Vivo V29 Review: Perfect Portraits At A Bargain Price
I only tested the Vivo V27 and V27 Pro in March, but now I'm back with the Vivo V29. What happened to the V28, you ask? Vivo missed out on a V-series lineup for some reason, so the V25 comes before the V27, and we'll probably see the V31 soon.
Despite the name confusion, the V29 is a phone that shares many similarities with its predecessor, and the new model also features a halo-like colored LED flash effect.
Likewise, with such a short time between iterations, I was initially worried that not much had changed, but fortunately there's more to the V29 than meets the eye. There's a stunning new display, innovative lighting and, as we've come to expect from the V series, superior camera performance in its price range. Let's take a closer look.
liveV29:
The Vivo V29 is one of the best selfie cameras on the market today. These photography capabilities also extend to the rear camera and are aided by a new two-tone lighting solution. The main problem may be how to get it depending on where you live.
- One of the best selfie cameras ever!
- The main camera is brilliant.
- Two-tone aura light
- Good battery and fast charging.
- Custom color finish
- An old mid-range processor
- Not available in all regions
- The 8MP ultraline is less impressive.
Prices, details and availability
Vivo V29 will be launched in August 2023 and will be available in over 39 markets including India, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Turkey, Mexico and several European countries.
It is not currently sold through official channels in the UK or US, although imports are widely available. The Vivo V29 starts at €450/€480, although prices vary from region to region.
liveV29:
- public
- Snapdragon 778G
- The screen
- AMOLED 2800x1260 120Hz
- Random access memory
- 8GB/12GB
- Storage
- 128GB/256GB/512GB
- Drum
- At an altitude of 4600 m above sea level.
- Port
- USB-C only
- The procedure
- FunTouchOS 13:
- Frontal camera
- 50MP with automatic
- Rear camera
- 50MP main + 8MP ultra wide angle + 2MP monochrome
- Size:
- 164.18×74.37×7.46 millimeters
- Heavy
- 186 grams
- Loading speed
- 80W cable
- IP protection rating
- IP68
Project
Like its predecessor, the Vivo V29 adopts very elegant curves on the screen and back panel. This means the phone feels incredibly slim in your hand and pocket, and considering it has a 6.78-inch screen, it weighs just 186g. Alive
V-series phones often come in unique and attractive colors, some of which in previous generations reacted to ultraviolet light. The trend continues here with four unique finishes to choose from. I got the 'Peak Blue' and 'Starry Purple' versions, both of which have an iridescent sheen with wavy shapes that change when light hits them. Peak Blue is a more consistent color overall, while the Starry Purple version ranges from light purple to off-white with a subtle gradient.
Velvet Red and Noble Black are also available, both featuring Vivo's Fluorite AG glass, as seen on the V27 Pro and iQOO 11. The models remain black. All models come with a clear TPU case included in the box, but if you don't want to use it, I would definitely choose the blue or purple version. The glass back of the AG Vivo is beautiful but very slippery, and the glossy version is particularly attractive. That said, you have to agree with the comments and I imagine not everyone is that interested.
Despite its affordable price, the Vivo V29 doesn't look cheap. The shape is solid and has a very attractive appearance. It also has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, so it can withstand the elements without problems. Vivo also claims that its durability has been tested in over 60 laboratory conditions, including drop tests, temperature and humidity tests, and much more.
Screen and speakers
This time the display gets a nice upgrade and offers a sharp 2800x1260 resolution with a pixel density of 452 ppi. It's ultra-smooth with a 120Hz refresh rate and has 2160Hz PWM dimming to reduce eye strain.
It is also very bright with a maximum output of 1300 nits. This is one of the brightest panels I've seen on a mid-range device and means you won't have difficulty seeing the screen on bright days. With HDR10+ support, even content from providers like Netflix looks great.
There is also a lot of customization for color reproduction. You can choose between Standard, Pro, and Light presets and adjust the color temperature of each. If you are concerned about eye health, an eye protection mode is available, as well as SGS certification to reduce blue light, reduce flicker, and reduce smearing.
There is only one speaker in this model, so you won't get the stereo effect when watching content or playing games with built-in audio. However, he can still scream a lot and doesn't look too small. This may not surprise you, but it's more than enough for watching YouTube at home.
