vivo V50 review

The competition

At the time of writing, the vivo V50 seems to only be available in India, starting at around INR 35,000 (€380) and going up to INR 41,000 (€445) for the top config. That's a pretty reasonable midrange price point, but competition is quite busy in this price bracket too, so you'd have plenty to of options.

The OnePlus 13R comes to mind. While it might lack autofocus on its ultrawide and selfie cameras, it arguably makes up for it by including a 50MP 2x telephoto into the mix for improved versatility. The build and aesthetics are great, and you get plenty of performance from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Plus, a large 6,000 mAh battery is under the hood and 80W fast charging.

Then, we have the Motorola Edge 50 Pro. It, too, has a zoom camera. A lower-resolution 10MP one but with 3x optical zoom. Plus, the Moto has autofocus on all of its cameras. The 6.7-inch, 144Hz, HDR10+ display is a highlight of the package up on offer, and so is the IP68 ingress protection. You also get the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, just like the vivo V50. You will have to settle for a smaller 4,500 mAh, but one with 125W charging.

OnePlus 13R • Motorola Edge 50 Pro • Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro • Realme 14 Pro+

The Poco X7 Pro is another great alternative. Perhaps not in the camera department since the X7 Pro only has a single 50MP main camera and an 8MP ultrawide - and there is no autofocus on either the ultrawide or the selfie. On the flip side, you get a gorgeous 6.67-inch, 12-bit, 120Hz, Dolby Vision certified, very bright display and a large battery with 90W charging. The real highlight is arguably the powerful Mediatek Dimensity 8400 chipset. So, the Poco X7 Pro is a definite choice for performance.

Last but definitely not least, there is the Realme 14 Pro+. It is also big in the camera department with a 50MP main camera and a 50MP 3x periscope telephoto camera. The ultrawide is just a mere 8MP without autofocus, but you do get a 32MP autofocusing selfie. You also get a high-resolution 6.83-inch, 120Hz display, a large 6,000 mAh battery with 80W fast charging. Unfortunately, Realme just has two major OS updates lined up for the future.

Our verdict

Vivo seems to already have the formula down for a good camera-focused midranger and isn't rocking the boat too much with the V50. It basically borrows most of the experience and even hardware from the V40 and V30 before it, bringing in some new refinements.

The main camera has been tweaked a little to now include a better OV50e sensor plus Zeiss optics for all three shooters. And there is now an even larger 6,000mAh battery with faster 90W charging. This year, the model introduces a new Dimond Shield Glass protection (in collaboration with Schott), which should be up to 50% more drop-resistant compared to the V40's first Schott glass.

Of course, the trio of 50MP autofocusing cameras continue to be the star of the show. The V50 continues to be a very well-rounded device, despite the fact that for yet another generation, vivo decided to stick to the same Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip and the same UFS 2.2 storage. Sadly, the software support hasn't improved, with just three major OS updates lined up for the V50 in the future. Still, there is very little to actually get disappointed by here. Well, perhaps other than the rather inexplicable display size and resolution downgrade compared to the V40. Even it is a minor one, though.

All things considered, vivo's V series and the latest V50 remain one of our go-to recommendations for camera prowess at a reasonable price. You won't go wrong picking one up for yourself.

Pros

• Premium styling, great build quality.
• IP69 rating plus improved Diamond Shield glass.
• Great battery life and faster charging.
• Very good stereo speaker system.
• Stable performance with practically no thermal-throttling.
• Great all-around camera performance.

Cons

• Launch price is not competitive.
• Slightly downgraded display size and resolution.
• The virtual proximity sensor for turning off the screen during calls is not as good as a physical one.
• No eSIM support.