Pros and Cons of Buying vivo Smartphones

vivo stands out as one of the leading mobile vendors. vivo's reputation has spread far and wide, thanks in part to its extensive marketing efforts.

vivo offers a wide range of phone series. The most affordable series is the vivo Y series, catering to the entry-level market. There are also models designed for the mid-range market. The S series and the Z series, although not as common, provide unique options for consumers. vivo's X series represents the high-end segment of their product lineup.

The foundation of vivo's line-up is the V series, which has been available for a long time. Each new release in the V series is eagerly anticipated by tech enthusiasts. The extensive promotion and marketing for the V series outshine those of other series, making the V series crucial in building vivo's brand recognition.

Despite its popularity, some consumers have doubts about vivo's product quality. This article intends to address such concerns by highlighting the pros and cons of vivo smartphones. So, what are these advantages and disadvantages? Let's check them out.

Pros of vivo Phones

What benefits do vivo smartphones provide? Let's explore the following features.

1. Rich in Innovations

vivo smartphones are appealing largely due to the brand's reputation for being a progressive innovator. vivo's research and development team is highly competent, often pioneering the introduction of the latest technologies.

A prime example of this is the hidden camera feature in the vivo Apex, a concept phone not released for sale. This hidden camera system was then incorporated into commercially available models, the Nex S and Nex A.

The disappearing camera feature, or what vivo refers to as the 'elevating camera', made its official debut in the vivo V15.

vivo also pioneered the under-display fingerprint (UDF) sensor technology. This novel concept was later adopted by many other phone manufacturers. vivo officially introduced smartphones equipped with UDF via the V11 Pro.

Another striking innovation is the dual-screen phone concept, introduced through the vivo Nex Dual Display. This unique device features a screen on both the front and back.

This innovative design allows vivo to offer a phone with a full display on one side while still maintaining a selfie camera (which also doubles as the primary camera) on the second screen.

As technology progressed, vivo introduced the concept of integrating a gimbal camera into a smartphone. This led to the launch of the vivo X50 Pro and vivo X60 Pro, later succeeded by the vivo X80 Pro and vivo X90 Pro models, featuring even more advanced gimbal stabilization.

2. Excellence in Camera Quality

vivo smartphones are typically equipped with impressive front cameras. vivo's former slogan, 'Your Inspiration of Perfect Selfie', underlines their commitment to providing the best selfie camera experience.

Indeed, this claim isn't a mere figment of the imagination. vivo smartphones are popular for their superior front cameras, especially the V series. In recent times, even some models in the Y series have started offering high-quality front cameras.

However, the camera excellence of vivo phones extends beyond just the front camera. vivo no longer rely solely on the V series to drive sales. They also introduced the X series, which provides an enhanced photography and videography experience.

The standout feature of these phones is undoubtedly their camera capabilities, which overshadow other aspects. Particularly after vivo's collaboration with ZEISS, the famous German optics manufacturer, the image processing system of the vivo X series cameras has seen significant improvements.

This collaboration between vivo and ZEISS kicked off in 2020. The first product to emerge from this partnership was the vivo X60 Pro, and it continues to this day with the vivo X90 Pro.

3. Aesthetically Pleasing Design

Another allure of vivo phones lies in their design. From their most affordable to their most expensive models, vivo smartphones possess a unique charm in their design. The color options offered are usually eye-catching, serving as a unique selling point.

The vivo V series stands out prominently in terms of design. This series consistently offers attractive designs, evidenced by models like the vivo V9, V11, V15, V17 Pro, V19, V20, V21, V25, and V27 series.

With the launch of the V23 5G, vivo unveiled a back cover design that can temporarily change color. This color shift is due to the use of Fluorite AG Glass material and exposure to sunlight.

Then came the V27 5G, which greeted consumers with a more simplified design but with distinctive features. This can be seen from the Aura Light Portrait display, capable of emitting LED flashlight similar to a ring light.

4. Dual Engine Fast Charging Technology

One of the prominent technologies featured by vivo is the Dual Engine Fast Charging. This technology made its debut in the vivo V11 Pro which was later implemented in other vivo phones in the V series. This fast-charging feature can be considered a competitor to OPPO's VOOC Flash Charge and Huawei's SuperCharge.

The technology enables faster battery charging compared to traditional methods, thanks to the dual charging chips inside that can distribute voltage more rapidly.

vivo claims that this technology can charge a smartphone for 30 minutes, providing almost 7 hours of video playback, nearly an hour of music listening, and up to 181.3 hours in Stand By mode. Remarkably, a mere 5 minutes of charging allows for 120 minutes or 2 hours of music streaming.

The presence of this technology in V11 Pro undoubtedly made vivo phones more attractive. They aren't just marketing selfie cameras, but also practical features that are genuinely beneficial for many users.

The charging technology in vivo phones has since advanced even further. The V27 5G comes with a 66W FlashCharge, reportedly capable of reaching 50% charge in just 19 minutes. An upgrade occurred with the vivo X90 Pro, which uses 120W power input, achieving 50% charge in only 8 minutes.