Performance and software
The Vivo V29 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G, a mid-range chip that's already two years old, so of course the phone won't beat the benchmarks. However, this is the same chip you'll find in the Nothing(1) and Honor 70 phones, so we already know it's capable of a lot of things.
It's also paired with a good amount of RAM, 8GB or 12GB expandable up to 8GB, meaning it's a great multitasker. In use, the phone was consistently fast and responsive, apps opened quickly and it was easy to forget you weren't using a premium device.
Only in-game will you notice the difference, and you'll need to install something graphically oriented like my current favorite, Honkai Star Rail, to see the results. I had to change the graphics preset to "low" to get playable frames, which is obviously pretty good, but it worked fine in that mode and the phone only started to heat up after 45 minutes, but that never happened. Scorching heat.
The Vivo V29 has a 4600 mAh battery and combined with a powerful chipset, the battery life is excellent. You'll easily get through days of heavy use on a single charge, and when you're back up and running, it'll be instantly with the included 80W wall adapter. You can expect to do a complete tour of the apartment in about 40 minutes. A 50% charge takes only 20 minutes. There's no wireless charging, but it's still a rare find on a device at this price.
The V29 runs FunTouch OS 13, which I'm familiar with after using the X90 Pro for a long time. It doesn't stray too far from the standard Android experience and adds some pretty deep customization options, which is nice to have, but does have some drawbacks. The bottom line is that you have to be brave to make sure you receive all notifications, as the energy saving measures are quite strict by default. Another factor is the amount of bloatware, which is unchanged from previous V-series devices I've tested. Fortunately, most are easy to remove.
Camera
With previous V-series models, it was the camera performance that really set them apart, and the same goes for the V29. The selfie camera appears to have the same specs as its predecessor, but it's the best selfie camera I've tested and this model is no different.
The front camera has a huge 50 MP resolution and very fast and precise autofocus. This is something that's still missing from most flagship devices (with the exception of the new Pixel 8 Pro), and means you can hold the phone up close or at close range and still keep it sharp.
The rear camera array is largely unchanged from the Vivo V27; There's still a 50MP main sensor and an 8MP ultra, but there are some minor changes. Gone is the original, useless 2MP macro camera, now replaced by a 2MP depth sensor that supposedly helps with cropping in portrait mode. The other main sensor is now the Samsung GN5, not the Sony IMX766.
Photos taken with the main camera look amazing, especially in daylight. Vivid color processing delivers vivid, natural-looking images with sharp details and wide dynamic range. Low-light images are also good, with the night mode able to show detail even in the darkest scenes. As usual, the portrait mode crop is also one of the best in the industry.
The wider it is, the less impressive it is. It has a fixed focus so you don't get too close and the level of detail cannot be compared to the original lens. This is useful from time to time, but it is best to use it sparingly as you will get good results with the other two cameras.
try the image
This phone's camera system has another trick up its sleeve. The large round flash next to the main lens is not actually a flash, but a continuous two-tone light source. These smart lights can automatically adjust to the scene's lighting, creating diffuse fill light that adapts to the environment. It's a great idea and, as far as I know, it's completely unique to this phone.
Of course, if the night mode is very good, this smart lighting solution may not be of much use in the real world, but the option is interesting. In my tests, it did a good job of detecting the ambient light temperature, but you can adjust it yourself if you wish. There is a separate traditional LED flash that can be used where needed.
The verdict
The Vivo V29 is one of the best phones you can buy for taking selfies, but more than that, it offers an excellent main camera, a great screen, and an affordable price. If you are looking for a mid-range smartphone with a camera at this price, you can easily recommend it because in most cases, and especially when it comes to selfies, its photographic performance is even better than the Pixel 7a.
Is not perfect. Admittedly, the lack of a single ultra-wide speaker and midrange gaming capabilities is a problem for some people. But the main problem is its availability. I am in the UK and most of our readers are in the US. Vivo V29 has not been officially launched in any of the regions and may never be launched. This means that it will be very difficult to get them at a good price.
However, if you're in a supported region, the Vivo V29 is worth a look. It's stylish, takes great photos, and is half the price of most flagship phones.
