Vivo V25 Pro review

Vivo has a fame for delivering stable smartphone experiences at an reasonably priced value, and that pattern appears to be like to proceed with this 12 months’s Vivo V25 Professional. The V25 Professional boasts key enhancements together with an improved 120Hz refresh price, a fundamental 64Mp snapper and all-day battery life alongside returning fan favourites just like the colour-shifting fluorite glass rear.

The problem is that the mid-range market is extra aggressive than ever, with sturdy contenders together with the OnePlus Nord 2T, Nothing Cellphone (1) and the Google Pixel 6a all obtainable at an analogous value level to the V25 Professional, making it tougher to tempt customers than ever earlier than.  

Design & construct

Visually, the Vivo V25 Professional appears to be like similar to its predecessor, the Vivo V23 Professional, although that’s not a foul factor. Like different current Vivo smartphones, the Vivo V25 Professional doesn’t seem like a typical mid-range smartphone, as an alternative sporting a premium aesthetic and the corporate’s colour-changing matt-finish rear.

For these unfamiliar with the idea, every time the fluorite glass rear of the Vivo V25 Professional is uncovered to UV mild (both within the type of sunshine or a helpful UV torch) the color will change. For the Crusing Blue end supplied for assessment, it’ll go from child blue to darkish blue, although the usual V25’s Aquamarine Blue and Dawn Gold are arguably extra spectacular.

Whereas the impact is simply non permanent, reverting to its customary color inside minutes of being introduced out from direct daylight, it does provide you with a cool means of quickly customising your cellphone utilizing stencils. It’s most actually a gimmick and one thing you’ll solely use to indicate off to buddies on a sunny day, nevertheless it’s refreshingly completely different, and Vivo ought to be applauded for that.

There’s a customary Pure Black end that gained’t rework in daylight, however the place’s the enjoyable in that?

Chameleon capabilities apart, the Vivo V25 Professional is a reasonably engaging mid-range smartphone, sporting a curved glass entrance that seamlessly connects to the body for a premium end. However whereas the metallic end of the body appears to be like premium, it’s truly comprised of polycarbonate, and it’s instantly apparent in hand.

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There are similarities within the general design of the V25 Professional and its predecessor, however this 12 months’s mannequin is considerably thicker and heavier. Whereas we remarked that the V23 Professional’s light-weight nature made it far more snug to carry than the competitors in our assessment, the identical can’t be stated of the V25 Professional, measuring in at 190g and eight.6mm, in comparison with 171g and seven.4mm of its predecessor.

However whereas there’s a noticeable heft to the smartphone within the hand, it’s nonetheless a lot lighter than metal-and-glass flagship smartphones just like the 240g iPhone 14 Professional Max.

The actual weak point of the Vivo V25 Professional is, effectively, its weak point. There’s no official water or mud resistance on provide, and whereas we suspect it may use the identical Schott Xensation α show safety (a Corning Gorilla Glass rival) as its predecessor, there’s no affirmation from Vivo. It’s in all probability a great factor that Vivo gives a clear case within the field, proper?

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Show & audio

• 6.56in AMOLED show is nice for watching movies
• Improved 120Hz refresh price is tremendous easy
• Notch is changed by a smaller gap punch digicam

The 6.56in AMOLED show is a specific deal with, with headline options together with an FHD+ decision, help for HDR10+ content material and, most notably, a lift from 90Hz to 120Hz.

In truth, you possibly can pressure the Vivo V25 Professional to all the time render at a buttery easy 120Hz, although leaving the cellphone to routinely determine when to ramp it up and down will possible present higher battery life.

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Being an AMOLED panel, it ought to come as no shock that colors are impressively vivid, with deep blacks and spectacular distinction that makes watching movies on TikTok and films on Netflix a specific deal with, and the stereo audio playback gives a good soundscape – although it’s not a alternative for a great pair of Bluetooth headphones.

It’s additionally loads vivid, measuring in at a most of 459nits throughout testing, and that’s actually sufficient to be used in vivid daylight.

The inclusion of an AMOLED panel means Vivo is ready to embody an under-display fingerprint scanner. It really works as anticipated more often than not, although it’s nearer to the underside of the show than I’d have preferred, often having to regulate my grip to achieve the scanner.  

The big notch of the earlier era has been ditched in favour of a way more palatable centrally-placed gap punch digicam, although the compromise is that there’s solely a single front-facing digicam to utilise – however extra on that later.

