It is almost an annual tradition to see vivo launching a V series in their line-up. The series is always stacked with the right features that consumers need on a smartphone. Its camera features are geared towards content creators. The devices have always embodied a sense of innovation especially in the camera department.
In this review, I am taking a look at their latest vivo V23 5G. It is a stylish and functional smartphone for content creators. It has a new set of camera set and a color-shifting Fluorite AG Glass back Panel. Apart from this, it also packs a Schott Xensation Up build protection, similar material found on vivo’s flagship devices.
Build
vivo V23 5G, at first glance, looks like your ordinary smartphone. It has a bezel that almost looks like the one found on the iPhone 13 series. Switches are located on the right side, while ports and the SIM ejector tray are located at the bottom. It also has two microphones. The vivo V23 5G also has a rear camera bump, which houses lens dedicated for portrait photography.
However, underneath this almost too basic phone design houses quite a lot of innovations. You can never be too sure about what it’s capable of until you actually take a close look into it.
The first one is its color-shifting back panel that reacts to ultraviolet light. The Sunshine Gold that I’ve got changes from light ice blue and pink orange finish to a blue-green gradient look. It takes about a minute or two for the color to change back to its original color. I personally do not make any sense of it, and how it can actually be useful. It can, however, be an effective way to express oneself.
Setting aside its function in real world scenario, I believe this is a good chance to marvel vivo’s craftsmanship. This adds a layer of premium-ness to the phone and gives it a sense of individuality in the sea of smartphones.
Display
The phone has an AMOLED display with 2400×1080 resolution and has a refresh rate of 90Hz. As expected, the screen displays content and text with amazing quality. Color reproduction is accurate and level of sharpness is almost perfect. There is little to zero difference compared to last year’s vivo V21 5G.
The camera notch on top of the display is bigger this time around to give way for its two front cameras. It also features Schott Xensation Up next generation lithium alumino-silicate cover glass. vivo Philippines confirmed that this protection technology is pre-installed on vivo V23 5G.
Hardware and performance
MediaTek Dimensity 920 is what powers the vivo V23 5G. The device I received from vivo has 12GB Physical Memory and 4 virtual memory. It also has 256GB of internal storage. Dimensity 920 is said to be better by 20% to 22% than Dimensity 800 U that powers last year’s vivo V21 5G. I am happy to report that my benchmark results confirm and even outperformed this claim.
I also managed to play some games on this phone like Genshin Impact, Wild Rift and Black Desert. Genshin Impact plays from 55 to 60fps at low settings with motion blur and bloom turned off. I can easily bump it up to higher graphics settings at the expense of dropped frame rate to 30fps. Your mileage may vary. The same goes with Black Desert, which rarely dropped in frame rate performance in medium to high settings, which is understandable by my standards. Wild Rift, on the other hand, plays well with zero to minimal issues, thanks to its optimized performance on the vivo V23 5G.
I initially thought that Dimensity 920 is not really made for gaming. The performance of the aforementioned games changed my perspective on this 6nm chipset.
Camera
The vivo V23 5G has nominal upgrade on its set of camera. Its biggest upgrade is on its front camera, which is a bump of 44MP to 50MP wide and 8MP ultrawide cameras lens. This deserves a dedicated feature article, so be sure to check back for more details in the future. Meanwhile, check out the camera of the vivo V23 5G.
- Front Camera: 54MP Main Camera, 8MP Super Wide-Angle, 2MP Super Macro
- Rear Camera: 50MP AF Dual Camera, 8MP Ultra Wide
Here are some of the sample photos I took using the rear and front facing cameras. As mentioned, I will have an article dedicated to vivo V23’s camera so be sure to check it out once it’s out.
Rear Camera Samples
Front Camera Samples
vivo also installed a few extra camera software features on the vivo v23. This allows users to readily maximize the camera without downloading any applications via Google PlayStore.
Software
vivo V23 i5G is pre-installed with the latest version of FunTouch OS. This custom OS that sits on top of Android 12. vivo has greatly improved their features over the years, and I must say that this is its best iteration.
Additional software features like Jovi Home, Game Mode and even the camera-specific improvements and UI greatly enhance the overall software experience.
Battery
Basing this off from my real world experience of the vivo V23, the battery is somewhat below my standards. For 3 days, I observed that the phone will still less than 20% battery juice left from fully charged state in the morning. Apart from the usual social media applications, YouTube and Netflix sessions, and Genshin Impact gaming for about an hour or so, it is almost a rare chance for me to see the device to have more than 20% capacity left before 9PM.
Thankfully, the retail box comes with a 44W Flashcharge, which is definitely a huge bonus for those who use their phones like there’s no tomorrow.
Verdict
vivo V23, overall, gives nominal upgrades versus its predecessor. While this is the case, it presents features that are well optimized for content creators. When cameras are used and maximized, vivo V23 5G offers the right number of tools to give creators a good value for their money. If gaming is your cup of tea, the phone can serve you well albeit lacking if you’re expecting flagship performance.
At PhP27,999, it is quite a longshot when compared to the price of other phones that have the same chipset. It can possible post a barrier for those who do not enough case to buy it.
Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.