3. Strong Branding

vivo has a potent brand presence, similar to OPPO. vivo also employs a large commission marketing strategy at outlets, much like OPPO, although OPPO appears more openly enthusiastic about their large commission sales strategy.

vivo, on the other hand, appears to engage more subtly, although advertising their products quite extensively. This can be seen from the number of vivo advertisements on various street billboards and national television. Additionally, vivo strengthens their brand image by collaborating with famous artists with large fan bases.

These efforts have made vivo quite recognizable to the broader public. It's not uncommon for people shopping for a new phone to specifically seek out the vivo brand. If not OPPO, vivo is often the desired brand. This proves that vivo's brand name is already attached to the community.

Cons of vivo Phones

After knowing the pros of vivo phones, now let's look at the following disadvantages of it.

1. Confusing Series Naming in Some Cases

While the segmentation of vivo's series is generally logical, at times the brand introduces variants within a single series that can be confusing. For example, vivo launched the V20 towards the end of 2020. However, early in 2021, vivo released a new version of the V20 with a different chipset, renaming it vivo V20 2021.

A similar situation happened with the Y51, which has both 2020 and 2021 variants, and even a Y51A variant. Adding to the confusion, the vivo Y12 series and vivo Y20 series consist of numerous variants that were released at the same time. This can certainly be confusing for consumers given the number of variants within a single series.

2. iOS-like FunTouchOS

vivo phones are equipped with the FunTouch UI, which is based on Android. Although FunTouch UI is quite engaging and feature-rich, its interface strongly resembles iOS. This similarity makes FunTouch appear less innovative, as it merely mimics the aesthetics of iOS.

While designing an Android UI that mirrors iOS isn't completely wrong, vivo should start making FunTouch OS more innovative, giving unique features that distinguish it from interfaces developed by other parties. In other words, the appeal of FunTouch OS shouldn't be based only on its resemblance to iOS.

Over time, the design of FunTouch OS has gradually adapted to mimic pure Android. However, vivo has customized this interface to be user-friendly and highly customizable according to user preferences.

One area where vivo currently falls short concerning FunTouch OS is its upgrade guarantee. Only the X series is guaranteed to receive Android version upgrades for three years, a policy they have maintained since 2021. The longer the upgrade guarantee, the longer the potential lifespan of the phone.

3. Persistent Focus on Mid-range Phones

Even though vivo has introduced the X series, which is indeed a flagship phone series, it hasn't necessarily shifted its primary focus to this line. vivo continues to emphasize the merits of its V series more frequently.

This strategy makes sense given that the V series offers better value and is less pricey. However,vivo should also be prioritizing phones that could serve as their heavyweights in the high-end phone market. They have indeed introduced models like the vivo X50, X50 Pro, X60, X60 Pro, X70 Pro, X80 Pro, and X90 Pro.

Unfortunately, vivo's premium series, which includes models like the X50 Pro Plus, X60 Pro Plus, and X70 Pro Plus, wasn't introduced in certain consumer markets. If these three phones were made available in all markets, they would occupy the flagship price segment.

This lineup consists of high-end phones that are well-equipped to rival other elite models in the market. In comparison, other manufacturers like OPPO have dared to introduce high-end models like the Find X5 Pro in various markets.

vivo's decision not to introduce the Pro Plus variant in their flagship series might be tied to their market research on the preferences of the local population in each consumer country. Regardless, this strategy still prevents certain consumers from officially experiencing vivo's latest technology.

4. Rapid Drop in Price

Similar to OPPO's approach, vivo also sets relatively high prices for their phones. But when compared to OPPO, vivo's pricing strategy seems more reasonable.

However, vivo phones have a fast price reduction, especially if purchased from an online store. The price even can drop significantly just a few months after launch.

Frequently, this price reduction is triggered by the introduction of successor models at similar price points. In particular, online sellers often engage in price wars to clear their existing stock.

This phenomenon actually occurs in other brands as well, but vivo's price drop feels faster. On one hand, this can be seen as a benefit, as prospective customers don't need to wait long to get a more affordable product.

On the other hand, for vivo users who need to resell their phones due to unexpected circumstances, then this is certainly a drawback.

5. Poor Value for Money in the Y Series

vivo doesn't just offer the V and X series; it also introduces the Y series for the entry-level market. However, many phones within the Y series are often considered underperforming compared to competitors in the same price range, particularly when compared to brands like Infinix, Redmi, and realme.

For instance, the vivo Y02t, launched in 2023, only features the Helio P35 chipset. The Y22 is another example, which still uses the Helio G85 chipset.

Considering that many phones within the same price range are already using the superior Helio G99 chipset, this makes the vivo Y22 less competitive. Moreover, the lack of an ultrawide camera in the vivo Y22 makes it even less competitive.

No doubt, the vivo Y series isn't meant for those seeking high-performance devices in the low-price class. This series seems more targeted at users who prioritize a slim, lightweight body and aesthetic appeal.

However, please remember that high-performance smartphones aren't just desired by gamers, but by the general public as well. A lackluster performance can significantly limit the overall user experience, making the device less comfortable to use.

Those are some of the pros and cons of vivo phones. Hopefully, this explanation helps those of you who are planning to buy a cellphone from this brand.