Vivo V27 Review: A Good Mid-Range Camera Phone

Vivo V27 is Vivo’s latest entry into the V-series. While it was launched in late March 2023 in India, the phone was launched just a week ago in Nepal.

Vivo V27 price in Nepal is Rs. 58,999 for the sole 8/256GB variant.

V27 is the upgrade to vivo V25 launched in 2022. It brings a host of improvements in design, performance, and camera departments. But, the upgrade comes with a price increment as well.

So, is the price hike worth the upgrade that vivo is bringing to the table? Read this article to find out!

ALSO READ: vivo V27e Price in Nepal (April 2024 Updated)

Vivo V27 Review

Mesmerizing Design

• 164.10 x 74.80 x 7.40 mm, 180 g
• 180 g
• Dual SIM (Nano-SIM)

Vivo V27 looks stunning, to be honest. The matte glass back of the V27 curves on the edges to meet the plastic frame. Likewise, the screen is also curved. This helps V27 achieve a thin frame that only measures 2.3mm.

The AG matte glass back has a color-changing property which is not super useful but gives it a unique style point. Our Magic Blue variant changes its color from Light Blue to Dark Blue which looks really amazing.

Another peculiar thing is the flash unit of the V27. It’s made to look like a ring light and includes two LEDs. The flashlight sits beside a trio of sensors with individual rings on top of a rectangular camera module.

It’s a big phone but the curved edge makes it easy to hold and the rear panel provides enough grip. However, it is not easy to handle with a single hand due to its size. Also, the front glass comes with a pre-applied screen protector which doesn’t cover the entire edge. So, if you swipe in from the edge of the screen, you will feel the edge of the screen protector. Not a big issue but it takes away the smooth feeling when you are navigating the phone.

For ports, it has USB-C on the bottom alongside a mic, speaker, and a dual sim slot. The phone doesn’t come with an official IP rating but the sim slot has a ring gasket which should provide some sort of protection against dust and water. The volume buttons and power button is placed on the right side and the fingerprint sensor is embedded under the screen.

ALSO READ: Realme 10 Pro Plus 5G Review: The Best Midrange Smartphone?

Curved Display

• 6.78 inches AMOLED
• 1080 x 2400 pixels
• 120Hz
• HDR10+

The V27 gets a very good 6.78-inch OLED panel with 497 nits of typical brightness. It is an FHD+ panel that can go up to 1000 nits HBM. I never had any issues using the phone under direct sunlight.

Moreover, the OLED panel is vibrant and the colors are accurate as well. I had a very good time watching video content on Netflix and YouTube. Plus, it supports HDR10+ and has Widevine L1 certification for FHD content on Netflix.

The curved display helps it achieve minimal bezels and you will never notice the punch-hole while watching any videos.

Similarly, the display feels fast and smooth due to the 120Hz refresh rate. You get two options: Auto and Normal. In the Auto setting, the display stays at 120hz most of the time. It drops down to 60Hz while watching video content on Netflix but stays at 120Hz while watching videos on YouTube. So, the high refresh rate control is optimized according to the app.

Capable Performer

• Mediatek Dimensity 7200 (4nm)
• Octa-core (2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 6x Cortex-A510)
• Mali-G610 MC4
• 128/256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, UFS 3.1

vivo V27 is not a slouch in terms of performance either. It is powered by MediaTek’s latest Dimensity 7200 chipset. It is a 4nm chipset announced on February 16, 2023.

Furthermore, it comes with 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage.

V27 is fast and smooth in daily usage. Basic tasks like UI navigation, app opening, and app switching is a breeze.

In terms of gaming, this might not be the most powerful phone for the price, but it is good enough.

We tested Genshin Impact in low graphics setting with a frame limit of 45 fps. The game ran well with negligible stutters and an average fps of 42. It was not totally smooth as there were some frame drops but it was expected.

In PUBG Mobile, we got an average fps of 55 after 20 mins of gameplay. The game was tested on Smooth graphics and Extreme fps. Theoretically, the game should run at 60 fps in this configuration but it was limited to 55. This is the only gripe I had with the V27. Else, it is a handy performer for gaming as well.