Options & efficiency

• Spectacular mid-range efficiency
• First rate gameplay expertise
• No NFC for card funds

The Vivo V25 Professional isn’t any slouch with regards to efficiency.

It snubs Qualcomm’s well-liked mid-range Snapdragon 778G+ for the MediaTek Dimensity 1300, a good mid-range chipset discovered within the ever-popular OnePlus Nord 2T, paired with both 8- or 12GB of RAM and 128- or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage relying on the variant you go for.

Although not fairly as performant in most situations because the Tensor chip present in Google’s mid-range Google 6a, the Dimensity 1300 holds its personal in each day use. It’s as snappy as you’d anticipate, additional improved by the responsive 120Hz refresh price that makes scrolling and tapping really feel fluid in use, although some apps can cling for a second or two upon opening.

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Nonetheless, that doesn’t have a noticeable impact on the general expertise, with easy scrolling via apps and respectable gameplay efficiency.

In truth, the V25 Professional delivers easy body charges in most video games, even high-quality 3D titles together with Name of Obligation Cell at reasonable graphic settings, with extra game-focused software program serving to enhance the expertise by blocking incoming calls and notifications and quickly freezing pointless background processes.

Some may even push previous the 60fps restrict to make the most of the 120Hz refresh price on provide, however don’t anticipate that in graphically difficult video games like Genshin Impression.

With all that stated, benchmark exams counsel the efficiency is on par with that of the Nord 2T, whereas marginally beating the LED-emblazoned Nothing Cellphone (1) within the graphics division. It’s even according to Google’s flagship Tensor chip discovered within the Google 6a, which was a specific shock.

Elsewhere, you’ll discover connectivity choices together with 5G, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, although the shortage of an NFC chip for cell funds is an enormous weak point in comparison with the opposite well-liked mid-rangers.

Cameras & pictures

• Triple digicam setup on the rear
• Primary 64Mp snapper is probably the most able to the bunch
• Twin selfie digicam has been changed by a single sensor

The Vivo V25 Professional boasts a triple digicam setup on the rear, comprised of a fundamental 64Mp f/1.9 snapper alongside an 8Mp ultrawide lens and a 2Mp macro digicam for excessive close-ups, although like most different mid-rangers, you’ll possible be utilizing the principle digicam more often than not.

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Pictures captured with the principle 64Mp snapper are inclined to pack intimately, boast comparatively correct color illustration and provide nice dynamic vary if the auto HDR mode is enabled. The element is generally floor degree, as zooming in can reveal artefacts and over-aggressive sharpening in minor particulars, nevertheless it’ll suffice for on a regular basis snaps.

The included OIS stablisation means it’s simpler to take a photograph with out blur, and that’s additional enhanced by the phase-detect autofocus that mixed provides a speedy point-and-shoot expertise with correct focus.

The f/1.9 aperture is tailor-made in the direction of evening pictures (in comparison with the f/2.2 ultrawide, anyway) and has the potential to seize loads of mild with out the necessity for a tripod because of optical picture stabilisation, although outcomes aren’t fairly as detailed because the likes of the Pixel 6a.

There’s a noticeable drop in general element when switching to the 8Mp 120-degree ultrawide snapper, and pictures are inclined to have a barely completely different color temperature in comparison with the principle lens, however snaps do nonetheless look reasonably pure. It’ll greater than suffice for capturing a scene or sharing on social media, nevertheless it’ll possible disappoint the pixel-peepers amongst us.

Lastly, there’s the 2Mp macro lens, however the much less stated about it the higher.

As with most mid-rangers, the 2Mp macro lens is just there to extend the digicam depend and make it look like a extra aggressive choice for customers. In actuality, you will get higher high quality macro pictures utilizing the ultrawide or fundamental cameras. I’d reasonably Vivo ditch the pointless macro lens and make investments extra within the ultrawide and fundamental cameras, however hey…  

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Flip the V25 Professional over and also you’ll discover a 32Mp selfie digicam. That’s a stark change to the twin 50Mp and 8Mp ultrawide sensors discovered on the earlier era, however with the ultrawide providing described as simply “positive” in our V23 Professional assessment, it’s not as large a downgrade because it first appears.

Although not as excessive a megapixel depend, the 32Mp snapper will likely be greater than adequate for selfies and portrait pictures, with pretty correct autofocus and a Portrait mode with surprisingly correct edge detection. The f/2.5 aperture means you must keep away from low-light situations although – both that or use the rear lens!

