UPs and DOWNs: The vivo V23e 5G review
The last vivo phone I tried was the vivo x21, which I’m pretty sure was way before this whole mess of a pandemic started and I remember it for two things–the design and its selfie camera.
Fast forward to almost five years later, and we’ve finally got our hands on another VIVO phone. This time its the vivo V23e 5G, the latest midranger that continues its selfie-centric purpose.
The vivo 23 5G series has gotten so much hype for being the first color-changing smartphone, but even without that feature, the V23e 5G shows a lot of promise–and a more accessible price tag.
We’ve been using it for the the past week so here’s our UPs and DOWNs review of the vivo V23e 5G
FIRST THE SPECS:
- DISPLAY: 6.44-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display
- REAR CAMERA: 50-megapixel f/1.8 main camera with PDAF, +8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera, +2-megapixel f/2.4 macro camera
- FRONT CAMERA: 44-megapixel selfie camera with OIS, AF, dual-LED flash
- CHIPSET: Dimensity 810 processor
- CPU: Octa Core CPU 2x Cortex-A76 @ 2.4GHz & 6x Cortex-A55 @ 2.0GHz
- GPU: Mali-G57 MC2
- RAM: 8GB
- STORAGE: 128GB UFS 2.1 storage (expandable via MicroSD)
- OS: ANDROID 11 with Funtouch OS 12
- DIMENSIONS: 160.87 x 74.28 x 7.32 mm
- WEIGHT: 172g
- CONNECTIVITY: LTE, 4G, 5G WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, in-display fingerprint scanner
- BATTERY: 4050mAh battery 44w fast charging
- COLORS: Sunshine Coast
Unboxing and Design
I’ve been used to plain mono-colored boxes so seeing the dark blue box of the vivo v23e was something new. The box comes in dark blue with a glittery finish that reminded me of space and and the stars. Its also quite sturdy and something you should keep to reuse or display in a cabinet. There’s the vivo branding on the top left and on the right you see the with the 8GB RAM +128GB ROM label. On the middle is a large V23e logo and on the bottom there’s a 5G mark. The vivo logo adorns both sides and on the bottom or back is the NTC label as well as the IMEI numbers.
I like how vivo managed to keep the box clean and neat though I could do without the extra large V23 shadow.
Lift up the box lid and inside, you’ll find the V23e unit, and underneath there’s a TPU phone case, a quick start guide, a 44W wall adaptor and USB-A to USB-C cable, a SIM tray ejector tool, a pair of 3.5mm earphones, and a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter so you could still use it on the phone.
So for the box content’s I give it an UP!
Taking the phone out of the plastic wrap, the color that I have is called Sunshine Coast– a combination of the color names of the V23 5G–Sunshine Gold that turns into Coast Green when hit by light.
The V23e has a matte and finish on the back, and this has got to be one of the nicest color finishes I’ve seen. Easy UP!
It turns blue, pink, white, gold, green depending on how the light hits it. The matte finish also does a good job of hiding the fingerprints so you don’t have to worry about having to wipe it off constantly.
Taking a tour of the ports and placements, up top you have the microphone, while on the right you’ll find the volume rocker and the power button and the left side is clean. Meanwhile, you’ll find everything else–the SIM card slot, USB-C charging port, and a mono speaker all at the bottom.
Looking at the front display, there’s a drop notch on the top housing the selfie camera–yes a notch. Sorry vivo drop notches are so prepandemic. So it has to get a DOWN!
While the side bezels are fairly slim, the forehead and chin are a bit thick and don’t go well with the rest of the sleek design of the V23e. The phone has an ultra-slim body measuring only 7.32mm thick paired with an flat middle frame. According to vivo the back panel adopts Fluorite AG Coating for a fuller and finer texture than regular AG glass. This creates a softer light diffusion, repels fingerprints and smudges and makes the phone look more elegant and more comfortable to touch. It is also more environmentally friendly than the usual nitric acid-based AG solutions.
While examining the phone, however, it almost slipped out of my hands because of the smoothness of the back panel. So its not a good idea to leave it on the edge of the table or if you have butter fingers like me I do suggest you slap on the free case. If you do plan on getting other cases make sure its also clear as you don’t want to cover up its amazing color.
Overall I do like the design and build of the V23e so it gets an UP.
For the rest of the review click HERE to visit our tech site The Technivore.
The V23 Series 5G is available in vivo concept stores, kiosks, and official Lazada and Shopee stores.
Get the best installment deals and a free pair of TWS Wireless Earbuds with the vivo V23e when paying with Home Credit (as low as P801.79/month) and Credit Card (as low as P1,665.58/month).
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