Skilled’s Score
Professionals
- Quad 50Mp cameras
- Slim and light-weight
- Lengthy battery life
- Quick charging
Cons
- World availability could be very restricted
- No EIS at 4K 60fps
- Bloatware
Our Verdict
The V30 Professional is undoubtedly one of the best mid-range telephone for avid selfie shooters and a terrific possibility for pictures normally. Nevertheless, restricted international availability may make it laborious or not possible to pay money for.
Vivo’s V-series telephones come at reasonably priced worth factors, and over the previous few years, they’ve developed a status for delivering among the finest selfies round. With the launch of the V30 Professional, it appears that evidently’s one thing that can proceed, however this time, the rear cameras are getting a severe improve, too.
Not solely does the V30 Professional sport a triple 50Mp digicam array on its rear matched by a 50Mp selfie digicam, nevertheless it’s additionally the primary V-series telephone to learn from Vivo’s partnership with Zeiss. This implies it has Zeiss-approved optics and picture tuning, in addition to unique photograph types which can be usually reserved for the model’s expensive flagships, just like the X100 Professional.
As typical, this handset is unlikely to land within the UK or US markets. It has initially launched in Thailand and Indonesia, and it’ll be coming to different areas within the close to future, too. It carries an MSRP of 19,999THB in Thailand, which equates to about £440/$550. That’s a significantly low worth for such a succesful set of cameras.
I wished to search out out if the Vivo V30 Professional provides among the identical photographic prowess as its dearer siblings, and what corners needed to be minimize to hit such an aggressive worth level. After residing with it in my pocket for per week, right here’s every thing I realized.
Design & Construct
- Very slim and light-weight
- Curved edges back and front
- IP54 licensed
Vivo typically offers its V-series gadgets an eye catching look, and this newest mannequin follows swimsuit.
I’ve the Bloom White variant in for testing, and it has a singular 3D petal sample throughout the rear panel. It’s to not my precise style, and it kind of jogs my memory of fancy toilet tiling, however some individuals are positive to adore it.
The panel is roofed with Vivo’s typical AG glass coating, which has an opulent velvety really feel to it, nevertheless it’s slippery, so that you’ll in all probability need to use a case. Fortunately, the usual clear TPU affair is included within the field.
the Lush Inexperienced variant is UV-reactive and adjustments color in direct daylight
Luke Baker
The opposite color choices are fairly placing, too. Waving Aqua has a shimmering glittery wave sample on the rear panel that shifts as the sunshine hits it, whereas the Lush Inexperienced variant is UV-reactive and adjustments color in direct daylight. Noble Black is far more reserved, it’s principally all black and can look the half in a extra skilled setting.
The Vivo V30 Professional is a really slim telephone, and pronounced curves on the perimeters of the show and rear panel make it really feel slimmer nonetheless. There’s barely a digicam bump to talk of both, and this implies you’ll barely really feel it in your pocket. It’s fairly refreshing while you’re used to lugging round a chunky flagship telephone.
The haptic motors on this telephone are disappointing. They’re highly effective sufficient, however they really feel imprecise they usually’re very audible. It virtually sounds and feels such as you’re getting a telephone name if you happen to sort rapidly. In case you care about haptics, you’ll need to steer properly clear.
Luke Baker
The telephone carries an IP54 ranking for mud and water resistance. This implies it’s not absolutely waterproof, however can stand up to sprays of water from all instructions. In case you get caught out within the rain, the telephone can be completely wonderful, however you’ll should be cautious round swimming swimming pools and ponds.
Display & Audio system
- 6.78-inch AMOLED show
- 60-120Hz adaptive refresh charge
- Single speaker
The Vivo V30 Professional has a big and brilliant show, measuring 6.78-inch and supposedly capable of output as much as 2800 nits at peak brightness. In regular use, it gained’t be hitting such hovering figures, nevertheless it’s greater than brilliant sufficient to compete with sunny summer time days.
navigating the OS and taking part in video games at all times appears to be like easy and fluid
The show has an adaptive refresh charge that can dynamically change between 60- and 120Hz relying on what’s being displayed on the display.
