Vivo’s number series is renowned for its excellent camera capabilities. In the V40 series, Vivo has clearly emphasised the camera features, as both phones come with ZEISS-integrated cameras. However, with the Vivo V40 Pro, the phone excels in every area—a MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ SoC, an AMOLED display, a sophisticated design, and a battery that offers impressive longevity.
Vivo V40 Pro
Rs 49,999
What Is Good?
- Excellent performance, gaming at 120fps
- Awesome cameras
- Reliable battery life
- Stunning design
- Curved display, good for multimedia consumption
What Is Bad?
- Expensive
- Bloatware, pre-installed Vivo apps
- Sound output not clear at higher levels
But with competitors like the Xiaomi 14 CIVI, iQOO 12, and Honor 200 Pro, can it truly provide the best of everything at Rs 49,999? Find out in my review.
Vivo V40 Pro Review: Pricing and Availability in India
The Vivo V40 Pro will be available on Vivo eStore in two variants.
| Variant | Pricing |
| 8GB RAM + 256GB Storage | Rs 49,999 |
| 12GB RAM + 512GB Storage | Rs 55,999 |
Vivo V40 Pro Review: Design and Display
The Vivo V40 Pro reminds me of the Vivo X100. There, I said it. This phone exudes a premium feel with its colour, grip, and overall comfort. Plus, despite having a 5500mAh battery, it’s incredibly slim.
I got the Titanium Grey colourway, and the back panel is truly impressive. It has some weight to it, but not so much that it becomes uncomfortable to hold.
| Design | Specifications |
| Weight | 192 grams |
| Thickness | 7.58mm |
| Colours | Ganges Blue and Titanium Grey |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Port and Button Placements | Bottom: SIM tray, Primary microphone, USB port, Speaker grille
Top: Secondary speaker, Secondary microphone Right Side: Power button and volume buttons |
The pill-shaped camera module on the back is a departure from the usual Vivo design, and it actually looks good. I appreciate how Vivo changes its design language with each new phone they release. It shows they understand their customers, as design is often the first thing that catches the eye.
The Vivo V40 Pro features an in-display fingerprint sensor that consistently worked within seconds every time I unlocked my phone. I encountered no issues, allowing me to use my phone immediately after unlocking it.
This smartphone features an AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, similar to the Vivo X100. Additionally, the V40 Pro offers a peak brightness of 4500 nits, which is 1500 nits more than the X100. So, you get a lot of value at a mid-range premium price. As for indoor and outdoor brightness levels, the phone is very bright in both conditions, which is quite good.
| Display | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Size | 6.78-inch |
| Type | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1260×2800 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Peak Brightness | Claimed: 4500 nits, Tested: 1575 nits |
| Minimum Brightness | 16 nits |
I watched A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder on Netflix and had a great experience. The colours, brightness, and black levels are excellent. With Widevine L1 and HDR 10 support, multimedia consumption on this device is top-notch.
Unfortunately, I’m not as impressed with the sound. The primary speaker performs well, but the secondary speaker sounds distorted and strained at volumes above 70 per cent.
Vivo V40 Pro Review: Performance and Software
The MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ SoC is featured in the Vivo S19 Pro and Xiaomi 13T Pro—neither of which has been launched in India. Hence, this is the first device with this chipset in India.
| Hardware | Specifications |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ |
| RAM | Up to 12GB |
| Storage | Up to 512GB |
| Storage Test | 1461727 |
| CPU Throttling Test | 69 per cent of its max performance |
| Software Version | Funtouch OS 14, based on Android 14
Three years of OS updates and four years of security patches |
| Connectivity Details | Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3 |
In synthetic benchmarks, the phone performed impressively. This AnTuTu score surpasses that of the OPPO Reno 12 Pro, OnePlus Nord 4, and Honor 200 Pro. However, it does fall short compared to the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra and the iQOO 12, both of which fall under the same price range.
Casual tasks run smoothly on this phone, as expected. Most devices handle basic functions well, so this shouldn’t be a concern here.
Now, let’s look at the table below to see how it fared in gaming. I tested it with Call of Duty: Mobile, and the results are quite surprising!
| Game | Settings | FPS | Result |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | Medium Quality + Ultra Fps | Maximum: 119fps
Minimum: 114fps |
In my short time of reviewing phones, this is one of the best results I’ve gotten. Every second of this game was enjoyable. |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | Very High Quality + Very High Fps | Maximum: 59fps
Minimum: 57fps |
The gaming session was enjoyable as well. However, after consistently playing at 120fps, it felt noticeably slow to me. So, it’s advised to crank the quality up and play at better framerates. |
Overall, the gaming experience was quite smooth. However, I want to mention that I tested the phone twice—once before the software update and once after. Before the update, the performance was problematic due to significant heating. Fortunately, Vivo released an update that resolved this issue. After the update, the performance was exceptionally smooth.
The phone comes with Funtouch OS 14, based on Android 14, out of the box. With the V40 series, Vivo has introduced AI features such as AI Group Portrait, AI Eraser, and AI Photo Enhancer. I tested the AI Eraser, and it performed rather average. It might improve with a software update, as the current performance struggled with removing unwanted objects and even added something that looked odd.
