If the vivo X series is all about the camera and flagship experience, then the V series is about offering a stylish design at a mid-range price. The major upgrade this year comes in the form of Zeiss lenses and filters which were previously exclusive to the X series. But this feature is limited to the Pro variant in the V30 series.
Now, I have the vivo V30 for review. It sports an ultra-slim design, a curved display, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset (one of the first phones in India to come with this), and 50-megapixel cameras at the back and front. I’ve spent a quick few days with the V30, and here are my first impressions of this device.
vivo V30 First Look: Price And Availability
The vivo V30 has three configurations and is available on Flipkart and vivo’s website and offline platforms.
8GB and 128GB: Rs 33,999
8GB and 256GB: Rs 35,999
12GB and 256GB: Rs 37,999
vivo V30 First Look: Design and Display
The vivo V30 has a 3D curved display. At 7.5mm thick, it is one of the thinnest phones in this segment. But this slim design does not mean that vivo has compromised on battery size. It still packs a sizeable battery for a phone of this form factor.
I have the peacock green variant, which can change colour when exposed to sunlight or ultra-violet light. Of course, this is not new, given that we’ve seen phones like this for the last two years or so. Still, the colour looks rather stylish, though I’m unsure if it will appeal to everyone.
What I liked about the vivo V30 is how light it is (it weighs 188 grams), and this certainly makes it easy to use when I’m zombie-scrolling at night in bed. It makes my iPhone 15 Pro Max look chunky and uncomfortable. The grip is comfortable, though I’m not the biggest fan of curved displays, given that protecting these can sometimes become a challenge.
The camera module at the back does stand out. The rather rectangular module is hard to miss and too much for my taste. But there’s a reason for this design. The company has included the Aura Light flash, which now sports a square shape — previously, it was circular. The idea is that this aura light can work as an LED mirror for those looking to add extra oomph to their night photos.
After all, we live in an era where ring lights are common, and everyone wants brighter and flashier photos. vivo claims this flash is larger and better than one typically seen on most smartphones. I’ve not used this extensively — but I will share more during the full review.
The vivo V30 has a 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display with 1.5K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Its peak brightness is 2800 nits. The V30 also includes Schott Xensation Alpha Glass from ZEISS for extra protection. The display is excellent in my testing so far, and although I’ve used it briefly in the bright outdoors, I’ve had no problems with brightness.
vivo V30 First Look: Hardware, Software and Battery
The vivo V30 is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, and the variant I have for review has 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Performance so far has been smooth, at least for daily tasks such as browsing, WhatsApp, etc. The phone has UFS 2.2 storage, while the Pro variant has the more efficient UFS 3.1. There’s been no heating in my limited usage, but let’s see how things fare during the rest of this week.
The phone also has an in-display fingerprint scanner and an IP54 dust and water resistance rating. But don’t go dunking it in water. V30 runs FunTouchOS 14, based on Android 14, and it did take me some time to get used to the software, given that I’m primarily stuck in the iOS universe. Again, I’ll have more thoughts to share in the final review.
The phone has a 5000 mAh battery, which will be sufficient for most users. According to the company, this is the largest battery they have used in a v series phone till now. The phone packs an 80W fast charger in the box.
vivo V30 First Look: Cameras
Let’s talk about the cameras now, given that vivo focuses on this area. Of course, the Zeiss-related features have been limited to the Pro variant, but that does not mean the regular version has less to offer.
The V30 has a dual camera at the back, including a 50-megapixel primary camera with OIS and a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. There’s also the Aura Light flash.
So far, the camera seems more than capable. It is fast to respond, even when my hands are shaky. I took some photos from a moving car, and I was confident that the camera would not get the objects in focus, given I was struggling. But the V30 surprised me. The colours are mostly accurate in my testing, though yes, there is a tendency to add that little extra blue to the sky. However, I can forgive that now, given Delhi has blue skies on display.
The 50-megapixel selfie camera is what impressed me the most. That’s because I took what can only be described as a bad selfie. But the image processing didn’t try to make me look brighter or sparklier. It got the skin tone mostly correct; the pores on my skin are still there, and overall, the picture is close to reality.
I want to test out the camera’s Portrait mode more extensively, given that I’ve only been able to do limited testing so far. And yes, Night Mode is another aspect I will test this week, so stay tuned for that in the review.
vivo V30: Final thoughts
The vivo V30’s starting price means this phone is slightly more affordable compared to the OnePlus 12R and the iQOO Neo 9 Pro, both of which offer solid performance at their price. But vivo has a different proposition. It is about flair and camera and delivers well on style. The camera bit looks promising so far; hopefully, it will deliver even at night.
