Content
- Equipment and design
- Software
- Cameras
- Performance & Tests
- findings
The vivo V series seems to be average, but in the Pro version you can tear yourself away, right?That's exactly what vivo did: top-of-the-line hardware from 2021, curved screen, very fast charging, 300Hz touch... Is it possible that an interesting smartphone of the mid-high-end segment has appeared in Russian retail?Well, let's take a closer look at the vivo V25 Pro.
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Vivo V25 Pro Specifications |
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| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Firmware | Android 12, Funtouch OS 12 |
| Screen | 6.56", 2376×1080 dots, 19.8:9, 398 ppi, AMOLED, curved, 120Hz, touch 300Hz, 1300 nits |
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimension 1300, 6 nm CPU: 1 x A78 x 3 GHz + 3 x A78 x 2.6 GHz + 4 x A55 x 2 GHz GPU: Mali-G77MC9 |
| Ram | 8/12 GB |
| ROM | 128/256 GB |
| SIM and memory card | Two nano-SIM slots |
| Camera | Main: 64 MP, Samsung GW3, 1/1.72", 0.8μm, phase detection autofocus, f/1.9, OIS, 2160p@60fps video recording wide angle: 8 MP, OV8856, 1/4", 1.12μm, Prime Focus, f/2.2, 1080p@30fps Movie Recording Macro: 2 MP, fixed focus, f/2.4 |
| Selfie | hole in the center, 32 MP, Samsung GD2, f/2.5, autofocus, 1080p@60fps |
| Battery | 4830 mAh |
| Charging | USB Type-C, 66W |
| Wireless interfaces | Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.2 GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC |
| NFC | there is |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint scanner (on screen) |
| Sound | Mono |
| Water protection | Not declared |
| Dimensions and weight | 158.9 x 73.5 x 8.6mm 190 g |
| Price |
Equipment and design
vivo does not position the V25 Pro as a premiumdevice, but rather as the flagship of the V-series, so it is sold in the same gray box with the same cool kit. There is not only the inevitable SIM needle and documentation, but also an 80-W charger, and a USB cable, and a simple silicone case, and even headphones with an adapter for them. Yes, exactly “for them”: it is impossible to insert the complete headphones directly into the smartphone.
vivo V25 Pro is sold in only two colors -black and blue. The back is made of pleasant frosted glass, but the ends, unfortunately, are plastic. However, I remind you that we do not have a premium smartphone here, but just an average one, so everything is fine. The layout of the elements on the case is standard: at the bottom you can find a slot for two SIM cards (memory cards are not supported), a microphone, USB Type-C and a speaker, there are buttons on the right, and a microphone on top.
In the photographs, you probably noticed a curvedscreen. Every time a manufacturer makes such a panel, you immediately worry: what will happen to ergonomics? There can be two options: either the manufacturer will perfectly calculate the profile of the case, and the phone will lie like a glove, or get thin sharp ends and be glad that they do not literally cut your hand. vivo's experience with curved screens is not the best, but in the V25 Pro they managed to make the case really comfortable. The location of the buttons is also good, and the under-screen fingerprint scanner pressed to the bottom does not bother me personally.
The maximum frequency of the 6.56" AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2376x1080 pixels is120 Hz, and in 120 Hz mode, you can manually select which applications will have a high frequency and which will not.The touch frequency is also 120 Hz, but in games it is "overclocked" to 300 Hz.I have no complaints about the brightness, contrast and color reproduction of the display, the panel is excellent.It's not bent too much, but if you're concerned about issues such as gray areas on the ends and gluing films, then it's better to take a closer look at the option with a flat display.Although one film "out of the box" is glued, and of high quality.
Unlike other vivo V25 series models,"Proshka" received a linear vibration motor, and very good in its execution. There are not so many different effects, but in general the tactile feedback is pleasant. But what is unpleasant is the lack of stereo. vivo, are you serious? I thought that after the X50 Pro + you remembered that making cool smartphones with mono is not comme il faut and generally bad manners. And you again. Eh.
Software
The vivo V25 Pro software is another reason to say “Eh”.The fact is that for China, vivo has a very interesting and unusual Origin OS shell. But in the global market, vivo refuses to use it, continuing to install Funtouch OS. It's not that it's bad - no, it's a great shell with a bunch of cool features and a pretty nice design - but Origin OS is definitely more interesting. Hopefully vivo will change this policy in the near future.
