Vivo is back with another V series device that excels in portrait photography. Last time we tested out the Aura portrait mode of the vivo V27 series and it outputs impressive quality results. Today, we have the vivo V29, which is vivo’s latest V series smartphone. As usual, it comes with cutting-edge technology designed to deliver and capture solid-quality photographs. We will be testing out some of its specs, and see if the vivo V29 provides better results than the vivo V27.
Table of Contents
DESIGN AND BUILD
In terms of design, well it pretty much looks the same, with just bit of tweaks on its overall finish and camera module design. It has a matte-like glossy finish which feels comfortable to the hand but it is kinda slippery. The color variant of our unit is Red which we think is aesthetically pleasing. Its simple design makes it eye catchy and it feels premium as well. The V29’s build is quite sturdy and lightweight as well.
As for its camera module, if you compare it to last year, the triple camera was aligned vertically, and on the top side would be the aura portrait light. For the V29, instead of a sensor at the bottom, the aura light is placed under the second camera, and you get a small camera sensor underneath the camera flash.
It also offers an IP68 rating with both dust and water resistance and up to 1.5m for 30 mins.
DISPLAY
Switching to the front, the vivo V29 boasts a 6.78″ FHD+ curved AMOLED display which is paired with a 120Hz refresh rate. Because of its curved edges, the display offers an almost bezel-less design giving us a more immersive experience when watching movies or playing games. Animation and responsiveness are also impressive thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate.
In terms of display quality, it has good and sharp color vibrance, binge binge-watching Netflix shows is enjoyable thanks to its 90.8% screen-to-body ratio. As for its display settings, we have the typical dark theme, and we actually have an option for its refresh rate. We can choose either 120Hz, 60Hz, or a smart switch to save battery.
CAMERA
Moving forward to its cameras, the vivo V29 is equipped with a triple camera setup which consists of a 50MP OIS main, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP depth.
When it comes to outdoor shoots, the 50MP OIS main shooter delivers impressive quality results. It just shows that vivo has developed a standard when it comes to camera performance. Details are visible, highlights are balanced and it has good color distribution. The colors that it delivers are true to life, and it also offers a wide dynamic range.
When it comes to low-light photography, the qualities are great, especially with artificial light. Even without the Aura light mode, the camera already captures enough light to make the Aura light a substitute feature in order for you to fully enhance your low-light shots.
Now for the main selling point of the V29, capturing portraits at night with the aura light algorithm turned on outputs impressive results. It has good color reproduction and sharp details. It is ideal to use the Aura Light portrait in low-light scenarios to utilize it fully. Here are some sample images with and without the aura light feature.
In terms of selfies, the V29 packs a 50MP selfie shooter, and just like the previous model, it delivers an outstanding performance. It has impressive front-facing shots, with good details, and sharpness. It also comes with a wide dynamic range, no blown-out highlights, and a true-to-life skin tone.
As for video recording, it can shoot videos up to 4K@30FPS. A stabilization feature is available but you can only use standard stabilization for the 4K quality and ultra stabilization for 1080P@60FPS.
PERFORMANCE AND SOFTWARE
As for its performance and software. Under the hood, the V29 is powered by a Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset, which is paired with 12GB of RAM along with 256GB of storage. You can also expand its RAM by an additional 8GB for a total of 20GB but who actually needs that kind of RAM? we are pretty sure that 12GB of RAM is enough for day-to-day tasks and gaming. As for its OS, the V29 runs on Android 13 slap with Funtouch OS 13. It does come with a bit of bloatware, but no worries since you can pretty much uninstall them if you don’t need them. Here are some of its benchmark results.
When it comes to battery and charging, the V29 is backed by a 4600mAh battery capacity which is then paired with 80W fast charging. Battery life is pretty much solid, it delivers 4 to 6 hours of gaming and at most 14 hours of on-screen usage. As for charging, the 80W FastCharge can juice up your device from 0 to 50% in just 20 minutes, and a full charge in just 40 minutes. It may not be as fast as the 100W fast charging, but still, it gives out a full battery in under an hour which is always a good thing.
As for the price, the vivo V29 is priced at Php. 24,999 for the 12GB+256GB storage, and Php 26,999 for the 12GB + 512GB storage and is a solid upgrade from the vivo V27. Aside from the upgraded camera performance, you get a lightweight design and an impressive quality display.
The only downside for us would be the chipset, they could have opted for a different chip so that they could also accommodate gaming just like the V27. But if you are not into heavy gaming, and you usually play casual games then I think this would be enough.
vivo V29 specs, price, and availability in the Philippines
- Network: 5G, 4G, LTE
- Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED FHD+ (1260×2800), 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+
- OS: Funtouch 13
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 5G (6nm)
- Memory: (12GB+256GB), (12GB+512GB)
- Rear Camera: 50MP OIS (main), 8MP (ultrawide), 2MP (depth)
- Front/Selfie Camera: 50MP f/2.0, 22mm (Wide)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, GPS (L1), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I), GALILEO (E1), QZSS (L1)
- Ports: USB Type-C
- Battery: 4,600mAh battery with 80W fast charging
- Dimensions & Weight: 164.2 x 74.4 x 7.5 mm, 186 g (6.56 oz)
- Colors: Space Black, Himalayan Blue, Purple Fairy, Majestic Red
- Price: 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM – Php 24,999, 12GB RAM + 512GB ROM – Php 26,999
- Release Date: September 25, 2023
