Vivo V27 Review: Lower Price, Same Great Cameras
We recently spent some time with the Vivo V27 Pro and were impressed with its performance and photography capabilities, especially given its relatively affordable price.
However, the downside of this device is that it is very difficult to obtain unless you live in India. However, the phone's not-so-professional sibling received a much larger release, initially launched in 25 markets worldwide.
The Vivo V27 has an attractive price tag of around $399 and has the same great cameras in a nearly identical chassis, but its processor has been downgraded.
We wanted to see how the cheaper version would perform, so we used that as our base unit. This is what we found.
Long live v27!
The Vivo V27 offers a superb picture and a beautiful slim body at an attractive price. While we think the Pro model offers a more complete experience, this phone's price and affordability make it an attractive option.
- Great main camera
- The best selfie camera
- Unique finish that changes color
- Excellent battery life
- Excellent value for money and quality
- one speaker
- Additional cameras are not described
- viruses
design
- Dimensions: 164.1 x 74.8 x 7.36mm
- Weight: 182 grams
- Colors: emerald green, magical blue, flowing gold and noble black.
- UV Reactive Fluorite AG / Emerald Glass
The Vivo V27 uses the same chassis as the V27 Pro, the dimensions are the same as the weight, but this model has a few more color options. We have the Emerald Green version for testing and it looks very attractive and is completely different from what we have seen before.
In this color scheme, beautiful marble veins run along the top of the back, with a pale green tint that fades the entire length of the instrument. That is, unless you put it in full sun.
The V27 is UV sensitive, just like last year's Pro and V25 models. When the sun hits it, it quickly takes on a flat, dark green hue, and if placed in a pocket or indoors, it will return to normal in about 5 minutes.
It's not very bright, but it's a party trick, and if you often get bored with your phone's color, this feature might be for you.
The Emerald Green version has a different type of glass than the rest of the range, with a more traditional glossy back as opposed to the velvety Fluorite AG we tried on the Pro. We prefer this version because it is more durable and less of a hassle when used without a shroud. Although it is worth noting that this model also comes with a standard transparent TPU case.
As we saw on the Pro, the V27 is very thin and the curved edges make it even thinner. It's still a big tablet, but thanks to its slim profile and light weight, it fits perfectly in your pocket.
Display and speakers
- 6.78" 120Hz AMOLED screen
- Resolution 2400x1080
- Curved edges
- one speaker
Turning to the screen, we again find that it is identical to the V27 Pro, which is not bad. The 120Hz refresh rate makes everything smooth and responsive, and the brightness holds up decently in the sun.
This model has the same color controls, offering three main presets and the ability to adjust the temperature of each. Low blue light modes are also available if that bothers you, and the phone is SGS Eye Care certified.
The speakerphone hasn't changed either and, like the Pro model, isn't impressive. It's loud and clear but lacks bass and it's a single speaker so you won't get any stereo effects.
When moving from a flagship to this phone, oddly enough, our biggest concern was the speaker. It's okay, but the lack of stereo sound when watching YouTube at home was hard to get used to.
hardware and software
- Mediatek 7200 size
- Up to 12 GB RAM (expandable) and 256 GB internal storage
- 4600mAh battery, 66W wired charging flash
- Funtouch OS 13 based on Android 13
This is where things get interesting as the Vivo V27 uses a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 processor instead of the Dimensity 8200 found in the Pro model.
In daily use, the 7200 chipset performs well. There were occasional choppy animations and brief freezes during our testing, but the vast majority of the time the phone was fast and responsive. You really have to look for differences to find them.
However, the performance difference becomes more noticeable when some games are loaded. We were able to run Genshin Impact at high settings of 60fps on the Pro model, but we had to lower the settings to 30fps for smooth playback on the V27.
There's a game boost mode that tries to optimize the system for optimal gaming performance, but even with it on, we couldn't play at 60fps on only the lowest graphics settings.
On the plus side, battery life seems to be better on this model. He always helped us throughout the day, even when traveling, with fun screen time and GPS. With moderate use, you'll likely get a charge every couple of days - impressive.
When the Vivo V27 finally turns off, it quickly charges using the included 66W wall adapter. It's not available when charging the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ at 120W, but that's enough for us: about 50 percent in just 20 minutes.
The trial version of the software hasn't changed in this form, which means you get some very useful features, but also a lot more malware than we'd like to see. As always, most of them can be removed or hidden, but this is annoying.
cameras
- Main 50MP OIS (Sony IMX766V)
- 8MP ultra wide
- 2 megapixel super macro
- Front camera 50 MP with autofocus
The cameras are, you guessed it, the same as the Vivo V27 Pro. This means you get a great basic shooter and one of the best selfie cameras we've tested on any device.
Ultraline and macro are very disappointing, but at least sometimes ultrarange is useful. You will get the best results with the main camera and selfies.
Shooting with the V27 is almost identical to the Pro model, we didn't notice any noticeable shutter lag or much difference in processing time despite the weaker processor. This is exactly what you desire.
As a reminder, the standout feature is the 50MP autofocus selfie camera, which offers the best front-facing camera shots of any phone we've seen on the table.
The Sony IMX766V main camera takes great pictures with lots of detail and rich, vibrant colors. As always, Vivo's image processing is top notch, and the camera app has endless filters, effects, and beautification options.
Low-light shots tend to get motion blur, but the night mode does a great job of preserving detail and offers good dynamic range.
For video, you can shoot up to 4K 60fps with both the main and selfie cameras, and both have solid image stabilization, which is rare at this price point.
manage
As you might guess, the Vivo V27 is pretty much the same phone as the V27 Pro. To complete the differences, it has a slower processor, more color options, and a lower MSRP.
It's important to note that it's available in many other regions than the Pro model, so depending on where you live, you may not be able to pick up the more expensive model.
At first we were afraid that a slower chip would lead to a significant drop in performance, but it turned out that this was not the case. In most cases, using the V27 is the same as using the V27 Pro.
It's only gaming performance that suffers the most, and unless you play graphically intensive mobile games, it doesn't matter.
On the other hand, this model has a longer battery life, which is impressive since it was already excellent on the Pro. We also think the additional color options are great and help this phone stand out from the competition.
If you are looking for a photographer in this price range, and especially if you are a selfie lover, the Vivo V27 will not disappoint you.