Of the good points - vivo V25 Pro, although notupdated to Android 13 at the time of writing the review (early December), but should be updated very soon. Along with the new "green robot" will arrive a new version of Funtouch.
Cameras
The main camera of the vivo V25 Pro is triple: a 64-megapixel base with optical stabilization based on a 1/2" Samsung GW3 sensor, an 8-megapixel wide with an OV8856 sensor and a 2-megapixel plug for macro.As you can imagine, the main interest is aroused by the main camera, and the rest of the cameras cope with their direct duties, and enough from them.Nevertheless, I shot not only on the base, but also on the wide:
Night shots vivo V25 Pro, no doubt, doesVery good. OIS allows you to take a shutter speed of 1-2 seconds, which the smartphone enjoys and uses, taking pictures with high detail and illumination. But I have questions about daytime photos. No, detail, lighting, noise reduction, white balance - it's all great. But there are still algorithms that “improve” the frame. And, firstly, they work very unstable, which is why two photos taken in a row can look completely different. And secondly, they often simply rethink fragments of the frame as they please, distorting the original picture. On the other hand, it even reassures - AI, tangled up from wires against a background of brickwork, will definitely not take over the world.
The front camera is based on 32-megapixelsensor Samsung GD2. The quality of the selfie is really excellent, as is usually the case with vivo. In addition, there is autofocus, so you will be the center of attention from any distance. Through this lens, it’s not a shame to connect to a video link or make an avatar.
vivo V25 can record video in high quality2160p@60fps, but, unfortunately, only on the main camera. With OIS, you get a great combo that allows you to shoot in a variety of conditions. Shirik modestly writes at 1080p@30fps, front camera - at 1080p@60fps; You can't switch between cameras while shooting.
Performance and tests
The vivo V25 Pro is based on a rather rareMediaTek Dimensity 1300 chipset. We already saw it in OnePlus Nord 2T, there are a couple more models based on it (also from OPPO and vivo), but that's it. However, the chip becomes much less rare if you remember that the 1300 is identical to the 1200 - MediaTek's flagship from 2021, used in the Realme GT Neo, Xiaomi 11T, OnePlus Nord 2 and other hit devices. Let's see what this crystal can do in vivo:
auto mode
Overall, not bad.There is throttling, but not strong - not two or three times, as is sometimes the case with flagships. A 20% drop is within reason. There is no difference between normal and performance modes, so you don’t have to bother and don’t turn on anything manually. And just to play, fortunately, it plays well: even Genshin Impact at maximum speed goes without any problems. Yes, not 60 fps, but stable about forty - you can. In simpler games, everything will be all the more wonderful, and the “simpler games of Genshin Impact” class includes almost all mobile games in the world.
Game Mode
vivo V25 Pro battery capacity is 4830mAh is unexpectedly large for the thin and light body of this smartphone, but slightly less than the market average. In combination with cool hardware and a cool screen, this gives an average level of autonomy: up to 20 hours of YouTube, or up to 6.5 hours of browsing, or up to 6 hours of games. In other words, one full day or 1.5-2 with not very active use. In 6.5 hours of testing (the three already mentioned scenarios for an hour each plus the camera, benchmarks and games), the smartphone was discharged by 106% - that is, I had to recharge it on the way to continue testing.
But it didn't take me long:66-W charging fuels the smartphone from 2% to 100% in just 55 minutes. A quarter of the battery is replenished in ten minutes, half in 25 minutes, and 90% in 45 minutes. With the accounting wattage, this is, frankly, slow, but in general it is quite fast. You can charge your phone for a full day during breakfast, at least.
Conclusions
vivo V25 Pro is a great mid-range smartphone.Yes, the manufacturer made a mistake with stereo speakers, but otherwise the impressions are positive. Two excellent cameras, a cool 120Hz screen with manual application settings, a comfortable and beautiful body, high performance, fast charging. The main question is the price: initially, the V25 Pro came to Russia for an insane 54,999 rubles (+ TWS 2e wireless headphones were a gift), and since then it has fallen in price to 49,999 rubles. When the price drops more, then the “mid-range flagship” will become a more reasonable purchase.
© Oleg Lazarev.