vivo V30 review
The Vivo V30 is a mid-ranger that punches above its weight class with a sleek aesthetic and enticing features. The phone boasts a premium display, large battery, fast charging, and capable chipset. The 6.78-inch OLED screen has a 1260p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, making it sharp and contrasty. One of the standout features of the V30 is its camera setup, which includes a 50MP main cam and a 50MP ultrawide with autofocus. During the day, the main camera produces photos that are colorful, sharp, and clean, while in low light conditions, the automatic night mode delivers good results. The phone also has an under-display fingerprint reader, which is fast and reliable. The V30 runs Vivo's own Funtouch OS 14 on top of Android 14, with a heavily customized UI that offers plenty of features. The device comes with up to 512GB storage, but it's not expandable. Under the hood, the V30 has a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, which delivers competitive performance in benchmarks. Battery life is where this phone truly shines, with an outstanding active view score of 15 hours and 32 minutes. The device supports 80W charging, which can charge the phone from 0 to 74% in half an hour. The V30's main shortcoming is its single speaker, which may not be as loud or clear as stereo speakers found on other devices. However, the phone's camera performance and battery life make it a unique and well-rounded mid-ranger that's worth recommending.
Build Quality and Design
The Vivo V30 is a mid-range smartphone that punches above its weight class, boasting a sleek aesthetic and enticing features. The phone's build quality is impressive, with a thin and lightweight body that is curved on both the front and back. The rear panel is made of tempered glass, giving it a premium feel. The glossy Aqua colorway adds a touch of sophistication to the overall design. The frame of the phone is plastic, which doesn't provide much grip, but the flowing texture on the back makes up for it. Worth mentioning is the camera setup, which consists of two squares - one housing the cameras and the other an LED flash with an aura fill light that can glow in different colors. One aspect that might be a concern is the ingress protection rating of IP54, which means the phone may not fare well in harsh environments. However, for everyday use, the V30's build quality and design are more than adequate. The Vivo V30's design is certainly attention-grabbing, with its sleek lines and premium feel making it stand out from other mid-range smartphones. The camera setup is a notable feature, and the use of tempered glass on the rear panel adds to the overall sense of quality. Overall, the Vivo V30's build quality and design are among its strongest features, making it a compelling choice for anyone in the market for a mid-range smartphone with a premium feel.
Battery Life
One of the standout features of the Vivo V30 is its exceptional battery life. This mid-range smartphone boasts a large 5,000mAh battery that performed admirably in our tests. With a 15-hour and 32-minute active view score, it's one of the best out there. In real-world usage, we found the Vivo V30 to last for an impressive amount of time. We were able to get through a day with moderate use, including streaming video, browsing the web, and taking photos, without needing to recharge. The phone also supports 80W fast charging, which can charge the battery from 0 to 74% in just half an hour. A full charge took approximately 42 minutes, making it a convenient option for those who need a quick top-up on the go. We were also impressed by the Vivo V30's power management, as it was able to sustain performance without overheating or experiencing significant throttling during our prolonged stress test. Overall, the battery life of the Vivo V30 is a major highlight of this smartphone. With its large capacity and efficient charging capabilities, it's an excellent option for those who want a phone that can keep up with their daily demands without needing to be plugged in all day.
Display
The Vivo V30 is a mid-range smartphone that punches above its weight class, boasting a sleek aesthetic and enticing features. One of the standout aspects of this phone is its premium display, which is a 6.78-inch OLED panel with a 1260p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen itself is not curved, but rather the protective glass on top has a curved design. The display looks great, with good contrast and sharpness at 453 PPI. It also supports 10-bit color depth and HDR10+ video playback. In our tests, we measured up to over 500 nits maximum brightness with the manual slider, which can boost to over 1200 nits in auto mode when needed. The refresh rate is adaptive, dropping from 120Hz to 60Hz while idling to save energy. This allows for a smooth and efficient viewing experience, making it perfect for watching videos or browsing through social media. The display's vibrant colors and good contrast make it ideal for media consumption. Overall, the Vivo V30's display is one of its strongest features, offering a premium viewing experience that rivals more expensive flagships. While not perfect, it's certainly one of the best displays in its class, making it a compelling option for anyone looking for a mid-range smartphone with a great screen.
