vivo V50 review

A flashy-looking phone with a bit of flair

The rear-panel has a unique 3D star finish. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The Starry Night variant of the vivo V50, which I have been testing, appeared typical when viewed from a distance during a product briefing. However, when I held it in my hand, I could truly appreciate its beauty. This is the first smartphone in India to feature 3D-Star technology. This adds depth to the device, making it look surreal and unlike anything I have seen on the back of a smartphone.

While this isn’t the thinnest or lightest device in its category, it has a certain heft that offers a premium in-hand feel. The curved display and panel back also enhance the overall ergonomics. While the V50 is available in more subtle colour options like Titanium Grey, I believe Starry Night is the variant to get, as it can double as a conversation starter.

The vivo V50 is IP68/IP69-rated and comes with an underwater camera mode. This is one of those phones that can accompany you in the shower or during a swim session in a pool.

Vivid quad-curved display

The display is bright, sharp, and vivid. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The V50 has also embraced another recent smartphone trend—the quad-curved display—which makes it look almost as premium as the much more expensive X100 Pro. This 6.77-inch display with a 1.5K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate can reach up to 4,500 nits in HDR mode, ensuring excellent visibility even under direct sunlight. The display features uniform bezels on all four sides and comes with a pre-installed screen protector.

By default, the display is tuned to be vivid, but users who prefer more natural colours can switch to Professional mode or Bright mode, especially if they prefer higher contrast. This makes it a great phone for watching movies on OTT platforms, YouTube videos, and gaming.

A camera master

The phone has three 50 MP cameras. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The camera performance on the V50 is a result of the vivo and Zeiss collaboration, and it clearly shows in the results. While there is no dedicated telephoto lens, the 50 MP main wide-angle lens features in-sensor crop support, enabling lossless 2x zoom, which is particularly useful for capturing 50mm portraits. The phone also includes a 50 MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 50 MP selfie camera, with all three cameras supporting 4K video recording.

The vivo V50 is one of the best point-and-shoot cameras in its class, boasting a fast shutter speed. While the device takes a few seconds for post-processing, the end results—especially portraits—are stunning. The V50 is also the first smartphone to offer an Indian Wedding Mode, transforming the phone into a DSLR-like camera that captures stunning pictures, along with several presets that further enhance the results.

Various Zeiss modes on the V50. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

While I could say much more about the vivo V50’s camera capabilities, here are some camera samples from the device that showcase its prowess:

vivo V50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
vivo V50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
vivo V50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
vivo V50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
vivo V50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
vivo V50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
vivo V50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
vivo V50 camera sample. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Punch-less performance

The phone is powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

If there is one slightly disappointing aspect of the vivo V50, it’s the performance, primarily due to the dated Snapdragon 7 Gen 3—the same chip that powered the vivo V40 launched in late 2024 and the vivo V30 launched in early 2024. The base variant of the vivo V50 offers 8 GB RAM and 128 GB or 256 GB of internal storage, while a 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage variant is also available.

In day-to-day usage, I did not notice any major lag. However, at times, I experienced minor frame drops, which became more evident as I installed more apps. While the device handles games like COD: Mobile with ease, the performance feels lacking at this price point. If you are a gamer, this is definitely not the device to consider.

AI and AnTuTu benchmark. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

On the software front, the vivo V50 ships with FunTouchOS 15 based on Android 15, and the device is eligible for three major OS upgrades and four years of security updates.

A battery champ that lasts almost two days

I don’t say this often, but the vivo V50 is one of the few smartphones that has delivered over a day and a half of battery life with heavy usage. It packs a 6,000 mAh battery and supports 90W fast charging. If you’re someone who constantly worries about battery life, the vivo V50 could be the perfect solution—it not only lasts long but can also be fully charged in under an hour.

Verdict: Get it for its cameras

An excellent camera phone. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The vivo V50 is hands down, one of the best portrait camera phones under Rs 40,000, capable of capturing picture-perfect photos. While the performance is a bit of a letdown, the rest of the core experiences make up for it. With the V50, Vivo has once again delivered a compelling offering, setting it leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.