 minutes is significantly faster than the Velvet’s 15W QC3 charging. The S23 also offers 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Velvet.
Buying Guide
Buy the LG Velvet if you prioritize a unique design aesthetic, are on a very tight budget, and are comfortable with a phone that will likely no longer receive software updates. It's a good option for basic smartphone tasks. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 if you demand top-tier performance, a vibrant and bright display, excellent camera capabilities, and guaranteed software support for years to come. It’s the choice for power users and those who want a future-proofed device.