We have always been lucky to have an opportunity to review vivo V series since last year and this time they finally introduced the Pro versions of their V series here in the Philippines. The vivo V30 Pro 5G is an interesting smartphone as they collaborate with Zeiss with this one which we are excited to see if they get another notch to their smartphone series that have been great in photography.
Table of Contents
vivo V30 Pro 5G Specifications
| OS: | Android 14, Funtouch OS 14 |
|---|---|
| Processor: | Mediatek Dimensity 8200 |
| Display: | 6.78″ 120Hz AMOLED FHD+ HDR10+ |
| Wireless Connections: | 5G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, dual-band, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, NavIC |
| Memory: | 12GB+512GB |
| Connectors: | USB Type-C 2.0 , OTG |
| Cameras: | Rear Camera: (main) 50 MP, f/1.8 (telephoto) 50 MP, f/1.9 (Ultrawide) 50 MP. f/2.0 Front Camera: 50 MP, f/2.0 |
| SIM Card Slots: | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Battery: | 5000mAh 80W wired |
| Price: | 12GB+512GB: Php 34,999 |
The Design
The vivo V30 Pro 5G is only available in Petals White here in the Philippines. It features an aesthetically pleasing glass backplate design that closely resembles a flower petal.
The camera design has been updated, accompanied by an improved Aura Light feature now known as Aura Light 3.0. It is larger and square-shaped, emitting more powerful lighting. Surrounding the camera modules, you’ll find the ZEISS branding, indicating their collaboration for this model.
On the front, it retains a curved display with an in-display optical fingerprint sensor. It measures 164.36mm tall, 75.1mm wide, and weighs 188g. It boasts an IP54 rating for dust and water splash resistance.
Regarding ports and buttons, the power button and volume rocker are situated on the right side. Below, you’ll find speaker grills, a USB Type-C port, a microphone hole, and a SIM tray slot accommodating two nano-SIM cards.
The Display and Speaker
The vivo V30 Pro 5G boasts a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a resolution of 2800 x 1260 pixels, offering a pixel density of 452 PPI. With a local peak brightness of 2800 nits, using this smartphone under sunlight poses no difficulty.
Its default settings are fine, yielding great results in color vibrancy. Being an AMOLED display, it delivers deep blacks. Notable features include eye protection technologies like the Anti-Fatigue Curve 2.0, ensuring relaxed eyes during continuous screen use. Biometric brightness adjustment dynamically adjusts brightness for a comfortable viewing experience. Moreover, it features low blue light with an SGS Low Blue Light certification and 2160Hz dimming, reducing display flicker compared to other smartphones, making it eye-friendly at night.
Unfortunately, despite its “Pro” moniker, the speaker is only a down-firing one, which seems odd considering its price point. Nonetheless, it delivers clear and loud audio, even when maxing out its volume.
The Performance
The vivo V30 Pro 5G is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipset, boasting a CPU clock speed of 3.1GHz paired with a Mali-G610 MC6 GPU. It offers a RAM and storage configuration of 12GB+512GB with a virtual RAM of 12GB.
Here are the benchmark scores for the vivo V30 Pro 5G:
Upon booting up the device, we were greeted by its operating system, Funtouch OS 14, based on Android 14. Like other smartphones from vivo, it comes with a plethora of pre-installed bloatware, but these can be easily uninstalled.
Throughout the review, we encountered no issues while using the smartphone. It remained smooth and snappy, even when switching between tons of apps or playing games. Speaking of games, it handles casual games or esports titles effortlessly. Transitioning to graphically demanding games like Genshin Impact, it maintained a consistent framerate with low to medium graphics settings, and when it set to high graphics setting it delivered a playable experience with minimal stuttering
However, the thermal performance of the vivo V30 Pro 5G tends to get quite hot during heavy processing tasks such as video editing or gaming. During the 3DMark Wild Life Stress test, it scored 64.3% stability. An interesting observation was a significant drop in score during the 15th loop, returning to normal on the subsequent run, followed by another dip after that loop. In the stress test, the chipset temperature began at 30°C and peaked at 43°C, which is acceptable.
The Camera
The main highlight of the vivo V30 Pro 5G is its photography capability, and with this new smartphone, they’ve upped their game by collaborating with ZEISS to unleash an even greater photography smartphone monster.
They’ve integrated the Sony IMX920 sensor for the 50 MP rear main camera with OIS, paired with the 50 MP ultrawide and 50 MP telephoto lenses. Even the selfie camera boasts a 50 MP resolution. When capturing with the main camera, it defaults to pixel binning, resulting in 14.39 MP images.
Using the main camera won’t disappoint, regardless of lighting conditions. You’ll notice exceptional detail and contrast in your pictures. The camera impressively detects and separates subjects from the background, creating excellent background blur or bokeh effects.
The camera app also introduces new features, such as the ability to choose the color mode of your pictures. There are three options available: vivid mode, which enhances saturation without oversaturating, and the ZEISS-branded textured and Natural modes. The ZEISS natural color mode produces images with a more subdued saturation, yielding a natural-looking result.
The ultrawide camera strives to match the quality of the main camera, but there’s a slight discrepancy, especially noticeable in sky details. However, it still delivers impressive results with some softness in details.
Switching to the telephoto feature seamlessly transitions from the main camera to the telephoto lens when shooting at 2x zoom, producing very good photos. Portrait mode automatically engages the 2x telephoto lens but allows for switching to 1x photo. The sharpness and subject-background separation are commendable.
Night shots are also a strong suit for the vivo V30 Pro 5G, capturing stunning pictures with excellent details and colors even in low light. The Aura Light 3.0 feature enhances subject visibility in dark or poorly lit areas by automatically adjusting lighting scenarios.
Taking selfies with the front camera is a pleasant experience, offering a wider field of view for group shots. The selfie shots exhibit accurate skin tone colors in various lighting scenarios.
The video capability of the vivo V30 Pro 5G remains robust, supporting 4K 60fps recording. The videos maintain nice details and well-developed shadows. However, challenges may arise, particularly in low-light conditions, yet it still manages to deliver decent outcomes.
The Battery
The vivo V30 Pro 5G features a 5000 mAh battery that enables it to survive our busy day-to-day life, often with some battery remaining after a long workday. In our PCMark Work 3.0 battery life test, we achieved a result of 14 hours and 57 minutes from 100% to 20% with the screen brightness set at 50%.
Included in the box is an 80W FlashCharger, capable of charging the smartphone from 0 to 100% in under an hour, making it a fantastic addition.
vivo V30 Pro 5G Verdict
The vivo V30 Pro 5G is a solid option if you’re seeking a mid-premium smartphone capable of rivaling flagship smartphone cameras from other brands. It offers an excellent experience with its display, robust battery life, and rapid charging speed. However, some may find the chipset performance lacking for their workflow, although it will be fast for most users or decent at most. My only downside I can think of it is its speaker that is only a downfiring speaker rather than a stereo speaker that most smartphone in this category.
The vivo V30 Pro 5G is priced at Php 34,999 for its 12GB+512GB configuration.
