Vivo V3Max review: Horizons expanding

Standard retail package with a bonus

The Vivo V3Max arrives in a stylish white box with separately packaged accessories inside. The bundle has the basics covered, starting with an extra bulky 9V/2A AC adapter, a USB cable and a headset with a single-button remote and round cords. Additionally, you get a USB-OTG adapter and a silicon case, which is a nice bonus.

Retail package

Vivo V3Max 360-degree spin

The Vivo V3Max measures 153.9 x 77.1 x 7.6 mm and weighs 168g.

For a 5.5" smartphone, that's a manageable size but it would hardly win any awards. Consider this, it's almost identical in size to the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note5.

On the positive side, the company is adamant, it appears, that a good-looking smartphone has got to be thin and the V3Max doesn't go above the 8mm threshold.

Hardware

Over the past year or so, Vivo has proven one thing - the iPhone 6 design is the main inspiration for the exterior of its phones. Similar to the X6, the V3Max has that iPhone vibe to it. In fact, you can look at the phone like an enlarged Vivo X6, although with slight differences.

The basics, however, are more or less the same. The V3Max is cast inside a metallic unibody with an aluminum alloy rear and a curvy 2.5D tempered glass front. The company says the back of the phone is sand blaster with zircon and is anodized to achieve a "shimmering" effect. While we don't really see any shimmering, we appreciate the fine finish.

Sadly, you can only admire the effort Vivo has put in the V3Max in a gold color option. Currently, it's the only one available and we're quite surprised.

In terms of handling, the phone is quite slippery, as you'd expect from a fit and finish like this. It's still not as bad as the glass back of a Galaxy S6 edge, but you should be careful how you handle the phone.

The Vivo V3Max sports a fingeprint sensor at the back. While holding the phone, you'll naturally place your index finger right on it and that's the logic behind its placement. It's ultra-fast and takes less than a second to recognize your fingerprint and unlock the phone, just like on the X6.

Controls

The sides of the phone are another place where Vivo has taken a personal approach. It has sharp edges going all the way around, not like Apple's smooth curves. It may not look as good, but does make for a more secure grip. Both the power button and the volume rocker are on the right side, while the left is reserved for the card slot. We should note that the buttons offer a very nice, tactile feedback.

Left side • Right side • Power button and volume rocker • Card tray

Up top, there's the 3.5mm headphone jack surrounded by an antenna cutout in the metal case. The bottom houses the V3Max's powerful speakers sitting behind a tastefully designed triple grille. Next to it is the microUSB port and mic hole.

Top of the device • 3.5mm jack • Bottom of the device • Hi-Fi speakers

The front is a done in a traditional Vivo manner. Below the display, there are three capacitive keys. At the top, there's the 8MP front-facer, an earpiece and a bunch of sensors.

Sensor array around the earpiece • Capacitive keys

In the end, the Vivo V3Max follows the company's design blueprint from previous models, most notably the Vivo X6. That's not a bad thing, but we would've liked to see something new from the company in 2016.

The Vivo V3Max is overall a very well-made phone

The source of the design may be questionable, but the V3Max looks and feels premium and appears to have used quality materials.