The AI Group Portrait feature is impressive, managing to capture up to 30 people without blurring. For the AI Photo Enhancer, I tried enhancing the pictures but I found little to no changes in the pictures.
Overall, the UI is interactive and free of excessive notifications, though the phone does come with its fair share of bloatware and pre-installed Vivo apps.
For longevity, the brand provides three years of OS updates and four years of security updates. While this is decent, it could be better, as other manufacturers are now offering updates for six to seven years.
Vivo V40 Pro Review: Cameras
Now, let’s delve into the crucial part of this review—the Vivo V40 Pro features a triple 50-megapixel rear camera setup with ZEISS integration and a 50-megapixel front camera for selfies.
The primary camera captures sharp images with precise details. I observed that the pictures are slightly enhanced after a second or two of processing. The shadows, highlights, and white balance are all excellent.
However, daylight shots taken with the ultra-wide camera exhibit distortion at the edges. This is not an issue as such, but how the ultra-wide camera is in nature. For example, in one photo, the car at the edge appears stretched, which looks quite strange.
| Camera | Specifications |
| Primary Camera | 50-megapixel primary camera with OIS, ZEISS Sony IMX921 Sensor f/1.88 aperture |
| Secondary Camera | 50-megapixel wide-angle camera, ZEISS integration
f/2.0 aperture |
| Tertiary Camera | 50-megapixel Telephoto Portrait camera, ZEISS Sony IMX816
2x optical zoom, 50x digital zoom f/1.85 aperture |
| Flash | Rear smart Aura light |
| Selfie Camera | 50-megapixel selfie camera, 92-degree Field of View f/2.0 aperture |
| Video Recording Capabilities | Up to 4K at 60fps |
The portrait shots are exceptional, with precise edge detection, natural skin tones, and a beautifully blurred background. It reminds me of the impressive performance of the Xiaomi 14 CIVI and Honor 200 Pro in this area.
Photos taken with the telephoto camera at 3x and 4x are generally good, but this quality doesn’t extend to portraits. Skin tones appear reddish, especially on the cheeks and lips, giving a tinted look. When capturing buildings or landscapes at 4x, the images are quite good in daylight. Unfortunately, in low light conditions, they tend to become slightly grainy.
The Vivo V40 Pro offers seven ZEISS style Bokeh effects: Cine-Flare, Cinematic, Planar, Biotar, Distagon, Sonnar, and B-Speed. Each effect is designed for different photography conditions. For example, the Distagon effect is perfect for travel photography, while the Biotar effect is best for mid-close-up portraits. So, if you’re a portrait photography enthusiast, you’ll definitely appreciate the capabilities of this phone.
The rear Smart Aura light is very useful for taking pictures in dim light conditions, offering a light source comparable to studio lighting. The pictures taken with it appear vibrant and flashy, which is exactly what you want.
In low light conditions, the camera provides an additional light source to capture as much detail as possible. The pictures turn out well in most conditions without any noise. However, lens flare can be an issue when photographing lamps, especially in portrait photos—there’s often a lot of noise in the background instead of a smooth blur.
Regarding selfies, the selfie camera is set to a filter by default, making pictures immediately ready for social media. However, when you select ‘None’ as the filter, pores and blemishes become visible in the selfies, providing a natural look.
Vivo V40 Pro Review: Battery and Charging
The Vivo V40 Pro features a 5500mAh battery, which is also used in the Vivo V40, Realme GT 6T, and Realme GT 6. Fortunately, the company includes an 80W charger in the box, allowing the phone to charge from the dead to 100 per cent in just 53 minutes.
| Battery | Specifications |
| Battery | 5500mAh |
| Charging Adapter | 80W, charger in the box |
| Charging Time | 53 minutes |
| PCMark Battery Test | 13 hours 12 minutes |
In the PCMark battery test, the phone lasted 13 hours and 12 minutes, which is quite good. This result is better than that of the OPPO Reno12 Pro, Realme GT 6, and Honor 200 Pro. However, it trails behind its sibling, the Vivo V40, by 6 hours and 9 minutes.
As for battery life, the recent software update has addressed all previous issues. The battery performance is excellent. I charged the phone on August 4th and used it extensively, including playing heavy games for two hours, taking photos, and testing AI features. On August 5th, I did not use the phone at all. As of today, while writing this review, the phone is still at 62 per cent. Thus, battery life should be more than adequate for both casual and heavy users.
Vivo V40 Pro Review: Verdict
The Vivo V40 Pro excels in many areas like the cameras, performance, battery, display, and design. It’s an all-in-one package for those who want the best of everything. Moreover, it includes a variety of AI features, which are in line with the tech trends of 2024.
However, you might need to compromise on the pre-installed Vivo apps, bloatware, and sound quality. But let’s be honest—no phone is perfect. If I could get a package with minimal drawbacks, I’d definitely choose it. The question is: are you willing to overlook a few minor issues to enjoy the best of almost all worlds?
That said, at its price range, the V40 Pro also faces competition from the iQOO 12 and the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra. Keeping in mind the upper variant of the phone, it also invites the OnePlus 12 into the arena. All of these phones serve different purposes. So, the choice is yours.
