Vivo’s V30e oozes sophistication and elegance thanks to its slender, grip-and pocket-friendly form factor (188g), Classy Brown colour of our review unit, and its packing some powerful hardware beneath its thin (164.36 × 74.75 × 7.75 mm), stylish frame.
It boasts a 6.78” 3D Curved Screen and a fast 120Hz refresh rate, which makes everything from navigating Android 14 (with vivo’s Funtouch OS 14 overlay)to playing the latest demanding mobile gaming titles feel buttery smooth. The curved screen design coupled with narrow bezel expands the visual field. It lends a premium look to the phone, whilst there are also amazing levels of detail on offer thanks to its high resolution (2400 × 1080)and pixel density (388 ppi), along with stunning colours (AMOLED).
Adding to the design appeal is the V30e’s “Time Messenger” camera module whose design has been inspired by high-end watches. It adds a touch of class to the smartphone, with the rear lens being neatly arranged with Aura Light, and the outer ring featuring delicate sunburst elements, giving the phone’s back a unique and stylish look.
This camera arrangement is not just for show though, as it comes equipped with a high-performance Sony IMX882 Camera, which boasts a 50-megapixel pixel value and superior light sensitivity. This allows the phone to capture sharp, detailed portraits even in low-light environments. The lens also supports 2x Professional Portrait Mode, which provides a professional-grade portrait shooting experience and produces photos that are more natural and in line with the human eye’s vision.
One of the most notable features of V30e 5G is that it supports vivo’s Aura Light Portrait feature that can be utilised when shooting portraits in low-light environments or at night. The Aura Light of V30e 5G provides a soft and even fill-lighting solution, whilst the Smart Color Temperature Adjustment feature automatically adjusts brightness based on ambient light, ensuring optimal results every time. Once users have captured their satisfying portraits, they can also take advantage of vivo’s new Color-Adaptive Border feature to further enhance the artistic and personalized expression of their photos.
Your photographic prowess sessions will not be cut short due to the battery dying prematurely either since the V30e 5G sports fast charging and a long-lasting battery, which in this instance is a high-capacity 5,500mAh battery that ensures uninterrupted connectivity and entertainment even after extended use (well over a full working day and then some). Additionally, vivo states that this battery has been meticulously engineered to retain up to 80% of its capacity even after 1,600 charging and discharging cycles, which should enable a stable usage experience for up to four years+.
Also onboard is 8GB + 8GB Extended RAM technology to make multitasking more effective, ensuring a smooth user experience, 256GB of storage to allow for plenty of room for photos and music, and snappy performance due to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. This mobile chipset consists of an eight 4 nm cores, with four of these being performance cores clocked at 2.2 GHz plus a further four being efficiency cores running at 1.8 GHz.
All of this performance and luxurious design comes at a recommended retail price tag of R11999 which presents excellent value in a crowded midrange smartphone sector that features competitors such as Apple’s iPhone 13 that offers less spec bang for the price, or alternative Samsung’s Galaxy A55 that we reviewed this year as well, or OPPO’s Reno12 that is another strong competitor in this segment. Ultimately, for those who crave eye-catching design, excellent performance, and a good dollip of value, the vivo V30e is well worth considering.