Update 1 (02/01/2021 @ 12:16 PM ET): The first LG smartphone to get the Android 11 update is the LG Velvet, starting in Korea. Click here for more information. The article as published on December 11, 2020, is preserved below.

In a perfect world, Android 11 would already be available for every phone released in the last 18 months. But it’s a slow process, and if you’re an LG Velvet owner, your patience will soon be rewarded.

LG announced that an Android 11 beta preview for the LG Velvet will soon be available in South Korea. If you’re hoping to test the update out, you can sign up via the LG Quick Help app; the preview will then be rolled out as an over-the-air update.

It’s unclear how long LG plans to run the beta program before rolling out a stable build for LG Velvet owners. Hopefully not long, but in the event we are in for a wait, at least we have the changelog to obsess over:

LG Velvet Android 11 Beta Preview changelog:

  • Added a notification window for conversation
  • Added message bubble function
  • Added function to check deleted notification history
  • Added’Allow this time only’ function to grant permission only once when running the app
  • Added the ability to hide silent notifications IoT device control function added to the power screen
  • Navigation bar hiding function added to gesture mode Night time lapse and quick view function added to basic camera application
  • QR code scanning function added to basic camera application settings
  • Added keyboard size and position adjustment function

Announced earlier this year, the LG Velvet is a sleek handset that features a 6.8-inch POLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 processor, and a triple-camera setup. One thing that sets the device apart is that it features a special digitizer that enables Wacom stylus support with up to 4096 pressure levels. It’s a nice device and one that will undoubtedly be made better with the arrival of Android 11.

If you’re not in South Korea and can’t sign up for the LG Velvet Android 11 beta preview, well, we feel for you. But with testing now underway, hopefully, this means that a stable release is not far off.

LG Velvet Forums


Update 1: LG Velvet gets stable Android 11 update (in Korea)

In line with LG Korea's software update schedule for Q1 2021, the LG Velvet is first in line to get the Android 11 stable update. The software update is trickling out in Korea (via PiunikaWeb), but we don't know what changes have been made other than a bump in the underlying Android OS. Expect to see features like Android 11's new media controls in the notification panel, device controls in the power menu, and more, but we'll follow-up once we have more details on LG's Android 11 update.