Vivo’s v20 crams loads of great features into a reasonably priced handset – but is it a certified jaw dropper? Find out in our full review…

Vivo’s latest smartphone, the V20, blends stylish design with an ambitious array of features.

The latest iteration in Vivo’s V series squeezes 8GB of RAM, 128GB of ROM, a Snapdragon 720G processor and a 4,000 mAh battery into its sleek design. Undoubtedly, demand for mid-tier smartphone handsets is rocketing and consumers are starting to demand for their money – but does the V20 deliver enough wow factor to convince consumers to part with their hard earned cash?The short answer is yes – but with one or two caveats along the way, which we’ll come back to later in this review.

Vivo has made quite a name for itself in the smartphone handset market, steadily increased its market share from 5 per cent in Q1 2018 to 8 per cent in Q2 2020, shifting an impressive 22.5 million units in the last quarter alone.

So let’s take a look at what the V20 offers you…

Camera

For a lot of people, the camera is the most important feature of their smartphone. Vivo has born this in mind when specing up the V20, using a triple camera setup. The V20 boasts a 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 2-megapixel mono camera. The V20 also offers a 44-megapixel selfie cam.


I took the V20 out for a quick photo tour of my neighbourhood over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised with the results. The colour saturation levels from the main camera really make your photos pop in bright daylight conditions.

The V20’s camera also performed well at night, handling Dubai’s glittering skyline well.

I was slightly disappointed with the selfie cam in low light conditions, with colours appearing a little muted and listless. But this is a minor criticism for what, overall, is a very decent photography package.

For a mid-tier handset, the Vivo V20 really packs a punch in the camera department – consider that a resounding tick in the photography box!

Processing power

With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor Vivo has opted for a reliable, steady modem that gets the job done. However, it is not the fastest or most agile chipset on the market and this is where you are taking a slight hit to get this phone in the mid-tier price point.

If you are being super picky, you might notice a slight step down in performance compared to the top tier smartphone handsets, particularly when streaming or gaming. However, the noticeable effect is fairly negligible and shouldn’t be too much of a problem for anyone except the most ardent of gamers or video consumers.

The handset boasts 8GB of RAM and I didn’t encounter any issues while navigating around the phone.

The V20’s operating system, Vivo’s own FunTouch 11, runs on Android 11, and is easily navigable. No complaints at all on that front!

This smartphone offers decent battery life and comes with a 33W fast charger, meaning you can watch videos, play games and surf the web to your heart’s content without fear of rinsing your battery.

Sleek and elegant design

The V20 certainly looks the part, with its pleasing opalescent cover and slim, ergonomic design. It certainly looks as appealing as any of its top-tier rivals. It comes in a range of finishes, the names of which must have sent the marketing department into overdrive: Midnight Jazz (also known as “black”), Sunset Melody (that’s “blue” to you and I) and Moonlight Sonata (which, obviously, means “white”).

The V20 is slim and easy to handle, measuring 161.3mm by 74.2mm. It’s just 7.38mm thick, so it won’t bulk out your pocket and it weighs in at a lean, trim 171 grams.

The V20 has a 6.44-inch AMOLED screen with 2400 x 1080 full high definition capabilities.

In terms of looks and design, the V20 has pretty much everything you could ask for. Despite my quips about the naming of the finishes, the Sunset Melody model that I trialled was a definite beauty, with a pleasing two-tone finish as the light plays across the casing.

The verdict

Vivo’s V20 handset is a more cost effective. If you are looking for a mid-tier handset that provides a good all round list of features at a price that won’t break the bank, this could very well be the phone for you.

Am using one of the smallest or cheapest model of vivo, but am in love with the phone. I have never been happier

Solsix:
Am using one of the smallest or cheapest model of vivo, but am in love with the phone. I have never been happier

dope which model u using

Solsix:
Am using one of the smallest or cheapest model of vivo, but am in love with the phone. I have never been happier

what do you love most about it

Theanyanwu:
what do you love most about it

Everything

Solsix:

Everything

how much and what model?

bmdmix3 the 4000mah battery is not good enough. The camera quality at night not too good. Thirdly, you didn't snap pictures in Nigeria, how would you convince an average Nigerian to buy this product?.

I am using Vivo Y20 which is a very good phone it carries 5,000maH battery and excellent performance.

I don't know how they do it, the phone never gets hot even if you use it for hours.

Another one from Vivo, Nice one.
Any idea how much this cost?

skywalker240:
Another one from Vivo, Nice one.

Any idea how much this cost?

the btw 140 to 160

bmdmix3:
the btw 140 to 160

Woow,
Nice though

The camera is very clear but the battery is just wack

edoairways:
bmdmix3 the 4000mah battery is not good enough. The camera quality at night not too good. Thirdly, you didn't snap pictures in Nigeria, how would you convince an average Nigerian to buy this product?.

I think the camera is nice. Just that the battery isn't making sense.

edoairways:
bmdmix3 the 4000mah battery is not good enough. The camera quality at night not too good. Thirdly, you didn't snap pictures in Nigeria, how would you convince an average Nigerian to buy this product?.

wetin u dey don't with battery wen e no reach.

picture abroad n Nigeria is gonna b different because?

bmdmix3:
wetin u dey don't with battery wen e no reach.

picture abroad n Nigeria is gonna b different because?

4000mah can't last more than 13 hrs on browsing talk more of playing heavy games. Picture in Nigeria is more convincing than picture from abroad since the target is Nigeria

edoairways:

4000mah can't last more than 13 hrs on browsing talk more of playing heavy games. Picture in Nigeria is more convincing than picture from abroad since the target is Nigeria

13 hrs n u dey complain pele oh

bmdmix3:
13 hrs n u dey complain pele oh

Compare to Vivo Y12s which last longer

p[;i;'.