Vivo recently launched its new mid-range smartphone in India, the Vivo V15 Pro. It brings in a lot of new and unique features on board. Some of which have been dragged down directly from its high-end smartphones like the in-display fingerprint sensor, a bezel-less display, pop-up selfie camera, 48-megapixel primary camera and much more. Are these features really helpful or are they just a bunch of gimmicks? Let's find out in our full review:
Vivo V15 Pro Review: Specifications
Vivo V15 Pro sports a 6.41-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor coupled with Adreno 612 GPU. The dual-SIM handset packs in 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. Under the hood, there is a 3,700mAh battery with support to Vivo’s Super Engine Fast Charging.
Price: Rs. 28,990
Vivo V15 Pro Review: Design
When you pick up the Vivo V15 Pro for the first time, you will immediately be impressed by its design. On the front, the device offers a nearly bezel-less display with no notches at all, thanks to the new pop-up camera. While the selfie camera is hidden inside, the earpiece grille is on the top of the display. Even the chin is close to non-existent.
On the back, the device features a dual-tone gradient colour finish, which looks quite attractive, and the vertically positioned triple camera setup adds to the already great aesthetics of the smartphone.
Also Read: Vivo V15 Pro First Impressions: Is the pop-up camera just a gimmick or is it actually worth it
On the bottom edge, there is a microUSB port, which is quite disappointing. However, considering most people still have microUSB cables lying around their houses and the fact that the cable is much cheaper compared to USB Type-C cables, this might have been the right choice for the company to make. A speaker grille and the primary microphone also sit near the microUSB port.
The left edge holds a dedicated Google Assistant button, whereas, on the right edge you will find a power button and the volume rockers. On the top edge, there is a secondary noise-cancelling microphone along with a 3.5-mm headphone jack.
Vivo V15 Pro Review: Display
Just like its predecessor, Vivo V15 Pro also sports a Super AMOLED panel. AMOLED panels offer deeper blacks and better viewing angles, which are great for media consumption. Also, considering the fact that the device has no notches and almost no bezels, it makes the device one of the best smartphones for media consumption.
As far as the in-display fingerprint scanner is concerned, the technology has improved quite a lot over the years. The new fifth generation scanner works much better than the one on the Vivo V11 Pro. The unlocking speed is now much faster and even the failure rate has been marginally decreased.
Vivo V15 Pro Review: Performance
Vivo V15 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor clocked at 2.02GHz. The graphics are being pumped by an Adreno 612 GPU. In terms of benchmarks, the V15 Pro managed to get a respectable score of 180472 on AnTuTu. On GeekBench 4, the device secured 2393 for single core and 6578 for multi-core operations.
In terms of gaming, we were able to play PUBG Mobile on high settings without any lag or hiccups. However, the more recent Asphalt 9 did stutter a bit on high settings.
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Due to the 6GB of RAM, switching between apps was quite seamless. Even normal day-to-day tasks like swapping between multiple social media apps also felt flawless.
Vivo V15 Pro Review: Software and UI
Vivo V15 Pro runs the company's own custom skin, FunTouch OS 9, which is built on top of Google's Android 9 Pie. Though the software brings in a high level of customisation options including a built-in theming engine, it does lack basic functions like an app drawer. The user interface (UI) is quite different from most Android phones and it mostly inspired by iOS.
The software is on a bit of the hard side of the scale to learn. So we recommend that you be ready to learn the interface without getting frustrated.
Also Read: Vivo V11 Pro Review: Is the future here? Let’s find out
Additionally, this year the company has also added a Dark Mode, which switches all the UI elements to a darker colour making it easier on the eyes as well as the battery during night times.
Vivo V15 Pro Review: Camera
Cameras have been an area of performance where Vivo has always been able to shine. The company focuses a lot of its efforts on cameras. Here's what we thought about the device's cameras.
Vivo V15 Pro comes with an industry first 32-megapixel pop-up selfie shooter. The camera does deliver sharp and detailed selfies. The software also offers a ton of features like AI Mode, Portrait Light Effect, Live Photo and much more.
Flipping the phone around reveals a triple camera setup, which includes a 48-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. In good lighting conditions, the device manages to capture some great shots with a ton of detail and nice bokeh effects. Even under low lighting conditions, the phone brings out some magnificent shots.
Vivo V15 Pro Review: Battery
Vivo V15 Pro is backed by a 3,700mAh battery, which seems like a great proposition on paper. During the review period, the device managed to pull off a full day with normal usage, which included a few phone calls, social media scrolling and some light gaming. With the help of included 18W fast charger, the device usually took around 90 minutes to get fully charged. However, the phone did get slightly warm while charging.
Vivo V15 Pro Review: Verdict
While the Vivo V15 Pro is not here to impress you with its specifications, it is quite appealing to the eyes. The 32-megapixel pop-up camera and the new fifth-generation in-display fingerprint scanner make the smartphone stand out a lot from all the other devices in the market. With the V15 Pro, Vivo is trying to bring futuristic tech, great design and an amazing set of cameras to the masses.
In a nutshell, the Vivo V15 Pro, at Rs. 28,999, might seem an expensive deal when compared to something like a Poco F1. However, it does pack a punch, and you won't regret buying it according to us.
