vivo V19 First Impressions
After being quiet for the first half of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, global smartphone maker vivo is officially back on track with the introduction of the V19 series—it includes the soon-to-be-available V19.
V19 is the higher-end sibling of the PHP 17,999 V19 Neo. On paper, it also seems like the upgrade of the V17 Pro late last year.
 |
| This is the V19 |
V19 is the higher-end sibling of the PHP 17,999 V19 Neo. On paper, it also seems like the upgrade of the V17 Pro late last year.
Coming from the V17 Pro, the V19 sports a more sophisticated design along with improved overall specs.
It highlights curved glass back design, rectangular camera hump with L-shaped quad-camera placement design, a nearly bezel-less OLED display with super small pill-shaped punch-hole for the selfie dual-cam, and big battery with fast charging tech.
However, it sports a year-old 10nm SD712 chipset commonly found on lower-end phones.
For its expected price, will its positives outweigh the chipset?
Here's the first part of our review—the first impressions.
Note: Our review unit didn't arrive with the official retail packaging.
Right off the bat, you will immediately notice that this is a well-machined handset. The back cover is made out of glass, the frame is a slim yet sturdy plastic, and the front panel has Gorilla Glass protection aside from the pre-installed plastic screen protector. What's missing is the mention of any sort of water resistance.
Looking at the way it looks, this is where the device will stand-out—even against a few top-of-the-line devices.
Behind, the glass is curved to make it look better and make it feel nicer to hold. It is available in Gleam Black and Sleek Silver colorways that may look different under various lighting conditions.
It also has a neatly placed rectangular shaped camera hump that houses its dual-tone LED flash, along with the 48MP f/1.79 main cam with EIS + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle cam + 2MP f/2.4 macro + 2MP f/2.4 depth in an L-shaped position.
What I like here is even if it has a camera hump, the bump is not that thick. It isn't that wobbly when you tapped it on a flat surface.
But, glass is glass and most phones with a high-gloss finish like this one are a bit slippery at times. So, it would still be better if you will be careful with it.
In the front, it uses a big 6.44-inch 2.5D curved E3 OLED screen w/ FHD+ 2400 x 1080 resolution with great-looking colors and good sunlight legibility. But, despite its large screen size, the phone is not that big due to its super-slim bezels and the smallest pill-shaped cutout for the selfie dual-cam.
vivo opted for the cutout to eliminate the need for a motorized pop-up camera module while maintaining a near bezel-less design. In the punch-hole, you'll find the 32MP f/2.08 w/ EIS + 8MP f/2.28 105-degree ultra-wide-angle dual-cam with the Super Night Selfie mode.
It may not have the same all-screen experience as the V17 Pro, but this implementation made the phone slimmer despite using a larger battery capacity. In comparison, the V17 Pro with a 4,100mAh battery is 9.8 mm thick. On the other hand, the V19 is just 8.5 mm slim despite its use of a larger 4,500mAh battery.
In case you are wondering, it also has a fast and accurate In-Display fingerprint reader—a tech that vivo pioneered and popularized.
On top, the phone has a single microphone. Below, I'm glad to report that it still has a 3.5mm audio jack even if it doesn't have Hi-Res Audio certification. Joining the headphone slot are the second microphone, USB-C port with 33W Vivo Flash Charge 2.0 support, and the single down-firing speaker.
At left, you'll see the pinhole to access its triple-slot tray for the dual nano-SIM and microSD card. At right, you'll find the power and volume keys.
All of the buttons and ports are easy to locate and reach.
In general, the phone looks great and it feels nice. It isn't that heavy at 186.5 grams as well.
It highlights curved glass back design, rectangular camera hump with L-shaped quad-camera placement design, a nearly bezel-less OLED display with super small pill-shaped punch-hole for the selfie dual-cam, and big battery with fast charging tech.
However, it sports a year-old 10nm SD712 chipset commonly found on lower-end phones.
For its expected price, will its positives outweigh the chipset?
Here's the first part of our review—the first impressions.
Note: Our review unit didn't arrive with the official retail packaging.
Build Quality/Design
 |
| Glass back! |
Right off the bat, you will immediately notice that this is a well-machined handset. The back cover is made out of glass, the frame is a slim yet sturdy plastic, and the front panel has Gorilla Glass protection aside from the pre-installed plastic screen protector. What's missing is the mention of any sort of water resistance.
 |
| A nice display for your Netflix and chill moment on the go |
Looking at the way it looks, this is where the device will stand-out—even against a few top-of-the-line devices.
Behind, the glass is curved to make it look better and make it feel nicer to hold. It is available in Gleam Black and Sleek Silver colorways that may look different under various lighting conditions.
It also has a neatly placed rectangular shaped camera hump that houses its dual-tone LED flash, along with the 48MP f/1.79 main cam with EIS + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle cam + 2MP f/2.4 macro + 2MP f/2.4 depth in an L-shaped position.
