The Vivo V23 Pro 5G was a mid-range smartphone that was laser-focussed on design alone. Apart from being really slim and lightweight, it also introduced the colour-changing rear panel as a unique selling point for the series. What it also brought along was a noticeable jump in price, which was a lot higher than the
Vivo V25 Pro 5G daylight camera samples. Top to bottom: Primary camera, ultra-wide-angle camera, selfie camera (Portrait mode) (tap to see full size)
Portrait photos taken outdoors by the rear camera appeared sharp, but appeared soft when captured indoors. Selfies looked a bit overexposed, but selfie portraits had blown-out backgrounds in brighter shooting scenarios. Results from the macro camera were oversharpened at best and it was quite difficult to get an object in focus.
In low-light scenarios, photos captured in auto mode had average details in scenes with good light. The Night mode managed clearer images with reduced noise and slightly improved dynamic range, but also appeared a bit softer. Overall, photos shot in low light weren’t consistent and this changed drastically from scene to scene, depending on the available light. Photos from the ultra-wide-angle camera lacked detail with blotchy textures.
Vivo V25 Pro 5G low light camera samples. Top to bottom: Auto mode (Primary camera), Night mode (Primary camera) (tap to see full size)
Videos recorded by the V25 Pro 5G looked average in terms of quality but showcased good dynamic range in daylight. At the same time, recorded videos just like the photos, appeared oversaturated. Footage shot at 1080p had a heavily cropped frame, which did translate to better stabilisation. Videos recorded at 4K 30fps managed the best quality with a wider frame but had a dream-like effect. The phone also shoots HDR video at various resolutions, but is limited to 30fps. The results were not too great with some flickering and added noise. Low-light video was average at best, the Night video mode did not make much of difference in dimly lit scenes.
Verdict
The big question with the V25 Pro 5G is, why is Vivo still charging a premium for it? If it’s for features like the colour-changing back panel or the curved display, then I’m not sure how many buyers would actually be willing to pay a premium for such things. I feel Vivo really needs to rethink its pricing and strategy of its V-series, which up till the V20 Pro, was very appealing. Surprisingly, OnePlus managed to make better hardware choices and squeeze out consistent camera performance from its Nord 2T 5G, which is priced much lower starting at Rs. 28,999. In short, there’s nothing really special apart from that curved edge-display which helps the Vivo V25 Pro 5G stand out. And then, there’s the competition.
Smartphones such as the Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G (Review) and the iQoo Neo 6 5G (Review) run circles around the V25 Pro in terms of raw performance. There’s even the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G (Review) (from Rs. 24,999) which offers excellent value, and the Nothing Phone 1 (Review) (from Rs. 32,999) which offers premium features such as wireless charging and an official IP52 rating.
Despite having some solid improvements over its predecessor, the Vivo V25 Pro 5G is still hard to recommend when you have excellent alternatives in this segment.
