Vivo V15 Pro Review: Lot of Innovation At a Solid Price

Vivo has transformed itself into a brand that stands for innovation and their strategy has paid off. The Indian market also has liked what they are doing and the buzz and business around the handsets has been good. Vivo’s first device in 2019 is the Vivo V15 Pro which comes with a front pop-up camera and a full screen front. I spent time with the device and here is my detailed review of this phone.

Specifications

The design is unique and it stands out from the crowd. Vivo has ensured that the crafting and materials are really premium grade. Thr device has a very pronounced camera bump in the back where the triple cameras are and the lines of the bump blend well with the rest of the rear side. The dual tone blue color unit that I got for review had a great psychedelic effect when light hit it at various angles. The volume rocker and the power button are on the right side. There is a separate SIM tray and a dedicated storage expansion slot in the left and bottom side respectively. The phone has a micro-USB socket in the bottom with a speaker grille. The front camera is a pop-up camera that comes out only when you take selfies. The fingerprint scanner is in-display and not a separate one.

Ticks all the right boxes for design, weight, usability and look and feel. The phone is comfortable to hold and use. It grips well and is not slippery. It is the right weight for single handed use too. The back cover that comes in the box is also well thought out and practical.

The smartphone is packed with a lot of innovations in this segment such as the world’s first 32 MP pop-up selfie camera and AI enabled 48 Million Quad Pixel Sensor (12Million Effective Pixels) + 8MP + 5MP triple rear camera. To create a great and smooth experience, the device is powered with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 675AIE octa-core processor supported by an enhanced CPU and GPU, which consumes less power while delivering flagship level performance.

The V15 Pro is the first smartphone to be packed with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 675AIE octa-core processor. The smartphone further enriches user experience with 6GB RAM, 128GB storage and the latest Funtouch OS 9 Operating System, based on the Android 9.0. The amalgamation of powerful specifications ensures a seamless UI experience, outstanding gaming capabilities, stellar camera features and smoother multitasking. Despite being ultra-sleek and lightweight, the V15 Pro is a powerhouse packed with a massive 3700 mAh battery. Additionally, Vivo’s exclusive Dual-Engine Fast charging ensures that the phone is charged up to 24% in just 15 minutes.

What this means to the end user is that you get a phone that can perform well without lag or stutter. I put it through a lot of multi-tasking, gaming and video streaming, the phone did very well under load. The processor is a middling one and hence when you try to play games like PUBG, you need to ensure that you play in the mid settings and not the higher ones. I have absolutely no issues with the performance of the device and it meets my requirements and even exceeds them.

The V15 Pro creates a great and immersive visual experience by incorporating a 16.23cm (6.39) Super AMOLED Ultra FullView™ Display screen that comes with a 91.64% screen-to-body ratio – a first in the V series. The smartphone also incorporates Vivo’s industry-leading fifth-generation In-display fingerprint scanning technology, which comes armed with a higher fingerprint pixel density and more sophisticated algorithms, allowing faster, flawless and a more secure unlocking experience.

The screen is good and the colors are very well fleshed out. The in-screen fingerprint scanner unlocks the phone in a jiffy and there are absolutely no delays or issues there. Sunlight legibility is also very decent with this phone.

Taking inspiration from the last year’s NEX, V15 Pro carries the same Elevating Front Camera, but this time, it is even better. The Vivo V15 Pro incorporates an industry-first 32MP pop-up selfie camera, which delivers good clarity. The unique pop-up front camera, housed within the phone body, smoothly emerges from the top of the smartphone and retracts once the selfie has been clicked. The design works like magic and ensures the camera system’s safety and reliability.

The V15 Pro features an AI enabled 48 Million Quad Pixel Sensor (12 Million Effective Pixels) + 8MP + 5MP triple rear camera with 1/2.25-inch sensor and a large f/1.8 aperture along with a 32MP Pop-up front camera. The smartphone uses quad-pixel technology, which combines 4 adjacent pixels into one ‘super pixel’ delivering high-quality 12MP photos, while ensuring clearer and sharper low light photography. The powerful combination of 8MP AI-enabled Super Wide-Angle camera, a 5MP Depth camera and an upgraded AI algorithm allows for a wider 108 degrees view that results in better picture composition. Here are some pictures I took with the phone

The powerful hardware is complemented with AI to make professional photo-taking a breeze. The all-new AI Super Night Mode makes shaky night shots a thing of the past, as consumers can now capture amazing night scenery without a tripod or a DSLR camera. The AI Super Night Mode can instantly take multiple photos at different exposure. It also brilliantly combines them to greatly improve brightness and clarity allowing night scenes to be captured with great detail.

Besides creating great low-light shots, the V15 Pro camera is capable of optimizing each shot by detecting the photo conditions. It comes equipped with upgraded AI Body Shaping to AI Portrait Lighting features, for enhancing the photography experience. After identifying photo scenes, the AI suggests appropriate filters, and with time learns to produce better results.

The battery is 3700mAh with Dual-Engine Fast Charging and lasts easily through the day on a single charge. Fast charging helps to charge up in a jiffy and go for the day. The phone supports 4G LTE for all the operators in India and call quality was excellent. All in all, a very impressive device.

Verdict

At INR 28,990/- this phone is a compelling buy if you are looking for a phone that is a complete package and delivers a top notch experience. This one packs a lot of innovation at a great price. An impressive mid-ranger in a while.