Vivo V40 Review – Can this Vivo beat Google?
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If you step outside the world of Apple, Google, and Samsung phones you can find some great value mid-range and smartphones. Budget Phones With a camera setup that would put even some flagships to shame. Joshua Waller reviews the Vivo V40.
This Vivo V40 has a dual 50MP camera setup at the back and a 50MP selfie camera with AF, that’s more megapixels than you get on the flagship Google Pixel 9! And the phone comes with 512GB of storage, which is 4 times more than the base model Pixel 9. Yet it’s available at almost half the price… but how does it perform? Find out in this review.
At a glance
- 50MP main camera, f/1.9, AF, OIS
- 50MP ultra-wide camera, f/2.2, AF
- 50MP selfie camera, f/2.0 with AF
- 4K 30fps front/rear video recording
- 6.78 inch AMOLED, HDR10+, 120Hz, 4500nits with Screen Shot Protection
- 5500mAh battery, 80W wired charging
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Generation 3 processor
- 12GB RAM / 512GB storage
- ₹34,499 (£316)
features
As mentioned, the Vivo V40 features a dual-camera setup at the back, with Zeiss branded optics, both cameras have 50MP sensors, and there’s optical image stabilisation (OIS) on the main camera. In fact, all three cameras have 50MP sensors, as well as auto-focus, so no matter which camera you use, you get photos in focus. There’s also a ring LED light at the back that can be adjusted colour-wise, between warm and cool colour temperatures.
The camera app…
The camera app is easy to use, with some extra features, including Zeiss portrait options. In Portrait mode you can choose which Zeiss lens you want for the bokeh effect, which adds an extra element to your portraits, even making them look like they were taken with Zeiss film (or digital) lenses from larger full-frame cameras. Of course, this effect is created using software processing, but at first glance the effect looks quite convincing. More on this later.
It has the usual Night, Portrait, Photo, Video modes along with modes like Micro Movie, High Resolution, Panoramic, Documents, Slow-mo, Time-lapse, Supermoon, Astro, Pro, Snapshot, Food, Dual View, and Live Photo.
Hardware and design
This phone is stylish and slim, with curved edges on both the front and back, a different style than the square thick phones from Google and other companies.
You also get a choice of multiple colours, including purple, peach, blue/green and grey/silver, depending on local availability. It’s also IP68/69 dust and water resistant, and has glass on the front and back. The screen is protected by shot protection, but it also comes with a pre-installed protective film offering some extra protection. Speaking of protection, there’s a TPU case in a matching colour in the box.
The screen is impressively bright, offering a maximum brightness of 4500nits! Regarding the big numbers, it has a generous 5500mAh battery and 80W charging is supported. Unfortunately, the phone does not include wireless charging or a charger in the box.
Powering the phone (which is basically a tiny computer) is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, which keeps things crisp and responsive. The amount of RAM and storage is generous, with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It’s running Android 14, and you can get all the usual apps from the Google Play store.
Display and Image Quality
Overall, the cameras deliver photos with pleasing colours, good dynamic range and reliable exposure. You can easily point and shoot with this camera and get great results without any worries.
The main camera has a larger sensor (with 1.0µm pixels), while the ultra-wide and selfie cameras have smaller sensors (0.64µm pixels), which means it will deliver the best results in most situations.
The main camera performs well, but when you view images at full size, there are signs of noise in the corners of the frame. If you don’t mind, you don’t really need to worry about it.
Low light performance is relatively good, but in extreme darkness the phone struggles compared to phones with bigger sensors. The main camera is a mediocre option at best, and the ultra-wide delivers poor results in low light, struggling to keep the shutter speed fast enough at times.
The ultra-wide-angle camera delivers good results in good conditions, for example, with bright scenes on sunny days, but in dark conditions (or indoors) the results can be poor.
There’s no telephoto camera, but the 2x zoom (digital) lens option is shown on-screen in the camera app, and shows 47mm (equivalent) when selected.
The results are pretty good, and it’s only when you start ‘pixel-peeping’ that you notice any problems. If you’re just using the images online or on social media, the results are good, and you can get proper prints if needed. Is there anyone who can explain to you what you’re doing? Print photos now and?
close up display The main camera is very good, and gives good background blur. You can also use the ultra-wide-angle camera for “super macro” photography thanks to the auto-focus, however, you will have to manually select this option on the screen, as the camera will not automatically switch to this mode from the 1x camera. (Many other phones will automatically activate macro mode when available).
Selfie Display – There are a variety of portrait options available when using the main camera, and it’s good to see that these are available with the selfie camera as well. This includes different focal length options, Zeiss bokeh options, and face/editing options.
The focal length options included with the selfie camera are 0.8x, 1x and 2x, while the options with the rear camera are 24mm, 35mm and 50mm (almost the same). There are more bokeh options available with the rear camera. The results look really good, and the auto-focus helps ensure you’re focusing correctly.
Video – 4K 30p video with optical image stabilisation (OIS) on the main camera means the results look good. You can also record 4K 30p video with the selfie camera, and thanks to the auto-focus, the results are better than phones without auto-focus, as the main subject stays in focus.
value for money
If you can find this phone at a good price in your area then it represents excellent value for money, costing around £360 (256GB) / £430 (512GB), it’s just a shame it’s not readily available in the UK and other regions. Vivo V40 Pro This is another good option. Other brands have models available too, but only a few offer 50MP on all cameras. Other budget options include Google Pixel 7A And Pixel 8Asimultaneously Samsung Galaxy A55 And A35and this Motorola Edge 50 Neo (with telephoto camera)
Decision
If the Vivo V40 is available in your region, it’s a great option, the only complication is whether to choose the V40 or V40 Pro With a 2x telephoto camera. The results are impressive, and the phone gives you a premium feeling product at a fairly low price. The Zeiss portrait effects are pleasing and with the selfie camera with AF, there is a great reason to choose a Vivo phone over other brands.
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