Battery & charging

• All-day battery life with giant 4,830mAh cell
• 66W quick charging
• No wi-fi charging

With a 4,830mAh battery throughout the V25 Professional, it has no subject lasting all day on a single cost. Even with what I’d take into account reasonable use – snapping photographs, scrolling via TikTok and the occasional name – the V25 Professional would get me to the top of the day with out dipping into the pink.

For those who use the smartphone much less and take into account choosing the adaptive 120Hz refresh price and different battery-friendly settings, you can probably squeeze two days out of a single cost. That aligns with our battery benchmark outcomes, which noticed the Vivo V25 Professional final a reasonably spectacular 13 hours and 11 minutes in PCMark 10’s battery take a look at, beating related mid-rangers together with the Nothing Cellphone (1) by a formidable six hours.

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The excellent news is that 66W USB-C quick charging will present 31% cost in quarter-hour, 61% in half-hour and 100% in a bit over an hour, which means it’s a smartphone you gained’t really feel the necessity to cost each evening – simply prime it up each every now and then to maintain it going.

It’s not fairly on the ranges of the 150W SuperVooc charging from the flagship OnePlus 10T, nevertheless it’s nice for a mid-ranger – and the quick charger comes within the field too.

There isn’t wi-fi charging on provide, however that’s an unusual prevalence amongst mid-range smartphones.

Software program & updates

• Android 12 with FunTouch OS 12
• Software program quirks can take some getting used to
• No software program replace dedication

In the case of software program, the Vivo V25 Professional comes working Android 12 with Vivo’s (sadly named) FunTouch OS 12 pores and skin utilized on prime.

It’s a distinct method to Android 12 than most patrons will likely be used to, with stylised icons, further performance and a largely completely different really feel to inventory Android that’ll take a whole lot of getting used to, although it’s manageable when you get used to its quirks.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The larger frustration is the bunch of ineffective pre-installed apps, together with folders of ‘scorching’ apps and video games, although these are simply sufficient deleted. That’s balanced by helpful options like a grid-style format for the multitasking menu, although with none prompts throughout the OS to utilise the additional performance, most non-compulsory options merely get appeared over.

The large thriller proper now surrounds software program updates.

Whereas mid-range competitors just like the Google Pixel 6a will get three years of OS updates, Vivo is but to decide to any improve promise, which may probably see the Vivo V25 Professional left behind whereas equally priced smartphones transfer on to Android 13 and past. If you wish to maintain your cellphone updated for the subsequent few years, Vivo possible isn’t the selection for you.

If we get affirmation from Vivo that it’ll provide OS upgrades, we’ll remember to replace this part.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Worth & availability

The Vivo V25 Professional begins at Rs 35,999 (round $453/£373) for the 8GB/128GB combo, and Rs 39,999 (round $503/£415) will get you the 12GB/256GB combo, with each readily available for purchase in India by way of retailers like Flipkart.

There’s no phrase but on whether or not the Vivo V25 Professional will come to the UK and Europe, with a hit-and-miss launch schedule up to now, however we’ll replace this part if we hear otherwise. US followers are completely out of luck although; Vivo is certainly one of many Chinese language manufacturers that doesn’t have illustration in America, and that’s unlikely to vary anytime quickly.

For choices available within the US and UK, check out our collection of the very best mid-range smartphones.

Verdict

The Vivo V25 Professional is a stable mid-range smartphone that, on the floor, can simply compete with well-liked mid-rangers just like the Nothing Cellphone (1) and OnePlus Nord 2T, boasting a 120Hz AMOLED show, a Dimensity 1300 chipset, a reasonably respectable 64Mp rear snapper and all-day battery life – nevertheless it’s a bit rougher across the edges than the favored mid-rangers.

There isn’t any official resistance in opposition to mud or water, neither is there any point out of any toughened glass on the entrance or rear. There’s additionally the problem with Vivo’s FunTouch OS 12, which comes with loads of bloatware (actually folders full), is awkward to make use of in comparison with inventory Android and, with no software program replace dedication, it may not even get the replace to Android 13, not to mention 14, like some mid-range competitors.

Oh, and the shortage of NFC will likely be a dealbreaker for these within the West that use Google Pockets to pay for items.

So sure, the Vivo V25 Professional is actually a looker, and there’s loads to love in regards to the {hardware}, nevertheless it’s not fairly the right mid-range smartphone.