Vivo makes several wonderful products that work admirably. It’s not only that its products are reasonably priced, they are performers too. The new Vivo V23 Pro 5G that we evaluated is the most recent model in the Indian market. The phone is the successor of the Vivo V21 Pro, and the most intriguing or eye-catching feature of the phone is its colour shifting capabilities, which make it yet another jewel in the company’s portfolio.
Yes, the colour of this excellent mid-ranger changes in the sunlight. There is so much to talk about in the Vivo V23 Pro review, so let’s give you all its details below.
Vivo V23 Pro Review: Design and Display
To begin with, the Vivo V23 Pro sports a sophisticated design with curved glass and a slender frame. The Fluorite AG glass pattern on the back is what really distinguishes the design. As said, it may change colour when exposed to sunshine or other UV-ray sources. The sunlight gold variety transitions from a golden to a cyan tint. The phone is also available in more subdued stardust black. Despite the fact that the back is composed of glass, it has a matte feel that does not gather fingerprints or smudges.
Vivo’s primary focus has always been on its camera. The camera module at the back is fairly huge, distinguishing it from other devices. On the front, there’s a notch with two selfie cameras. However, while this may appear old to some, it is substantially smaller than what we saw on the iPhone. This midrange is thin and pleasant to carry, and it weighs a startling 171 grams. It should be noted that the phone lacks an IP rating.
Vivo V23 Pro sports a 3D curved screen with a 6.56-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,080x 2,376 pixels. It looks fantastic! The panel has a refresh rate of 90Hz, supports HDR10+, and has a peak brightness of up to 1,300 nits. The display is shielded with a shot sensation protective glass cover developed in Germany. The side bezels are tiny, and the earpiece is buried between the display and the frame and cannot be seen. Dual spotlight LEDs are also visible on either side of the front notch, at the top left and top right. One may also modify the colour of the light to provide better illumination, allowing the selfie camera to capture more details even in extremely low light circumstances.
In terms of display performance, it provides brilliant colour and high brightness levels. However, given this is a premium smartphone, we would have preferred to have 120Hz refresh rate compatibility with up to 360Hz touch sampling rate. In addition, at the price being provided, 120Hz should be standard. The device does, however, support Widevine L1 and has a reasonable viewing angle for HDR watching. As a result, streaming Netflix and Prime Video material on this device is not a problem. Also, the curved edges give it a luxury vibe.
Again, the phone lacks stereo speakers, which could have been a major up in the segment. At the very least, we expected Dolby Atmos support, which is also missing. The 3.5mm audio jack is once again absent, although the wired headphones are supplied with it are Type-C connector enables and come in the box. Believe us when we say that the supplied wired earbuds are excellent.
Vivo V23 Pro review: Performance and camera
In terms of hardware and performance, the Vivo V23 Pro is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC. The chipset supports 5G and has 8GB RAM with 128GB storage and 12GB RAM with 256GB storage.
The chipset in the gadget is the same as what we saw on the OnePlus Nord 2. During extended gaming sessions, the phone throttles and warms up quickly. However, because we tested this phone in the winter, you will not have any heating issues in cool environment. However, throughout the summer, you may experience significant heating problems. So the most ardent gamers should search elsewhere. Yet, it may be used for leisure gaming, and Call of Duty can be played at the maximum settings.
The phone is buttery smooth and has no delays when used on a daily basis. In terms of software, the Vivo V23 Pro runs Android 12 with FuntouchOS 12 skinned on top, which is a good thing given that most companies are still releasing devices with Android 11. It contains all of the Android 12 features, but because it is a custom skin, you may notice a few tweaks to the widgets and recent applications (it is now shown in a grid kind of style). Aside from that, the gadget is highly optimised and feels smooth. In addition, the phone supports seven 5G bands (n1/n3/n5/n8/n41/n77 and n78).
The Vivo V23 Pro 5G’s camera is another major selling point. It sports a triple camera setup with a 108-megapixel sensor with an f/1.88 aperture, an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens and an f/2.2 aperture, and a 2-megapixel macro sensor and an f/2.4 aperture. Because Vivo is all about selfies, there’s a dual-camera arrangement upfront with a 50-megapixel primary sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and an 8-megapixel wide-angle sensor with an f/2.28 aperture.
The camera performs admirably in the daytime. The HDR works quite well and is even equivalent to high-end smartphones such as Samsung. The 108-megapixel camera inside allows for detailed photos. It also enables you to shoot in full 108-megapixel quality, though even without it, the photographs are clear and detailed. However, the colours captured by the main sensor are a bit oversaturated. The colour on the ultra-wide photographs is fine, but the main sensor images are too saturated; however, you may disable the scene optimiser to achieve more realistic results.
When it comes to low-light photography, the camera does not disappoint. There is nearly little noise, and the clarity and brightness are beautifully preserved.
In terms of selfie cameras, we believe Vivo has one of the finest. It creates photographs that are clean and crisp, and the HDR is very nice. Vivo has placed two spotlights on either side of the phone to shoot well-lit low-light photographs. As sad, the temperature of the lights may also be adjusted.
The back camera can take 4K @60fps footage, and HDR works quite well. There is also an ultra-stable mode, which is smooth and steady. In addition, there is a night mode for videos.
We got a good amount of stability for Selfie videos. Also, auto HDR is now available, and it works quite well. The face detection is also fairly good, your face will always be in focus. The coolest thing is that you can capture 4K selfie videos at 60 frames per second. So the business created the phone’s camera with today’s user requirements in mind, and especially if you’re into producing reels or stuff like that, Vivo has done a very nice job here.
There’s a 4,300mAh battery and a 44W fast charger, both of which are impressive. Personally, I believe the firm could have included a larger 5,000mAh battery, which is now normal. The phone easily lasted a full day with an hour of gaming, viewing a couple of movies, streaming music, testing the camera, and checking social media feeds. However, at the end of the day, you must charge it for the next morning. Furthermore, the 44W flash charger that comes with the package is another plus. It can quickly charge from 0% to 100% in 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Verdict
It is clear that the Vivo V23 Pro 5G is not a gaming smartphone, since the manufacturer has prioritised its design and camera specifications. Also, the phone is priced a little steep (Rs 39,000), and might be out of budget for some. At this price, the manufacturer could have focused on the thermals and added a 120Hz display. Aside from the fact that the Vivo V23 Pro is a fantastic phone, the only concern is its price. If you can afford it, we see no reason not to buy it.
Pros
- Beautifully designed
- Curved edges look premium
- Colour changing back panel
- Fantastic camera both front and the rear
Cons
- 90Hz display instead of 120Hz
- Lacks IP rating
- Not a dedicated gaming smartphone
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