It’s not fairly as efficient as an LTPO panel, which might change all the way down to as little as a 1Hz refresh charge, nevertheless it’s nonetheless good to have. It means navigating the OS and taking part in video games at all times appears to be like easy and fluid, with out making your battery life endure within the course of.
As talked about, there are pretty pronounced curves on the left and right-hand facet of the show, which I’m not the largest fan of, however there’s no denying that they make this telephone really feel exceptionally slim. The same old curved-edge caveats apply, although. There’s some color shifting on the very fringe of the show, and it’s extra susceptible to miss-touches than a flat-fronted display.
The V30 Professional helps HDR10 playback, and HDR content material from apps like Netflix and Prime Video appears to be like pretty on this panel. The highlights shine brilliant, the lows are darkish and detailed and the colors are vibrant. There’s a superb degree of customisation, too, so if you happen to favor a hotter tint, you may simply obtain it by tweaking show choices within the settings menu.
Luke Baker
There’s solely a single speaker on this system, positioned on the underside subsequent to the USB-C port.
It’s a bit disappointing to see, particularly when cheaper gadgets just like the Poco X6 Professional have a stable stereo setup. That stated, the speaker could be very loud and the sound is a lot detailed, however for one of the best expertise, you’ll in all probability need to pair it with some wi-fi earbuds.
Specs & Efficiency
- MediaTek Dimensity 8200
- 12GB RAM
- 512GB storage
The Vivo V30 Professional packs the identical MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipset as its predecessor, and the mannequin earlier than that, too. However given the speed at which Vivo pumps out V-series handsets, that’s not fairly as dangerous because it sounds.
This time, it’s paired with an ample 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, so it’s arrange for multitasking properly, and you may seize photographs and movies to your coronary heart’s content material.
it has greater than sufficient energy for most individuals’s wants
Luke Baker
The Dimensity 8200 is a sub-flagship chip, so that you gained’t be seeing this telephone wherever close to the highest of benchmark charts, however regardless of that, it has greater than sufficient energy for most individuals’s wants.
The telephone ran easily all through my testing, apps opened rapidly and navigating the OS was stutter-free. In the case of extra intensive duties, like gaming, the Vivo V30 Professional continues to carry its personal. It’ll simply run Genshin Affect at medium settings in 60fps, and excessive settings at 30fps. It’s nearly playable at most settings, too, nevertheless it’ll decelerate and stutter when there’s a variety of motion on display.
Even pushing the chipset with a graphically demanding title like this, the V30 Professional by no means turned too sizzling and was at all times comfy to carry. That’s very spectacular stuff with a chassis this slim, Vivo will need to have thought fastidiously in regards to the cooling association.
Luke Baker
There’s even a gaming overlay built-in, so you may prioritise sport efficiency, block notifications and extra. It’s removed from essentially the most in-depth that I’ve come throughout, that’s the place gaming handsets just like the RedMagic 9 Professional shine, nevertheless it’s good to have a bit of additional management over your gaming expertise.
Vivo V30 Professional benchmarks
Cameras
- 50Mp primary sensor
- 50Mp ultrawide
- 50Mp 2x portrait lens
- 50Mp selfie digicam with autofocus
It’s clear from the “Skilled Portrait” branding on the highest of this telephone, in addition to the Zeiss emblem on the digicam array, that the Vivo V30 Professional is all about pictures. It’s additionally on this space that the V30 Professional finest differentiates itself from its predecessors and its cheaper sibling.
with a 50Mp decision on each digicam, it appears to be like to be a much better bundle
Luke Baker
Previously, we’ve seen Vivo’s V-series gadgets give attention to the primary digicam and selfie snapper, that are normally fairly good, however are joined by the unimpressive 8Mp ultrawide and 2Mp macro combo discovered on far too many mid-range and even funds telephones. The V30 Professional adjustments that, and with a 50Mp decision on each digicam, it appears to be like to be a much better bundle.
I discovered the front-facing digicam to be essentially the most spectacular of the bunch, it has a uniquely large FOV, which is known as 0.8x within the digicam app, however also can digitally crop to 1x and 2x as you see match. This makes it nice for group pictures, or taking selfies that exhibit your environment, and the truth that it has autofocus means you’re at all times tack-sharp irrespective of how far you stand from the lens.
