One of the biggest names we were expecting at MWC was LG, typically showing up in Barcelona with its latest flagships with horribly clunky names. Case in point: The LG V60 ThinQ 5G or the G8X ThinQ Dual Screen. Those really aren’t the sexiest names for flagship phones. LG Velvet, on the other hand, immediately conjures up mental images of soft, luxurious fabric. Well, that’s what LG is hoping, anyway. The company has been struggling to remain relevant for years and this week it announced its upcoming flagship will be named Velvet. In a press release, LG said the word is meant to evoke images of “lustrous smoothness and premium softness.”

Chris Velazco / Engadget

The new branding is a move away from alphanumeric naming standards, which, good riddance. As a reviewer, I loathed having to write “LG V60 ThinQ 5G” over and over. The Velvet will feature a “unique ‘Raindrop’ camera and symmetrical, flowing form factor that is both pleasing to the eye and pleasing to touch.” If I had to attempt to translate that to normal human speak, I’d say that probably means this handset will be curvier and perhaps less boring than the existing V-series.

Speaking of curvy phones, Motorola also announced it’ll be hosting a virtual launch event on April 22nd for the rumored Edge+. Based on the leaks we’ve seen, this might be the company’s first high-end phone in years, following a slew of midrange and budget-friendly handsets like the G and E series. The Edge+ is said to have a 6.7-inch display that curves away from the front on both edges and feature a 108-megapixel camera with wide-angle and telephoto options as well. It reportedly packs a premium Snapdragon 865 processor with a sweet 5,000mAh battery, too. A less exciting version called the Edge will reportedly be available too, just with a Snapdragon 765 processor instead.

These two companies have been lagging the likes of Samsung, Apple and Google for a while, and it’s nice to see them try harder to challenge the industry leaders. The smartphone industry could use some variety. Though, I’m not entirely convinced that the Velvet nor the Edge+ can give the Galaxies, iPhones and Pixels any serious competition.