Flagship camera without flagship price

The mid-range Android smartphone market has been quite competitive over the past few years, especially with the launch of phones like the Pixel 7a, Redmi Note 13 Pro+, and OnePlus 12R. However, vivo stands out in this area. Last year, the vivo V29 Pro impressed me with its great camera and affordable price.

The company is now back with the vivo V30 Pro, offering a bigger battery while maintaining a sleek design and bringing premium Zeiss camera partnership to the mid-range segment. I have been using the V30 Pro for the past few weeks and I believe it is the best mid-range camera smartphone of 2024. Here’s why!

Price and availability

vivo V30 Pro was released on February 28, 2024, and has since been released in some Asian markets such as India, Malaysia and Thailand. Its price starts at Rs. 41,999 (approximately $500) and goes up to Rs. The top-end model with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage costs $46,999 (approximately $560). However, the smartphone is not yet available in Europe or North America. Nonetheless, we will update this page in case vivo decides to bring it to these regions later.

design and build

Starting with the design, the vivo V30 Pro maintains a very similar appearance to its predecessor, the V29 Pro. The curved front and rear panels are back, with the rear camera module hidden in the top left corner and the new Aura ring light system just below it. The new Zeiss branding can also be seen on the camera module.

vivo V30 Pro is available in four colors: blooming white, elegant aqua, lush green, and noble black. We tested the black version, which looks very similar to the space black version of the V29 Pro. Bloom White features a 3D etched pattern that resembles flower petals. Lush Green and Waving Aqua both have unique finishes.

When you compare the V30 Pro to the V29 Pro, you’ll notice that it’s just a little wider and a little taller. But surprisingly, despite the new vivo V30 Pro having a larger battery, the weight remains the same (188 grams). The curve on the edges is also less pronounced this time around, which makes it easier to hold and the display easier to see.

In terms of durability, the V30 Pro comes with IP54 dust and water resistance, something the V29 Pro lacks. However, vivo still does not use Corning Gorilla Glass for front glass protection. Instead, they opted for Schott Alpha Glass to protect the screen. However, similar to its predecessor, the vivo V30 is a bit slippery, but the good news is that vivo provides a transparent TPU case in the box.

exhibit

Looking from the front, you will see a large 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a resolution of 1260 x 280 pixels. The display supports HDR10+ playback and has a peak brightness of 2800 nits. Yes, it supports correct HDR10 playback on popular apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video, thanks to the correct Widevine DRM certification. There is a 50MP punch-hole camera at the top center and an under-display fingerprint sensor at the bottom.

The screen edges are curved again, although this time it’s less noticeable. However, this curvature may cause some slight color shift at the edges, which may be noticeable. Still, the overall display experience is pleasant, with impressive clarity, deep blacks, excellent contrast, and vibrant colors.

camera

Now, let’s get to the star of the show – the camera. Vivo’s V-series smartphones have always been very camera-focused – in fact, the previous generation V29 won our Best Affordable Camera Phone – and now, with the V30 Pro, it’s bringing the Zeiss partnership usually reserved for flagships X series phones are affordable. result? This collaboration takes an already impressive camera setup to the next level.

In terms of hardware, the vivo V30 Pro comes with a triple 50MP camera setup, which includes a 50MP main lens, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 50MP telephoto lens that can achieve 4x optical zoom. How does it perform? very good. In daylight lighting conditions, the camera takes some of the most beautiful photos, with vibrant colors, sharp detail, and excellent dynamic range. There’s also a consistency between shots, which I appreciate.

The telephoto and ultra-wide-angle lenses have similar image quality to the main camera. However, you can see a slight color change. But overall, you’ll be impressed by the photos taken with the other two lenses, too.But now, let’s change our focus to Portrait Mode – which is truly outstanding.

The vivo V30 Pro takes some of the best-looking portrait photos of any smartphone in this segment. The edge detection, background blur, sharpness and overall look of the portraits are stunning. Additionally, with the Zeiss brand, you have access to a range of Zeiss portrait styles such as Zeiss Biotar, Zeiss Sonar, Zeiss Plane, and more.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality of low-light photos. The sensor captures plenty of light, and post-processing does a good job of enhancing the quality of the photos. Where a flash is required, you should use the new Aura ring light system, which now has a square shape instead of the ring shape on the V29 Pro. It does a great job of balancing the light on the subject, especially in automatic mode. It also helps ensure that the camera accurately displays the color of the subject. But enough said – let the camera samples below speak for themselves.

Software and performance

Turning to the internal hardware, the vivo V30 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 processor, the same chip used in the V29 Pro. While we’d like to see an upgrade here, the Dimensity 8200 is a solid chipset and runs smoothly on the V30 Pro. Paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Performance-wise, it’s similar to the previous model – apps launch quickly and daily tasks run smoothly.

On the software side, the V30 Pro runs Funtouch OS 14 based on Android 14. The UI has received some tweaks compared to the V29 Pro running Android 13. The notification shade and quick settings now have a transparent blurred background. Additionally, vivo now uses its own apps for calls, messages, and more, although you can still download Google apps.

Unfortunately, the device comes with a lot of pre-installed bloatware that we wish we hadn’t seen in the first place, although you can still uninstall it. On the bright side, vivo is promising two major OS upgrades and three years of security patches for the V30 Pro.

Battery

Now let’s talk battery and charging, and I have some good news to report. Unlike its predecessor, the V29 Pro, which struggled to last a full day on a single charge, the V30 Pro comes with a larger 5000mAh battery that easily lasted me through a full day of heavy use. I put the phone to the test, doing everything from watching sports and playing games to making calls, texting, and browsing social media. Still, the phone lasted all day.

If you manage to drain the battery before the end of the day, vivo also includes an 80W wall adapter in the box. Vivo says the V30 Pro can charge the phone from 0 to 100% in just 46 minutes, and based on my experience, that statement is correct. While there’s no wireless charging option, the included fast charger makes up for it.

judgment

So, is the V30 Pro worth buying? Well, if you are looking for a stylish smartphone that also offers great battery life, smooth performance, a great display experience, and a great camera experience with Zeiss optics, then the vivo V30 Pro is a great option. Despite a few annoyances, like only having one speaker and some pre-installed bloatware, the V30 Pro stands out as one of the top mid-range options available today.