LG Velvet Teardown: A Closer Look Inside LG’s Stylish Final Flagship

Even though LG exited the smartphone market, their final flagship devices like the LG Velvet still attract attention—for good reason. With its sleek curved glass design, vibrant OLED display, and triple camera setup, the Velvet remains a desirable phone, especially for DIY repairers and refurbishers.

In this post, we take you through the complete teardown process of the LG Velvet, sharing practical repair tips and pointing out the engineering highlights and challenges inside this stylish device.

⚠️ First Things First: Handle With Care

Before we dive in, a quick warning:
The LG Velvet has glass on both the front and back, and its mid-frame is exceptionally thin. This makes it particularly fragile during disassembly. Patience is essential—rushing or forcing components can easily result in damage.

🔧 Tools You'll Need:

• Self-heating pad or heat gun

• Plastic pry tools and opening cards

• Isopropyl alcohol (90% or higher)

• PH000 precision screwdriver

• Tweezers and a nylon spudger

🧊 Step 1: Removing the Rear Glass (Approx. 2 Minutes)

Start with the back panel.
The LG Velvet’s rear cover is made of glass and is strongly glued down.

We used two Magic self-heating pads, placed on the back of the phone for about 10 minutes. Once the glass was warm to the touch, we carefully created a gap using a plastic pry tool.

Into the gap, we applied a few drops of isopropyl alcohol to soften the adhesive. After that, we switched to a plastic opening card to work around the edges—metal tools are too sharp and can damage the frame.

💡 Pro Tip: Start near the top of the phone by the camera, where there’s usually less adhesive resistance.

Gently slide the card along the edge, applying more alcohol as needed. Don’t twist or bend the glass—it’s thin and cracks easily.

🔋 Step 2: Removing Internal Covers and Disconnecting Components

Once the rear glass is off, you'll find a plastic cover protecting the motherboard and camera module. This is secured with about 10 Phillips screws. Remove them, then gently lift the cover. Don’t forget to disconnect the NFC and wireless charging cable before pulling it out fully.

Before touching anything else, disconnect the battery first. Then detach all flex cables one by one—including the display, charging port, speaker module, and cameras.

📸 Step 3: Examining the Camera and Motherboard

The LG Velvet’s rear camera setup is modular, with:

• A 48MP main sensor

• Ultra-wide sensor

• Depth sensor

The front camera is also modular and comes off easily.
The motherboard itself uses a graphite pad and a metal mid-frame for heat dissipation—a clever design choice.

🔋 Step 4: Battery Removal – No Pull Tabs Here

The 4300mAh battery is glued in tight, with no pull tabs for easy removal.

Apply isopropyl alcohol around the edges and let it soak in. Carefully use a plastic card or spudger to loosen the battery. Avoid anything metal, and never pry aggressively—damaging a lithium battery can be dangerous.

📱 Screen Replacement Tip

If your goal is to replace a cracked screen, be warned:
The OLED panel is fused to the frame. Separating it without breaking it is extremely difficult. Your best bet is to replace the entire display assembly.

🧰 Reassembly

To reassemble, just reverse the steps:

• Reconnect all flex cables

• Install the motherboard and camera modules

• Screw down the internal frame

• Apply new adhesive or double-sided tape to the rear glass

• Use light pressure or clamps while the adhesive cures

Final Thoughts

Despite its fragility, the LG Velvet is quite repairable if you take your time. Most internal components are modular and accessible once the back is off. However, the glued-in battery and screen-fused frame do present challenges.

If you're confident with DIY repairs and take care during the heating and prying process, this teardown is very doable.

📹 Watch the full teardown on our YouTube channel for step-by-step visuals and repair tips.
🔧 Got a phone you’d like us to disassemble next? Let us know in the comments!

🛠️ Need tools or parts?

[With Frame] LG Velvet 5G & G9 ThinQ 5G Front LCD Touch Screen Display Assembly: https://www.polartech.com.au/products/with-frame-lg-velvet-5g-g9-thinq-5g-front-lcd-touch-screen-display-assembly

LG G9 / Velvet 5G Back Rear Glass Battery Cover Panel: https://www.polartech.com.au/products/lg-g9-velvet-5g-back-rear-glass-battery-cover-panel

[BL-T47] LG G9 / Velvet 5G Replacement Battery: https://www.polartech.com.au/products/bl-t47-lg-g9-velvet-5g-replacement-battery-1

LG G9 / Velvet 5G Charging Port Charger Connector Microphone Sub Board: https://www.polartech.com.au/products/lg-g9-velvet-5g-charging-port-charger-connector-microphone-sub-board