Not solely is that this one of the best front-facing digicam you’ll discover on this worth bracket, nevertheless it is perhaps one of the best one on any present telephone. It’s definitely much more spectacular than the selfie digicam on Vivo’s flagship X100 Professional, and I’d say it offers the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely’s front-facing digicam a run for its cash, too.
This nice digicam is aided by a collection of software program enhancements, together with a particularly in-depth magnificence mode, tonnes of filters and a reasonably dependable portrait mode. The portrait mode advantages from Zeiss-inspired bokeh results, which give the photographs some additional aptitude in comparison with the competitors. My solely gripe is you could’t modify the extent of blur after capturing on the front-facing digicam, you may on the rear, so it appears odd to omit it right here.
Whereas all of the rear cameras now supply the identical 50Mp decision, it’s nonetheless the primary lens that steals the present. It has a comparatively giant 1/1.49-inch sensor, in addition to a large f/1.9 aperture, and this implies it outshines the opposite cameras every time the lighting will get a bit decrease.
The primary digicam is joined by an ultrawide and a 2x telephoto or “portrait” lens. Color consistency is sweet throughout all the cameras, however the primary digicam simply appears to be like a bit sharper and extra detailed in most conditions. That stated, these are very helpful focal lengths to have in your arsenal. As marketed, the 2x lens is nice for creating flattering portrait pictures, whereas the ultrawide is ideal for structure and landscapes. Each of those cameras have very brief minimal focusing distances, too, so that they work properly for macro pictures.
The native digicam app additionally offers you a button to modify to 4x telephoto, which is a digital crop of the 2x lens. I used to be much less impressed with this selection, as you may see an actual drop in picture high quality, particularly in low-light conditions. More often than not, you’d be finest sticking with the 2x lens and transferring nearer, if potential.
The Vivo V30 Professional contains a square-shaped Aura Mild beneath its digicam array. So far as I’m conscious, this function is exclusive to Vivo, and it was launched final yr on the V27-series gadgets. Basically, it’s a bi-colour steady gentle supply that can be utilized so as to add natural-looking fill gentle to both photographs or movies.
By default, the Aura Mild will detect the ambient color temperature and modify the heat of this LED ring to match. Nevertheless, you can even management it manually. More often than not, pictures utilizing the Aura Mild aren’t essentially the most flattering, however they undoubtedly look higher than a conventional flash.
Plus, Vivo provides a standard LED flash, so you may select which one fits the state of affairs higher.
Luke Baker
The V30 Professional can shoot video at as much as 4K/60fps on each digicam, however sadly, it lacks digital picture stabilisation at 60fps, so that you’ll need to keep on with 4K/30fps for essentially the most half. In case you do, you’ll get fantastic detailed movies with easy stabilisation.
There aren’t as many video choices as I’m used to seeing on flagships (there aren’t any handbook controls, for instance) however for the informal shooter, the Vivo V30 Professional is well-equipped.
Battery Life & Charging
- 5000mAh battery
- 80W wired quick charging
- Charger included
Battery efficiency is one other space the place the V30 Professional excels.
Someway, Vivo has managed to cram a whopping 5000mAh pack into this slim chassis, and with the comparatively environment friendly MediaTek chip at its core, this is sufficient to see you thru the day, after which some.
Regardless of utilizing the telephone closely, capturing tonnes of photographs, streaming HDR content material and taking part in video games, the V30 Professional by no means didn’t see me to the top of the day. Usually, I’d go to mattress with 20% or extra left within the tank.
Luke Baker
Charging speeds are nice, too. Vivo features a speedy 80W wall adapter within the field, and it says this can take you from utterly drained to completely charged in as little as 46 minutes. What’s actually stunning, although, is that it solely took 41 minutes in my testing, and a 50% cost solely took me 20 minutes.
There’s no wi-fi charging assist, however that’s commonplace on this worth bracket.
Regardless of the blazing quick charging speeds, Vivo could be very assured in regards to the long-term reliability of its battery. After conducting inside testing, the model says you may anticipate to retain 80% of the unique capability after 4 years of fixed use.
