Vivo V30 Pro is an Amazing Camera-Focused Smartphone with a Mid-range Chassis

Vivo’s V-series phones have excelled over the last few years by providing exceptional selfie performance at an affordable price. With the V30 Pro arrival, it appears that photographic prowess has also extended to the back cameras. It even has a Zeiss logo, like the company’s flagship X100 Pro.

The last few generations of V-series handsets have featured strong primary cameras and excellent selfie cameras. Still, they were supplemented by the underwhelming 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro combo found on so many midrange phones. This year, things have changed, and each camera now has a 50MP resolution. There are three on the back, including a new 2x portrait lens, and a strong selfie camera with autofocus in the front.

The V30 Pro was first released in Thailand and Indonesia, and it will be available in additional regions soon, but like with previous models, it is unlikely to make its way to the United Kingdom. In Thailand, it costs 19,999 THB (about £440), making it by far the most powerful camera configuration in its price category. I was curious to see what it’s like to live with and if the Zeiss magic we witnessed with the Vivo X100 Pro had trickled down to this model as well. This is what I found out.

VIVO V30 PRO KEY FEATURES

Let’s go back a little bit. The vivo V30 is the flagship model in Vivo’s new midrange series. The portfolio includes the V30, the V30 Pro, which features a Zeiss partnership, and the V30 Lite, a modest yet gorgeous 5G phone. The Vivo V30 is an IP54-rated smartphone with a dual-glass curved design and a slim, lightweight body. Even though it is only 7mm thin, the V30 features a premium 6.78-inch AMOLED (1260p resolution, 10-bit color depth, and 120Hz refresh rate) and a powerful 5,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging capabilities.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset powers the Vivo V30, which should provide excellent gaming performance in its class. The phone comes with 8GB or 12GB of RAM, while storage options include 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB UFS 2.2. Vivo’s phones have always had good cameras, and the V30 is no exception. A dual camera package on the rear includes a 50MP OIS primary and a 50MP ultrawide with autofocus. There is a third 50MP camera with a wide-angle lens and autofocus for selfies.

VIVO V30 PRO UNBOXING

The vivo V30 comes in a hefty white package that includes an 80W power adapter, a USB-A-to-C connection, and a transparent silicone case.

The vivo V30 also features a thin protective film on the display, and you can choose whether to keep this smudge magnet or not.

CAMERA

The camera arrangement is the most significant boost that this phone delivers over its cheaper brother and previous generations. The V30 Pro features three 50MP cameras on the back and a 50MP selfie shooter on the front. It is also the first model in the V-series to benefit from Vivo’s Zeiss collaboration, which includes distinct photo styles and image optimization.

Typically, V-series phones include the all-too-common mid-range configuration of a respectable primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro. However, this time around, the rear cameras have advanced significantly. You get a 1/1.49-inch primary sensor with an f/1.9 aperture, an f/1.9 2x telephoto lens, and an f/2.0 ultrawide with a 119-degree field of view with autofocus.

Around the front, the selfie camera has a wide 20mm equivalent lens, which Vivo refers to as a 0.8x focal length in the UI. However, you can shoot at 1x and 2x with the press of a button, and because the selfie camera has a stunning 50MP resolution, these crops are virtually lossless.

As with the other V-series phones I tried, the selfie camera piqued my interest the most, and I snapped far more photos with it than I normally would. The broad field of view is ideal for group photographs or displaying your surroundings, and the autofocus ensures that your images are tack-sharp no matter where you are standing. It’s a far better selfie camera than Vivo’s flagship cellphone, the X100 Pro, and it could be one of the best on any phone. Impressive goods at a cheap price.

Although all cameras have a 50MP resolution, the main camera is by far the most remarkable. This is especially true as the light level drops since the bigger sensor performs a better job of reducing noise and motion blur. The camera app includes a 4x option that takes digitally cropped photographs of the 2x optical telephoto, but I wasn’t impressed with the results. They’re fine if the lighting is perfect, but there is a noticeable loss in quality. Move closer with the 2x lens whenever possible.

Vivo’s extensive range of image editing tools, filters, and beautifying choices improves image quality on all cameras. A simple filter may bring images to life, and portrait mode cutouts are often a reliable option. It’s worth mentioning, however, that you can only alter the bokeh effect after shooting with the back lenses, which may be quite unpleasant when you add too much blur to a selfie shot. This phone’s Aura Light is a bi-colored continuous light source that may highlight your images and movies at night. It detects the ambient lighting and adjusts the color temperature of the LED ring accordingly, but you can also regulate it manually if you like.

In most scenarios, the Aura Light illumination does not appear particularly attractive, but it is a significant improvement over the standard LED flash. In addition, if you prefer a classic flash, the phone offers one.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

The V30 follows the design of its more competent sister, the V30 Pro (review), with a compact chassis that is only 7.5mm thick and weighs 186 grams. The smooth shell and curved edges make it a little slippery, but it doesn’t detract from how sleek this phone is. Add to it the camera island, which does not protrude significantly, and you have a rather elegant phone. Our review unit also stands out from the crowd with its sparkling Peacock Green rear panel, which does not smear easily. The Aura ring light at the back adds a sense of seriousness to the phone’s camera prowess, despite its Pro sibling’s Zeiss lenses taking the spotlight.

The 6.78-inch AMOLED display in front is fairly powerful, with a resolution of 2,800 x 1,260 pixels, a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and support for HDR10+. The display looks good overall, produces wonderful colors, and, despite its somewhat big size, does not make the phone difficult to carry or use for extended periods. With a rated peak brightness of 2,800 nits, sunlight legibility is not an issue. However, due to its bent form, a few mistouches may occur during use.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

The Vivo V30 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 processor and comes with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It’s a sub-flagship chipset, but it’s more than capable, outperforming Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and Google’s Tensor G2 in a variety of scenarios.

In regular use, I had no issues regarding the performance. Apps always launched swiftly, and navigating the operating system was seamless and stutter-free. I’m testing the 12GB model, and it can multitask like a champ, whether I’m viewing YouTube in a pop-out window or listening to a podcast while using Google Maps.

The gaming performance was amazing. The phone can run Genishin Impact at 30fps on the High graphics option, while the Medium level yields a consistent 60fps. You can go higher but expect some stuttering. The Vivo V30 Pro just has one speaker, which is disappointing, especially after testing the Poco X6 Pro, which offers decent stereo speakers at a far lower price.

However, this speaker does not sound too horrible and is considerably louder than imagined. Amusingly, if you keep clicking the button, the volume increases to 150%, but it begins to distort when you max it out. My primary issue with the speaker is that it is easily muffled if you hold the phone in the wrong position, which can be bothersome.

Buy it if...

• One of the brightest OLEDs in its class, including 120Hz refresh rate, 10-bit color, and HDR10+ support.
• Excellent battery life.
• A competitive quick charging option.
• Great overall camera performance.

Don't buy it if…

• There are no stereo speakers.
• Without a case, the body is extremely slippery and provides poor grip.
• A touch on the expensive side.

FULL SPECIFICATION