What I like here is even if it has a camera hump, the bump is not that thick. It isn't that wobbly when you tapped it on a flat surface.
But, glass is glass and most phones with a high-gloss finish like this one are a bit slippery at times. So, it would still be better if you will be careful with it.
 |
| Slim bezels |
In the front, it uses a big 6.44-inch 2.5D curved E3 OLED screen w/ FHD+ 2400 x 1080 resolution with great-looking colors and good sunlight legibility. But, despite its large screen size, the phone is not that big due to its super-slim bezels and the smallest pill-shaped cutout for the selfie dual-cam.
 |
| Tiny pill-shaped punch-hole for the selfie dual-cam |
vivo opted for the cutout to eliminate the need for a motorized pop-up camera module while maintaining a near bezel-less design. In the punch-hole, you'll find the 32MP f/2.08 w/ EIS + 8MP f/2.28 105-degree ultra-wide-angle dual-cam with the Super Night Selfie mode.
Vivo's pill-shaped punch-hole is even smaller than the punch-holes of higher-end flagship phones!
It may not have the same all-screen experience as the V17 Pro, but this implementation made the phone slimmer despite using a larger battery capacity. In comparison, the V17 Pro with a 4,100mAh battery is 9.8 mm thick. On the other hand, the V19 is just 8.5 mm slim despite its use of a larger 4,500mAh battery.
In case you are wondering, it also has a fast and accurate In-Display fingerprint reader—a tech that vivo pioneered and popularized.
 |
| Top and bottom view |
On top, the phone has a single microphone. Below, I'm glad to report that it still has a 3.5mm audio jack even if it doesn't have Hi-Res Audio certification. Joining the headphone slot are the second microphone, USB-C port with 33W Vivo Flash Charge 2.0 support, and the single down-firing speaker.
 |
| Left and right key |
At left, you'll see the pinhole to access its triple-slot tray for the dual nano-SIM and microSD card. At right, you'll find the power and volume keys.
All of the buttons and ports are easy to locate and reach.
In general, the phone looks great and it feels nice. It isn't that heavy at 186.5 grams as well.
vivo V19 Specs
Display: 6.44-inch 2.5D curved E3 OLED screen w/ FHD+ 2400 x 1080 resolution at 409 ppi
CPU: 2.3GHz 10nm Snapdragon 712 octa-core processor
GPU: Adreno 616
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X
ROM: 128GB UFS 2.1 expandable via microSD card slot (dedicated)
Back Camera: 48MP f/1.79 w/ EIS + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4 + 2MP f/2.4 + dual-tone LED flash
Selfie Camera: 32MP f/2.08 w/ EIS + 8MP f/2.28 105-degree ultra-wide-angle
Battery: 4,500mAh w/ 33W Vivo Flash Charge 2.0
OS: Android 10 w/ Funtouch OS 10
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), 700MHz 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou Galileo, dual SIM (nano)
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Others: In-Display fingerprint sensor, Five-Dimensional Vapor Cooling System, USB-C, Colors: Gleam Black, Sleek Silver
Dimensions: 159.64 x 75.04 x 8.5 mm
Weight: 186.5 g
Price: TBC
This device is a clear step-up coming from the V17 Pro. It has a more modern design, upgraded chipset, larger battery capacity with faster-charging speeds, and the new Funtouch OS 10 based on Android 10.
It is also one of the few with a super-good display and selfie dual-camera with ultra-wide-angle mode for photos and videos in its class.
The only question is the price. For sure it'll be higher than the PHP 17,999 of V19 Neo.
So far, we are impressed with its flagship-like design, set of features, battery life, cameras, and smooth actual performance.
The problem? If you are a power user, the Snapdragon 712 chip, even if it is still a capable chip, is not that exciting for its expected price.
Personally, I think that it is in a tough position against the competition unless you want the phone with this type of stunning design, E3 OLED screen, strong battery performance, and the selfie dual-cam.
Watch out for our full review.
As of the moment
 |
| Promising cameras |
This device is a clear step-up coming from the V17 Pro. It has a more modern design, upgraded chipset, larger battery capacity with faster-charging speeds, and the new Funtouch OS 10 based on Android 10.
It is also one of the few with a super-good display and selfie dual-camera with ultra-wide-angle mode for photos and videos in its class.
The only question is the price. For sure it'll be higher than the PHP 17,999 of V19 Neo.
So far, we are impressed with its flagship-like design, set of features, battery life, cameras, and smooth actual performance.
 |
| SD712's AnTuTu score |
The problem? If you are a power user, the Snapdragon 712 chip, even if it is still a capable chip, is not that exciting for its expected price.
Personally, I think that it is in a tough position against the competition unless you want the phone with this type of stunning design, E3 OLED screen, strong battery performance, and the selfie dual-cam.
Watch out for our full review.
Post a Comment