Good Main Camera

• Rear Camera: 50 MP, f/1.88, (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS
  • 8 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/4″, 1.12µm
  • 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro)
  • Video: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
• Front Camera: 50 MP, f/2.45, (wide), AF
  • Video: 4K@30fps

Vivo V27 rocks a triple camera setup on the rear with a 50MP OIS main sensor, an 8MP Ultrawide sensor, and a 2MP macro sensor. Likewise, it has a 50MP camera with AF on the front for selfies.

MAIN CAMERA

The main sensor here is the Sony IMX766V. It captures crisp and clear photos in daylight. The saturation is slightly boosted but I like the colors. But, the HDR processing can be a bit too aggressive sometimes. This results in a loss of detail in the shadows.

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The main sensor is equally good in low light. I was surprised to see how well it managed to maintain the colors and details. If you can hold the phone without shaking, the night photos will come out sharp and crisp.

PORTRAIT CAMERA

Portrait photos are the specialty of the V27 and they are actually good. Even without the depth sensor, the background blur and edge detection is above average. It maintains good colors and the HDR also works well to control highlights. However, HDR can result in unnatural photos in harsh lighting conditions.

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Moving on, it can capture really good portraits even in low light. The “Auto Super Night” feature kicks in when you try to capture a portrait in low light conditions. It takes slightly more processing time than normal but the results speak for themselves. The photos turn out impressive. What’s more impressive is the Aura Light System. The flashlight adjusts the intensity according to the ambient situation which helps in impressive low-light portraits. However, the flash can get a bit too strong which may result in more contrast than desired.

ULTRAWIDE CAMERA

As impressive as the main camera is, the ultrawide camera feels average at best. The pictures are sharp and the color is good. But, I expect a better dynamic range at this price tag. The photos turn out decent but the exposure balance is not that good. It would often crush shadows resulting in low details.

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FRONT CAMERA

The front 50MP Samsung JN1 sensor of the V27 comes with auto-focus. The auto-focus helps V27 to capture selfies with sharp details. The face detection is on-point and it manages to process the faces in the background too.

If you capture selfies without Vivo’s pre-applied filters, the face will look natural with plenty of details. You can also take decent selfies at night but the photos can turn out blurry sometimes.

VIDEOS

Moving on to videos, the vivo V27 can capture videos up to 4k 30fps with the main camera.

The 4k videos have plenty of details and the dynamic range is more than good enough. The main camera also has optical stabilization that works at 1080p. The stabilization works well in 1080p unless you are not running.

Improved Battery Life

• Non-removable Li-Po 4600mAh battery
• Fast charging 66W

The V27 falls short of the 5000mAh battery capacity mark but the 4600mAh battery surprisingly manages to last more than a day. However, if you are a heavy user, you might have to charge the phone at the end of the day.

It is one of the fastest-charging phones in the segment, so you don’t have to worry about battery life. It comes with an 80W charger in the box but it has a max charging rate of 66W. The 66W fast charging takes the V27 from 0 to 100% in just 53 mins.

Software

• Android 13
• Funtouch OS 13

Vivo V27 ships with Funtouch OS 13 on top of Android 13. The FunTouch OS is well-optimized as I did not find any bugs or UI lags. It also has a host of customization features like “Dynamic Effects”. You can change animations for almost everything such as charging animation, fingerprint unlock animation, home screen animation, face unlock animation, and more.

You can also tinker with an always-on display with a wide selection of pre-built styles. Likewise, you can also apply color accents according to the wallpaper.

It’s safe to say that, you won’t get bored with the Funtouch OS.

Final Thoughts

Vivo V27 is a real looker with color changing back and sleek design. But that’s what you see on the surface. Actually, it is much more than just a stylish phone.

The V27 features a good main camera that is above average and does an amazing job in low-light situations. Furthermore, it has good performance and an excellent display for the price.

ALSO READ: Vivo Mobiles Price in Nepal: Features and Specs

So, if you want a phone that looks amazing and captures good photos, then the V27 should be on your radar. The only problem I have is the OS update and upgrade timeline. Vivo has not specified any OS update plans for the V27. And, we’re not sure if it will support long-term upgrades like the Samsung phones.

What do you think of the Vivo V27? Let us know in the comments!

Also, watch our review video of the Vivo V27 in Nepali.