vivo V25 Pro review

Competition

At the time of writing, you can pick up a vivo V25 Pro in India for INR35,999 ($451/€451) for the 8GB/128GB version and INR39,999 ($501/€501) for the 12GB/256GB one. That's not cheap by any means, but also pretty much what one would expect to pay for a midranger.

In our market analysis, let's start with BBK and its wide selection of phones first. There are at least a couple of great alternatives to the vivo V25 Pro. The OnePlus Nord 2T instantly springs to mind as a very similar device to the V25 Pro. In terms of improvements, it comes with stereo speakers and 80W fast charging. You also get a slightly different camera setup with a 50MP main snapper. Unfortunately, there are some downgrades, too, like the lack of autofocus on the 32MP selfie, 90Hz refresh rate and slightly smaller 4,500 mAh battery.

The much-hyped and discussed Nothing Phone (1) is another very viable option. Some of its highlights include a 10-bit, 120Hz, HDR10+ OLED display, stereo speakers, IP53 rating, Snapdragon 778+ chipset, 33W fast charging and 15W wireless charging, 50MP main and ultrawide cameras, both with autofocus and a 4,500 mAh battery.

OnePlus Nord 2T • Nothing Phone (1) • Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G • Google Pixel 6a

Samsung has at least a few interesting devices in this price range. All of them with excellent Samsung OLED panels and at least a few with great ingress protection - hard to come by in this segment. The Galaxy A53 5G has all of that going for it, but the Samsung Exynos 1280 has its downsides. If you want a similar device for a bit less cash and are okay with getting a slightly older model - then the Galaxy A52s 5G is a great choice, arguably better than the A53. Probably best of all, however, there is the Galaxy S21 FE 5G. As its name suggests, it is kind of a flagship on a budget with highlights like a 120Hz, HDR10+ AMOLED display, IP68, stereo speakers, Snapdragon 888 chipset and 4,500 mAh battery with 25W charging.

Last but definitely not least, the Google Pixel 6a is within budget and could be right up your alley. You have to appreciate a clean AOSP software experience, though. If that's not a problem, then you will be getting an excellent phone with fast and timely updates, OLED display, IP67, stereo speakers and a custom Google Tensor chipset to power one of the best computational photography experiences around. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Verdict

The vivo V25 Pro is, by all accounts, a solid midranger. It looks and feels great, has a great display, adequate performance, good battery life and a pretty great overall camera quality and experience. However, it fails to truly shine in any particular department.

It seems that vivo just decided not to shoot for excellence with this one. Whether voluntarily or due to other circumstances, the V25 Pro feels like it was never meant to impress truly. It definitely falls short of its vivo V23 Pro predecessor in at least a few major ways.

Plus, while the V25 Pro is reasonably priced, it does not position itself aggressively on the market and rubs shoulders with quite a few excellent devices within its segment. Don't get us wrong, it is a perfectly capable and well-rounded device which we can't find any particular major fault with. It's just that it does not exist in isolation and fails to deliver a signature or halo feature. Since that is the case, it wouldn't be our first choice and recommendation unless you get the vivo V23 Pro for a great deal.

Pros

• Very thin, light and modern design. UV-sensitive back panel is a nice party trick.
• The 120Hz, HDR10+ display has solid performance.
• Very good battery life and very fast 66W charging.
• Funtouch OS 12 now with Android 12 underneath offers great performance and customization.
• Solid all-around performance from the rear cameras.

Cons

• Plastic middle frame, though quite sturdy. No ingress protection.
• No SD card slot, no 3.5mm audio jack, no NFC.
• Slightly below average performance from the Dimensity 1300 5G chipset.
• We would have liked to see stereo speakers in this price segment.
• The vivo V23 Pro was better equipped in the camera department.