The Vivo V29 Pro emerges as a striking mid-range smartphone, setting itself apart from the competition with its refreshing design and impressive point-and-shoot cameras. After a month of using the phone, here's my perspective on Vivo's latest offering in the camera-centric mid-range category.
The premium mid-range smartphone category has experienced a lack of innovation for some time. While most phones in this price range prioritize a compelling price-to-performance ratio, Vivo's V series distinguishes itself with impressive point-and-shoot cameras. I had the opportunity to test the Vivo V29 Pro for about a month, and here's my experience with the company's latest mid-range device.
Vivo V29 Pro Specifications:
- 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen
- MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipset
- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage
- 50MP + 12MP telephoto + 8MP ultrawide + 50MP selfie sensor
- 4,600mAh battery with 80W fast charging
- FunTouch OS 13 based on Android 13
Design and Display: In a market where most smartphones within this price range share similar aesthetics, the Vivo V29 Pro introduces a refreshing design that sets it apart. I opted for the Himalayan Blue color, featuring a textured look that adds to its aesthetic appeal.
The phone's glass back imparts a premium feel but can be slippery. While it offers a decent grip, users with smaller hands might find the 6.78-inch AMOLED screen to be on the larger side. Even as someone who typically avoids using phone covers, I found myself opting for one to enhance grip during my usage.
The device boasts a 120Hz AMOLED screen, providing crisp visuals compared to other phones in the same price range. The display remains visible under direct sunlight, and the phone performs well in various lighting conditions. Notably, the curved display, which I usually find divisive, feels natural on the Vivo V29 Pro.
Running on FunTouch OS 13 based on Android 13, the software experience is smooth for everyday use. While the default launcher includes some consistent animations, the software does come with pre-installed bloatware, which can be disabled or uninstalled. Although the Quicktile settings panel has a dated appearance, it doesn't significantly hinder the overall user experience.
Camera: Vivo positions its V series as camera-centric, and the Vivo V29 Pro lives up to this reputation. Equipped with a 50MP primary camera, it delivers impressive photos under various lighting conditions. Images are sharp, detailed, and exhibit minimal to no noise. The phone also provides a toggle for quick switching between natural and oversaturated photo modes, delivering as promised.
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Featuring a usable 12MP telephoto lens, the Vivo V29 Pro stands out in the under USD 160 price segment. While the telephoto lens generally performs similarly to the primary camera, there were occasional challenges when zooming in on subjects, possibly due to a software issue.
The ultrawide camera, typical of phones in this price bracket, falls short in terms of detail and may produce soft images with noise in low-light conditions. Nevertheless, the photos remain usable for social media sharing.
The selfie camera, equipped with a 50MP sensor, captures high-quality images with exceptional detail retention. Although I'm not an avid selfie-taker, the Vivo V29 Pro stands out with one of the best front cameras I've encountered on a smartphone.
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vivo V29 Pro Specification
| LAUNCH | Announced | 2023, October 04 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available. Released 2023, October 10 |
| BODY | Dimensions | 164.2 x 74.4 x 7.5 mm (6.46 x 2.93 x 0.30 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 188 g (6.63 oz) | |
| Build | Glass front, glass back | |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| DISPLAY | Type | AMOLED, 120Hz |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.78 inches, 111.0 cm2 (~90.8% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 1260 x 2800 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~453 ppi density) |
| PLATFORM | OS | Android 13, Funtouch 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Mediatek Dimensity 8200 (4 nm) | |
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.1 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3x3.0 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) | |
| GPU | Mali-G610 MC6 |
| MEMORY | Card slot | No |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
| MAIN CAMERA | Dual | 50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, (telephoto), PDAF, 2x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide) |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Ring-LED flash, panorama, HDR | |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps |
| SELFIE CAMERA | Single | 50 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), AF |
|---|---|---|
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
| SOUND | Loudspeaker | Yes |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE | |
| Positioning | GPS (L1), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I), GALILEO (E1), QZSS (L1), NavIC | |
| NFC | No | |
| Radio | No | |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
|---|
| BATTERY | Type | 4600 mAh, non-removable |
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 80W wired, 1-50% in 18 min (advertised) |
| MISC | Colors | Himalayan Blue, Space Black, Pink |
|---|---|---|
| Models | V2251 | |
| SAR | 1.17 W/kg (head) 0.77 W/kg (body) | |
| Price | ₹ 39,990 |
| TESTS | Performance | AnTuTu: 682257 (v9), 904412 (v10) GeekBench: 3999 (v5), 3764 (v6) GFXBench: 43fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | |
| Camera | Photo / Video | |
| Loudspeaker | -30.0 LUFS (Average) |
