Vivo V7+ review: Go for its decent selfie camera, 18:9 aspect ratio screen

The front camera delivers good results but does not live up to its 24MP moniker; the 16 MP primary camera is a capable shooter

The selfie-centric Vivo V7+ boasts two interesting features that are increasingly becoming mainstream among smartphones developed for young users – a screen with 18:9 aspect ratio, and a fantastic selfie camera.

With a growing charm for selfies among millennials, a lot of attention is being paid to the front camera – commonly referred to as the selfie camera – in newer smartphones. While the Vivo V7+ checks this box with a massive 24-megapixel front camera, its screen aspect ratio of 18:9 is also an attraction. China-based smartphone maker Vivo has been one of the first adopters of the 18:9 aspect ratio screen, which was introduced by LG in its flagship G6 early this year. 

Business Standard reviewed the Vivo V7+ and here are our observations:

Display

One of the key benefits of an 18:9 aspect ratio is that it allows a bigger screen to fit in a small chassis. The Vivo V7+ sports a 6-inch screen in a compact body, hardly bigger than that of a 5.5-inch smartphone. Unlike traditional screens with pointed edges, the next-gen screen in the V7+ has rounded edges resembling the curves of the phone chassis.

The screen is bright and the touch is super-responsive. However, what tempers the experience is its HD+ resolution (720 x 1440), insufficient to cover the 6-inch screen. The result: the screen looks pixelated and dull, more so while watching movies, TV series or other multimedia types. In games, too, the screen lowers the immersive experience.

Camera

The selfie-centric smartphone’s 24MP wide-angle camera with LED flash turns on automatically in low-light scene. For bright and beautiful selfies, the camera in the Vivo V7+ has all the right ingredients. The selfie camera offers beauty mode to remove blemishes and soften the skin tone for beautiful selfies, and the group selfie mode works like panorama for taking extended selfies. Also, there is a portrait selfie mode to blur the background and keep the subject in focus.

The camera delivers optimal results but does not live up to the 24MP moniker. There are smartphones with lower megapixels that deliver equally good selfies.

On the other hand, the 16 MP primary camera, though lower in resolution than the selfie camera, is a capable shooter. It focuses quickly, takes detailed shots and is not marred by any glitch. But its performance is somewhat lower in low-light conditions.

Hardware and software

Powered by Qualcomm entry-level Snapdragon 450 processor, the Vivo V7+ feels smooth in regular operations but stutters while processing heavier apps – the phone slows down and sometimes restarts on its own. Thanks to a 4GB RAM, the phone’s multitasking remains glitch-free and there is no lag in switching apps or working on two apps together. 

The V7+ runs Android Nougat under Vivo’s customised Funtouch skin. The iOS-inspired theme is confusing and takes some time to get hold of. There is also some amount of bloatware in the V7+ eating into its 64GB internal storage, expandable using microSD.

Battery

Powering the Vivo V7+ is a 3,225 mAh battery that keeps the show running for a full day, and more. The on-battery time comes down to 14 hours under heavy usage – extended camera use or online video watching sessions. 

Verdict

Priced at Rs 21,990, the Vivo V7+ smartphone is on the costlier side. In its price range, it competes with the Asus Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro, which offers a capable dual-front-camera set-up and better performance. For people looking for a smartphone with 18:9 aspect ratio screen along with capable camera, the Vivo V7+ could be an option.