vivo V15 Pro review

The competition

The vivo V15 Pro might be slightly more expensive than most mid-range phones but it has a couple of unique standout features that make a compelling argument to opt for it.

Perhaps one of the best selling points of the V15 Pro is the raw CPU performance. No matter whether it's a single-threaded or a multi-threaded task, the Snapdragon 675 will handle gracefully anything you throw at it. We can almost go as far as comparing it to last year's flagship CPU performance such as the Snapdragon 845.

And when we talk about the Snapdragon 845, we can't fail to mention the crowd's favorite Pocophone F1. Roughly for the same price, the handset offers superior performance and marginally better battery life. Also, the UI will appeal more to the stock Android users or those who like MIUI better. On the other hand, the vivo V15 Pro offers more up-to-date features like pop-up selfie cam, full-screen AMOLED screen and under-display fingerprint reader.

Xiaomi Pocophone F1 • Oppo F11 Pro

Speaking of in-screen fingerprint scanners and pop-up selfie cams, you have two alternative choices here. You can either go with the Oppo R17 Pro for the in-display fingerprint reader or with the Oppo F11 Pro for the periscope-like selfie shooter and notch-less display. Keep in mind, though, that the Oppo F11 Pro will be the only one saving you money and it also has the same 48MP camera module on its back.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro • Xiaomi Mi 8

Back to Xiaomi's camp, we have two more devices worth considering. Last year's Xiaomi flagship, the Mi 8, made the cut as the price has fallen so much that made it a great value proposition. You get a great camera experience, AMOLED display, good battery and a powerful Snapdragon 845 for just about the same price. You will still miss on the full-screen display and the in-display fingerprint tech.

And last, but not least, the all-new Redmi Note 7 Pro is a great alternative. Even though the Redmi Note 7 Pro's review is still baking, we have a pretty good idea of how the phone will perform. It has the same 48MP camera setup as the international Redmi Note 7 and a Snapdragon 675 chipset found in the V15 Pro but the price is significantly lower. The trade-off is the LCD panel and the notch.

Verdict

The vivo V15 Pro strongly depends on its unique or rare features in the price range. They do contribute to the overall asking price and one could justify the extra cash. But besides the motorized camera and the in-display fingerprint, what else do you get? Well, for starters, the phone has very good battery life (although the fast charging isn't really "fast"), good AMOLED screen and gorgeous design. The 6.39-inch notch-less display is also worth considering.

The Snapdragon 675 is also a rare piece of hardware, which turned out with great price/performance/efficiency ratio. Few other devices use the chipset so the vivo is among the pioneering devices with it, which might matter to some.

We are puzzled by the microUSB port, though. With so many 2019 features and tech inside the vivo V15 Pro, we just can't wrap our heads around vivo's insistence of going with this aging port. And we don't think it's about cost-cutting, either.

Moving on the camera section, there's almost nothing to complain about the stills. The 48MP triple-camera module produces good photos during the day and leaves little to be desired at night. It's not a flagship camera but it's on par with the competition. The video recording, on the other hand, is something vivo needs to work on. The sound quality of recorded videos is abysmal so if you are doing videos often, this may be your deal-breaker.

All in all, despite some of the issues we had with the V15 Pro - some negligible, while others not so much - vivo was able to put together a great all-rounder with trendy set of features and design. But given the pace at which the smartphone market moves, one would wonder for how long these "standout features" will remain relevant. Perhaps a price cut in the future will keep the V15 Pro afloat until the successor comes out.

Pros

• Fairly sturdy build and gorgeous color options.
• Notch-less full-screen display with a nice Super AMOLED panel.
• Rare standout features like pop-up selfie cam and under-display fingerprint scanner.
• Good camera experience (for photos).
• Great battery life.
• Feature-rich Funtouch OS.
• Powerful and efficient Snapdragon 675.

Cons

• The fast charging isn't really "fast".
• Outdated microUSB port.
• Abysmal audio quality when recording videos.
• iOS-like UI might not be everyone's cup of tea.