vivo v21 Full Review: The Selfie King
Rear camera
One of the main features which a person looks for while buying a phone is its camera. Vivo v21 comes with a whooping 64 Mega pixel Quad-Bayer, 1/1.72″, 0.8µm unit that sits behind an f/1.8 lens.It also includes a welcomed addition of OIS which were not present in its predecessors.It also accompanies 8 Mega pixel ultrawide camera with an 1/4.0″, 1.12µm unit behind an f/2.2 lens but unfortunately lacks autofocus. Finally it also contains a 2 Mega Pixel, f/2.4 dedicated macro camera.The camera comes with features such as slow-mo,auto hdr and special dual mode.However the main feature that vivo has itself advertised is the night mode.Allowing you take sharper images when there is an absence of light.
Front Camera
Even though the Vivo v21 has an impressive rear camera,the front camera steals the show.With a jaw dropping 44 Mega pixel, f/2.0 camera,complete with auto-focus, as well as OIS,also something its predecessor lacked.This feature stands tall,edging over some expensive top of the line phones.It has also added two led lights in the front which enriches the selfie experience.So if you love to make videos or tiktoks,this phone is a must have. Overall both cameras has exceeded all expectations and has proved to be outstanding.The camera has blown me away considering it is a mid range phone.So if you like taking pictures and posting them,this is definitely the phone for you.
Design and Display
Next up is the design.Having a stylish and elegant phone always appeals to one’s desire.It has a ultra slim design,a mere 7.29 mm in width and 176 g in weight.It has a matte glass which adds a touch of class to the phone.A large display of 6.44″ AMOLED ,with a smooth 90 Hz refresh rate with an option of smart switch which automatically changes the refresh rate when necessary to save battery life. Vivo has done a much appreciated effort in adding the extra refresh rate which show considerable change.The smart switch switched the 90 Hz to 60 Hz while watching videos on Facebook or Tiktok was really appreciated as it saved battery life.However the smart switch doesn’t quite live upto the mark.In some apps like chrome and YouTube,when the refresh rate dropped to 60 Hz due to inactivity,it doesn’t go back up to 90 Hz when the activity resumes back up.Moreover the 90 Hz refresh rate didn’t work in most games. Only a handful games like Temple run seemed to support the feature. So if you want to buy the phone for gaming,you should consider other phone in the market
Chipset and Software
The v21 has the following chipset features : MediaTek MT6853 Dimensity 800U 5G (7 nm), with a CPU Octa-core (2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55),and a GPU Mali-G57 MC3. Additionally the phone runs on a Android 11 OS with Funtouch 11 support. Overall the phone gives a solid performance not showing flaws.
Memory and Storage
The phone has an internal storage of 128 GB with 8 GB Ram and have the option to further increase 3 GB ram(First phone to do so).The phone also comes with slot of microSDXC
Battery
The v21 comes equipped with a Li-Po 4000 mAh which impressive considering how slim the phone is. The phone is also accompanied with fast charger which maxes at 33W. Its not the best considering vivo phones such as the X60+ maxes out at 55W. Though the phone impressively reaches 63% in 30 minutes which comes as advertised by vivo.
Connectivity
V21 has the connectivity options like GPS,Bluetooth,and WLAN.
Sensors
The phone has a wide range of sensors such as Accelerometer,proximity,and optical fingerprint scanner.
Colours
vivo v21 comes in two stunning shades of dusk blue and sunset dazzle.
Strengths
The main strength of the phone as mainly advertised by the company is its camera. An impressive 64 MP night rear camera with OIS and 44 MP night front camera with OIS,Vivo has ticked all the boxes in this camera. It has 128 GB storage with 8 GB Ram with the option to add 3 GB Ram.The first phone to do so.What makes the feature more impressive is the price range in which this phone is available It has a good chipset of MediaTek MT6853 Dimensity 800U
Weakness
The smart switch UI still needs a little work to be done . It still has to be smart enough to know how to handle the extra refresh rate and when to use it The 90 Hz refresh rate is not available in most games and needs a little work to be done in that area.
Final verdict
Overall,it is an impressive mid range smartphone,that packs a range of specs.With a camera that compete with other expensive phones,it is a good phone to have in the range of Pkr 59,999. Check out? Poco M3 Pro 5G Full Review: Poco’s Entry into the Budget 5G Smartphone Arena