Camera
The Vivo V30's camera setup is a highlight of the phone, featuring a 50-megapixel main camera and a 50-megapixel ultrawide lens with autofocus. In daylight conditions, the main camera produces photos that are colorful, sharp, and detailed, with good dynamic range. However, in some scenarios, we would have preferred a slightly brighter exposure. The fine detail level is good, but two times digital zoom results in soft and noisy photos. In low-light conditions, the system tends to use the automatic night mode, which produces good results from the main camera, featuring clean and balanced photos with punchy colors and plenty of detail. Shadows retain enough detail, and highlights and light sources are well-preserved. 4K video from the main camera is also impressive, with good contrast, sharpness, detail, and vibrant colors. The ultrawide camera takes considerably better photos than most competitors' models, with vibrant, sharp, and detailed images featuring good dynamic range. However, in high-contrast or indoor scenes, you may notice some dark shadows or clipped highlights. Low-light performance is also impressive, with clean, sharp, and detailed nighttime photos and decent dynamic range. One area where the ultrawide camera falls short is video recording, which is limited to 1080p resolution. Selfies taken with the 50-megapixel front-facing camera are excellent, featuring detailed and sharp images with realistic colors and natural skin tones, as well as good dynamic range. Overall, the Vivo V30's camera performance is impressive for its class, offering a unique combination of features and capabilities that make it stand out from other mid-range phones. While there may be some limitations, such as the lack of stereo speakers, the phone's camera setup is certainly a major strength, making it a great option for those who value good photography capabilities in their smartphone.
Price and Value
The Vivo V30 is a mid-range smartphone that punches above its weight class, offering a feature-packed device at an affordable price point. As with any mid-ranger, the question remains whether it's worth your hard-earned cash. In this review, we'll delve into the value proposition of the Vivo V30 and determine if it's a worthwhile investment for potential buyers. The Vivo V30 is priced around $400-$450, depending on the region and storage variant. Considering its feature set, the phone offers excellent value for money. You get a premium display, large battery with fast charging, capable chipset, and a camera setup that's among the best in its class. While the Vivo V30 may not be the cheapest mid-range smartphone on the market, it's certainly one of the most feature-packed. The phone's OLED display, long-lasting battery, and impressive camera performance make it a compelling option for those seeking a reliable mid-ranger. If you're in the market for a new smartphone and don't want to break the bank, the Vivo V30 is definitely worth considering. In conclusion, the Vivo V30 offers excellent value for money, making it a solid choice for budget-conscious buyers. While it may not be perfect, its feature set and performance make it a worthy investment for those seeking a reliable mid-range smartphone. With prices starting at around $400-$450, the Vivo V30 is definitely worth checking out if you're in the market for a new smartphone.
Performance
The Vivo V30 is a camera-oriented mid-ranger that boasts an impressive array of features, making it a compelling option for those in the market for a new phone. Under the hood, the V30 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, which provides smooth performance and decent gaming capabilities. In benchmark tests, the V30's scores are competitive and good for its class, indicating that it can handle demanding tasks without breaking a sweat. The sustained performance is also excellent, with hardly any thermal throttling observed in our prolonged stress test. This suggests that the phone's cooling system is efficient and effective, even during intense usage. The V30's performance is comparable to its rivals, including the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 and Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 2. While it may not be the most powerful mid-range phone on the market, it holds its own against other contenders in this segment. One of the standout features of the V30 is its battery life, which is among the best in its class. With a 5,000mAh battery and support for fast charging (up to 80W), users can enjoy extended use without needing to top up frequently. Overall, the Vivo V30's performance is solid, making it a viable option for those seeking a reliable mid-range phone that won't break the bank. While not perfect, the V30's performance is commendable, particularly considering its price point. As such, it earns a respectable spot in the mid-range segment, making it worth considering for those looking for a capable and feature-rich smartphone experience.
Pros
1. The Vivo V30 brings outstanding battery life, with a 5,000 mAh battery that passed our test with flying colors earning an outstanding active view score of 15 hours and 32 minutes.
2. The phone has a bright OLED display with a 6.78-inch screen size, 1260p resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and support for 10-bit color depth and HDR 10+ video.
3. The camera performance is great for the class, with a 50MP main camera that produces photos that are colorful, sharp, and somewhat clean during the day, and good results from the automatic night mode in low light conditions.
4. The phone supports fast charging (80W) and comes with a proper adapter in the box, which charged the phone from 0 to 74% in half an hour and a full charge took 42 minutes.
5. The under-display fingerprint reader is fast and reliable, and the phone can come with up to 512GB of storage, although it's not expandable through micro SD.
6. The phone runs smoothly and has enough power for some gaming, with sustained performance that was excellent in our prolonged stress test.
Cons
1. One of the shortcomings of the Vivo V30 is the audio setup, which only includes a single speaker while most phones have stereo speakers.
2. The camera setup falls short when it comes to video recording, which is limited to 1080p resolution for some reason.
3. The phone's frame is plastic and thin, but doesn't lend a ton of grip, which might be a concern for some users.
4. The Vivo V30 is a bit more expensive than popular competitors, which might make it less appealing to budget-conscious buyers.
5. The ultrawide camera produces photos that are considerably better than those from most competitors, but its video recording capabilities are limited and lackluster.