Software program & Apps
- Funtouch OS 14
- Primarily based on Android 14
- Some bloatware to cope with
The Vivo V30 Professional ships with a skinned model of Android 14 referred to as Funtouch OS 14. It doesn’t stray too removed from the inventory Android expertise, navigation all works in a well-known manner and there’s a Google Uncover tab if you happen to swipe to the left.
there are a great deal of customisation choices to select from, so you may simply tweak the styling to your choice
Luke Baker
Aesthetically, it’s not my favorite pores and skin, however fortunately, there are a great deal of customisation choices to select from, so you may simply tweak the styling to your choice. This consists of every thing from the animations while you open an app, to the form of your app icons, you may even change the fingerprint sensor and face unlock icons.
In use, it feels very responsive, and it’s straightforward to become familiar with however my primary grievance is the quantity of bloatware that comes pre-installed.
On first boot-up, you’ll discover a number of first-party Vivo apps, in addition to folders stuffed with really helpful apps and video games. It’s considerably comprehensible, at such an aggressive worth level, however cleansing up all this undesirable stuff is a trouble that I might definitely do with out.
Luke Baker
In the case of long-term assist, Vivo guarantees two main OS upgrades and three years of safety patches. It’s not the worst, nevertheless it’s removed from spectacular, particularly when rival gadgets just like the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G supply 4 OS upgrades and 5 years of safety patches.
Worth & Availability
Presumably the worst factor in regards to the Vivo V30 Professional, significantly if you happen to dwell within the UK or the US, is that it’s going to be very troublesome to get your fingers on one.
For the previous few years, Vivo has centered its V-series efforts on the Asian market, and Europe doesn’t normally get a glance in.
It initially launched in Thailand and Indonesia, and it ought to be obtainable in India, the Philippines and Malaysia, too. Vivo instructed me the value in Thailand, which is nineteen,999 THB or roughly £440/$550. It’s fairly nice worth, given what the telephone provides, however you gained’t discover any contract offers within the UK, so that you’d have to consider importing and discovering a superb SIM-only deal.
An apparent competitor at this worth is the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G. With that telephone, you’ll get higher software program assist and extra refined software program normally, nevertheless it’s a particular step down in photograph high quality, and never fairly as fast, both. There’s additionally the Google Pixel 7a, which might seize equally spectacular photographs with its rear cameras however doesn’t come shut with the front-facing digicam.
Take a look at our decide of one of the best mid-range telephones for extra choices.
Do you have to purchase the Vivo V30 Professional?
In case you’re in search of a photographic performer that doesn’t break the financial institution, the Vivo V30 Professional is a superb alternative. It’s very true if you happen to wish to take a variety of selfies, or portrait pictures of individuals, as that’s the place this Zeiss-backed digicam system actually shines.
The telephone is stable in different areas too, I wasn’t left wanting efficiency, the battery life is nice and it expenses in a flash. There’s one thing to be stated for the slim construct, too. The styling isn’t precisely to my style, however I’m positive loads of individuals will adore it, and it undoubtedly stands out in a crowded market.
After all, this solely applies if you may get your fingers on it. In case you can, it’s a little bit of a discount, however in any other case, most individuals aren’t going to be prepared to go to the lengths of importing a mid-range handset. It’s an actual disgrace as a result of in any other case, it’s a really compelling possibility for the value.
Specs
- Funtouch OS 14, primarily based on Android 14
- 6.78in, 2800×1260, AMOLED, 120Hz, curved show
- In-display fingerprint sensor
- MediaTek Dimensity 8200
- 12GB RAM
- 512GB storage
- Cameras:
- 50Mp, f/1.8 primary digicam
- 50Mp f/2.0 ultra-wide
- 50Mp f/1.9 2x telephoto
- 50Mp front-facing digicam with autofocus
- As much as 4K @ 60fps rear video
- Single speaker
- Twin-SIM
- Bluetooth 5.3
- 5000mAh battery
- 80W wired charging
- 164.36 × 75.1 × 7.45 mm
- IP54 licensed
- 188g
- Colors: Noble Black, Bloom White, Lush Inexperienced, Waving Aqua
