Design and Build Quality
For a premium mid-range device, the vivo V25 Pro ticks most of the boxes of what I would expect – curved display, a metallic finish for the rear panel, and a camera module that nicely contrasts with the back of the phone.
Speaking of which, the rear panel takes advantage of vivo’s Photochromic Technology 2.0, which allows it to change color when hit by sunlight or UV light, and the flourite AG matte finish also provides fingerprint and scratch resistance while giving off a glittery finish.
While side-mounted fingerprint scanners are becoming a thing for some other brands, vivo has opted to go for an under-the-display solution, which I personally prefer.
As for the display, vivo V25 Pro has a 6.56-inch Full HD+ 3D Curved AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, 1300 nits of peak brightness, and HDR10+ certification, making it a visual treat for watching movies and playing games.
The only issue I have is that the screen protector they put it gets easily scratched even just by putting the phone in your pocket. This was the case with my vivo X70 as well.
Performance
At the helm is a MediaTek Dimensity 1300, which, while considered a mid-range chip, goes toe-to-toe with the Dimensity 1200, the flagship chip that powers the vivo X70. There’s also 12GB of RAM as well as 256GB of storage. There’s no option for expandable storage, unfortunately.
This translates to impressive performance not just for the usual day-to-day tasks, but also for gaming. For example, Genshin Impact, known as a heavy hitter, runs well at close to its highest settings.
Diablo Immortal, which is also quite a demanding title, also runs well at high resolution and 60 fps with image sharpening enabled, and High preset. Lastly, Asphalt 9 runs very smooth on High Quality setting.
Camera
vivo V25 Pro is equipped with a 64MP GW1 Ultra-Sensing Main Camera bolstered with OIS, an 8MP Super Wide-Angle unit, and a 2MP super macro shooter.
As expected, photo quality is great with plenty of detail, good sharpness and dynamic range, and a depth of field that looks clean and refined. You also get a number of portrait styles that you can use to be more creative with your shots.
The front camera also delivers, showing plenty of details and good texture. There are times however, when edge detection needs some work, but most of the time, it works well.
On the video side, it uses a combination of OIS and EIS to deliver stabilized shots (Check out the first video for more samples). For the front camera, there’s Steadiface, which also keeps your face steady in the frame even when moving.
Another cool feature is Vlog Movie, which stitches together clips to make a short clip complete with music and graphics that follow a certain theme.
Software
At the time of writing, the vivo V25 Pro runs on Funtouch OS 13 on top of Android 13, which introduces a bunch of features and enhancements to security and personalization.
For one, users now have more control over how their home screens will look. They’ll be able to change the colors across the system, including on the home screen, the pull-down menu, etc.
The improved iManager also allows users to shut down apps that use up a lot of CPU power with one tap and reduce the number of active applications to prevent thermal issues.
You still get the other goodies, like an always-on-display, Ultra Game Mode and the Game Sidebar, and a light effect for notifications. For pre-loaded apps, you get the usual Google Apps plus a few vivo apps.
Battery
Having a 1080p 60fps YouTube video play continuously at 50% brightness, the vivo V25 Pro managed to run for almost 16 hours before running out of juice. Your mileage may vary depending on several factors, including the apps you use, whether you’re on Wi-Fi or mobile data, screen brightness, refresh rate, etc.
Fortunately, the 4,830mAh battery can be charged from zero to full in just an hour using the charger that came with the box. vivo V25 Pro supports 66W fast-charging.
Verdict
There’s a lot to like about the vivo V25 Pro. You get a good-looking phone that changes color when hit by light or UV light, a processing package that delivers excellent performance, a flexible set of cameras which can take good quality photos and videos, and good battery life bolstered with fast-charging.
On the flip side, you don’t get provisions for expandable storage, the screen protector easily gets scratched, and the UI could use just a tiny bit more of personalization.
Honestly though, those are just minor quirks to me, and for its price tag of PHP 29,999, this is easily one of the best mid-range phones you can get today, and vivo’s best mid-ranger to date.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
