Review Vivo V15 Pro - a smartphone with a sliding front camera and an on-screen fingerprint scanner
Review Vivo V15 Pro - a smartphone with a sliding front camera and an on-screen fingerprint scanner
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Specifications

The Vivo V15 Pro mobile features a 6.39" (16.23 cm) display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and runs on Android v9.0 (Pie) operating system. It has a 6.39-inch Super AMOLED screen with Full HD+ resolution, DCI-P3 color gamut, an in-display fingerprint reader and no bezels at all. The device is powered by Octa core (2 GHz, Dual core, Kryo 460 + 1.7 GHz, Hexa Core, Kryo 460) processor paired with 6 GB of RAM. Its 32MP selfie camera pops up from the top, and at the rear, there’s a triple-camera with 48MP wide-angle camera, 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5MP depth-sensing camera.  As far as the battery is concerned it has 3700 mAh. Other sensors include Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope. This phone is 8.2 mm slim and weighs 185 grams. 

Design

A set of modifications is unusual: there is no white or black version, but there are three options in indecent bright colors. We got a second color model. It looks nice: under the glass red-pink back one can see an iridescent wavy pattern.

On the back panel is the Vivo logo and the unusual camera module - not in the form of an elongated eye, but in the form of a strip ending at the edge of the smartphone . It does not fit into a thin body and bulges strongly, because of this, the device is unevenly lying and tottering on a horizontal surface.

On the left is a slot for microSD-cards, a button to call "Google Assistant" and image recognition. Bottom - a slot for two nanoSIM-cards, microUSB slot and speaker holes. On the right is a twin volume key and a power button. Above - mini-jack-connector and front camera module.

Vivo V15 Pro is a slim but big smartphone. Lovers of phablets and devices of plus size will not experience any problems, but for owners of small models it is better to “try on” the device before buying.
 

Screen

In Vivo V15 Pro, a large SuperAMOLED display is installed with a good margin of brightness, correct color reproduction and a wide viewing angle - color distortions appear only at the most extreme inclinations.

Color temperature can be adjusted. For reading, there is an eye protection mode that makes the tone warmer.

Always on Display mode is supported, which displays time and date on a locked screen. The choice of dials is small, I liked the version with the line of electronic watches along the side edge.

The edges of the display repeat the edges of the front panel. And here something went wrong: in the corners there is often a feeling of unevenness, as if some elements stick too closely to the edges of the screen.

Sound

Everything is bad: the speaker is one, its sound is flat and with a strong preponderance towards high frequencies. The volume reserve is solid, but everything sounds awful.

It's a shame, because with such a screen, the V15 Pro could be a great machine for playing games and watching videos. And maybe - just for audio playback, it's better to use headphones or a Bluetooth speaker. AptX codec for fans of lossless formats and wireless devices is supported.
 

Camera
Rear cameras

The main camera takes great pictures in any light. The stated resolution is 48 megapixel, but the same technology of combining pixels into groups of four is implemented here as in Xiaomi Mi 9 . This means that in normal mode, the camera takes 12 megapixel images with a pixel size of 1.6 microns. In Hi-Fi mode - 48-megapixel, but with a pixel size of 0.8 microns.

In theory, this mode helps to make more detailed shots in good light, but we did not notice any difference even at high magnification. In addition to the fact that 48-megapixel photos have a resolution of 8,000 × 6,000 pixels, not 4,000 × 3,000, and take up four times as much space.

Front-camera

When the front camera is turned off, the module automatically crawls back. You can also press it with your finger - nothing will crack or break.

Vivo does not use this solution for the first time: once we tested the Vivo NEX model with a similar mechanism. In my opinion, pull-out modules are not cool innovations, but rather a strange delusion. Time will send smartphones with such elements to the dustbin of history, and here's why:

Risk of breakage. Developers can increase the resource of modules to tens and hundreds of nominations, but what is up to this inaccurate user who breaks the "eye", casually dropping a smartphone?
Dust ingress. It is unlikely that dust will affect the operation of the device, but it is still unpleasant. And if dirt gets under the module, it will be difficult to remove it.
Refusal to unlock in the face. The whole world will use it. You are not.
Doubtful goals. Droplet-cut smartphones give the impression of devices with limitless screens. Millions use the iPhone with the "bang". The struggle for screen pixels is no less a losing undertaking than the struggle for megapixels in cameras.

