Updated: October 19, 2020 12:01:58 pm
At 7.38mm thick, the V20 is one of the slimmest smartphones you can find in this price segment. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
In a hyperactive smartphone market like India, it is not easy to differentiate yourself from the competition unless you give consumers the right features they want to use on a phone. And if a phone is in the mid-range segment, the biggest challenge is maintaining a balance between price and performance. With its latest V20, Vivo has tried to put together a well-balanced smartphone that meets the needs of average consumers. But here’s the question: How different is the Vivo V20 experience and who should buy this? I tested the V20 for a week to find out if Vivo’s newest mid-range smartphone is worth your money and time.
Vivo V20 price in India: Rs 24,990
Vivo V20 review: design and build
For the price, I think the Vivo V20 looks premium, with aluminum sides and a glass back. At 7.38mm thick, the V20 is one of the slimmest smartphones you can find in this price segment. The 6.44-inch V20 isn’t quite as small as the Pixel 4a, but it’s nowhere near the size of the iPhone 11 Pro. I found the V20 easy to hold and use with one hand.
Like today’s newer phones, the Vivo V20 follows the look almost edge-to-edge, though it does come with a waterdrop-style notch that feels a bit dated compared to the punch-hole camera cutout. Flip the phone over and you’ll see a frosted glass back. My review unit had this sunset melody color variant which makes the phone a bit more interesting. The rectangular camera module in the upper left corner houses three lenses. I was glad to see that there is a 3.5mm headphone jack on the V20, although it lacks waterproofing and wireless charging. But you won’t miss out on these features, anyway.
My review unit had this sunset melody color variant which makes the phone a bit more interesting. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Vivo V20 review: display and speakers
The V20 has a large 6.44-inch AMOLED screen that touts a Full HD + resolution and supports HDR 10. The screen size is okay, but there are now plenty of phones available in the mid-range segment that offer a larger screen. . The Galaxy M51, for example, has a 6.7-inch FHD + AMOLED display.
Personally, I have no problems with the V20 screen. The colors are striking and the screen also becomes quite bright for reading text and web pages outdoors, although the 6.44-inch screen seemed a bit reflective to me. The display, however, doesn’t support a 90Hz refresh rate like the OnePlus Nord.
The V20 has a mono speaker unlike stereo speakers, but they get loud and sound above average. The phone uses an in-display fingerprint scanner, which thankfully did not disappoint. It is fast and unlocks the phone quickly.
The V20 is one of the first new phones to launch with Android 11 out of the box. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Vivo V20 review: performance and battery
The V20 is a mid-range phone at heart, and it shows. It has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of expandable storage. Although the chipset is not as powerful as the Snapdragon 765G, it is still fast. But I did witness minor lag when opening web pages or playing graphics-heavy games. In everyday use, I have had no problems with the phone.
I was happy with the V20’s battery life. The 4000 mAh battery lasted a full day when connecting the phone to Wi-Fi (since I am working from home, I turned off 4G on the phone). It was then that I used the phone primarily to watch YouTube videos, surf the web, play games, listen to music on Spotify, and check emails. I think the battery should last a bit longer with normal use. The phone also ships with a 33W charger that fills the battery from zero to 100 percent in less than an hour.
Another highlight of the V20 is its software. It is one of the first new phones to launch with Android 11 out of the box. The best part is that Vivo has overhauled the UI with a minimum of preloaded apps from Vivo and third-party developers.
specs
Monitor: 6.44-inch FHD + AMOLED, HDR10 compatible
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G
Storage / RAM: 8GB RAM, 128GB / 256GB storage, microSD support (up to 1TB)
software: Android 11 based Funtouch operating system
Drums: 4000 mAh, 33 W fast charging support
Camera: Triple rear cameras (64MP + 8MP + 2MP), 44MP Eye autofocus selfie camera
Color options: Sunset tune, Midnight Jazz
In daylight, you get a surprisingly natural shot, with nice colors and good contrast. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Vivo V20 review: camera
The V20 has three cameras on the rear. The setup consists of a 64 MP main sensor, an 8 MP 120-degree wide-angle camera, and a 2 MP monochrome sensor. Then there’s a camera on the front: a 44MP selfie with “eye auto focus”.
In daylight, you get a surprisingly natural shot, with pleasant colors, good contrast, and a well-balanced exposure. But I struggled to get sharp images using the same 64MP camera indoors. The other two cameras are fine, neither too good nor too bad. Due to the lack of the depth-sensing camera, I got terrible portraits. If I had a choice, I would choose the depth sensing camera over the mono lens any day. Low-light performance is acceptable, but nothing surprising as such.
See some of the images I clicked on with the Vivo V20.
(Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
(Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
(Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
(Image credit: Anuj Bhatia / Indian Express)
Perhaps the main feature of the V20 is its 44MP camera with an ocular autofocus technique that you will only find on DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. It’s a hit or miss feature, and I honestly don’t think Eye Autofocus technology makes much of a difference to average non-Vlogger consumers. Otherwise, the front camera is capable of capturing incredible details in good lighting. You can also take slow motion selfies and record 4K selfie videos.
Vivo V20 Review: Should You Buy It?
The Vivo V20 is an impressive mid-range smartphone, but it’s not perfect. The problem with the V20 is that Vivo has played it safe and there is not much difference from its predecessors. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, given the high level of competition in the mid-range segment, the Vivo V20 doesn’t quite shine. With smartphones like the Galaxy M51 and Pixel 4a priced below Rs 30,000, Vivo needs to think differently to counter stiff competition.
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