While retractable modules create the impression of not advantages, but uncomfortable nuances that can be tolerated.

But Vivo really invested in the front-end: its resolution is 32 megapixels, and the frames are excellent in any light.

Application interface

The standard point for criticism in the reviews of Chinese smartphones is the interface of the regular camera program. Vivo beats records on irrationality and congestion. If you need any function, you will definitely find it, but, most likely, not soon. Inscriptions do not fit, features and settings are located as if in random corners of the application. Design iOS took, brevity - no.

There is an analogue of Live Photo from iOS, a million settings of beautification, document reading mode, Augmented Reality mode, working as an inept alternative to Snapchat, and it seems like everything you've ever seen on other smartphones.

Something that might come in handy: Pro-mode with exposure adjustment, ISO, white balance and manual focus, Night mode and local AI. He gives useful tips: he says when it is better to switch to ultra wide-angle shooting, turn on night mode, or even wipe the camera.

Verdict: Vivo V15 Pro flagship cameras. They can make great shots in almost any conditions. But you have to get used to the regular application .

Performance

In the Vivo V15 Pro, an eight-core Snapdragon 675 is installed with a clock speed of up to 2 GHz. This is not a top, but current processor in 2019. 

Judging by the others rating, the performance of the Vivo V15 Pro is somewhere at the level of Huawei Mate 10 Pro and Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro . This is not very good, considering that the first smartphone came out a year and a half ago, and the second is 1.5-2 times cheaper than our device. However, you shouldn’t dwell on benchmark reports: despite the modest results in Geekbench and AnTuTu, PUBG launched on the Vivo V15 Pro at maximum speeds, and I didn’t encounter any lag during testing.
 

Software

The smartphone runs on Android 9.0 with the Funtouch 9 add-in. This is not the worst shell from Chinese manufacturers, copying the features of iOS. Widgets, application icons and folders, an additional EasyTouch button, V-Appstore, i Music, i Theme, i Manager and vivoCloud with a blue cloud on the icon - something similar we have already seen.

There are also their own chips, such as child mode. It limits the use of applications, recalls the need to maintain posture and softens the screen light. There are also Smart wake gestures, including various applications for complex movements of the finger on the display. The quick access panel opens at an unusual, but quite convenient svaypu bottom.

Gestures are also supported, allowing you to opt out of the three standard icons at the bottom of the screen. Not the same as in iOS : a slightly more complicated, but still convenient, system of swipes is implemented in three areas below the display.

Unlock

There are two unlock options besides the PIN code: by fingerprint and face. Let's start with the first as with the main.

The optical sensor of a fingerprint is sewn into the screen. In theory, they work worse than ultrasound, but I had no problems: the smartphone responds quickly even to slightly wet fingers. It works like this: when you lift the gadget, an icon with a fingerprint lights up in place of the sensor. When you put your finger on the smartphone for a split second with a nice animation (there are several options), the desktop opens.

To unlock on the face using the front camera. This is a long and inconvenient, because the module must go out of the case. Security is difficult to guarantee: when setting up, the smartphone really analyzed the facial features, and not just photographed it, but the scan did not take turns of the head and took suspiciously little time. For face identification, you need to snap up on the lock screen .
 

Autonomy

An onboard battery is installed with a capacity of 3,700 mAh, which, according to the developers, can last for 23 hours in talk mode.

3,700 mAh is a good indicator, but with moderately active use of a smartphone, Always on Display enabled and pairing with Bluetooth devices, it will last for a day. When you continuously play or watch videos, your smartphone may discharge in 6-7 hours.

Supports fast charging from an 18-watt adapter included. He, according to the manufacturer's promise, charges the smartphone up to 24% in 15 minutes, then - slower. A sample for review came to us without a box, so we believe in the word.

also read: Oppo K3 launched, read specifications, price and other details

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