Vivo V29 Review: Perfect Portraits At A Bargain Price

I didn't try the Vivo V27 and V27 Pro until March, but now I'm back with the Vivo V29. You might be wondering what happened to the V28? For some reason Vivo is dropping the V series number, so the V25 preceded the V27 and we'll likely see the V31 soon.

Confusion aside, the V29 is a phone that has a lot in common with its predecessor, with the new model also featuring a brighter color scheme and a halo LED flash.

With such a similar look and so little time between iterations, I was initially concerned that not much would change, but luckily the V29 has more than expected. There's an impressive new display, an innovative new lighting tool and, as we've come to expect from the V series, camera performance that outweighs the price. Let's take a closer look.

Price, Features and Availability

Vivo V29 was launched in August 2023 and is currently available in over 39 markets including India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Turkey, Mexico and some European countries.

It is not currently sold through official channels in the UK and US, but imports are widespread. The Vivo V29 starts at around €450/$480, though prices may vary by region.

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Like its predecessors, the Vivo V29 has a fairly noticeable curve on the screen and back. This means that the phone feels quite slim in the hand and in the pocket and is quite light at just 186 grams, which is impressive considering its 6.78-inch display. i live

V-series phones often come in unique, eye-catching colors, some of which were UV-sensitive in previous generations. This trend continues here with four unique finishes to choose from. I got my hands on the Peak Blue and Starry Purple options, both of which have glitter that shimmers in a wave shape that changes as the light shines. Peak Blue is a more uniform color, while the Star Purple variant goes in a uniform gradient from light purple to cream.

The V27 Pro and iQOO 11 use the same Vivo Fluorite AG glass we've seen in Velvet Red and Noble Black. The Velvet Red model is UV-reactive and changes between purple and red, while black is always completely black. A clear TPU case is included with all models. But if you don't want a suit, I would definitely go with the blue or purple option. The glass back of the Vivo AG is nice but very slippery, while the glossy variants have a stronger grip. This means that you have to follow pageantry, and I imagine not everyone will be so keen.

Despite its affordable price, the Vivo V29 doesn't look or feel cheap. It is solidly built and looks very attractive. It has an IP68 dust and water resistance rating, so it can easily withstand the elements. Vivo claims to have been tested in more than 60 lab conditions, including drop tests, temperature and humidity tests, and more. Tested for durability

Display and speakers

This time the display has received a nice upgrade and has a sharp resolution of 2800 x 1260 with a pixel density of 452 ppi. It's super smooth with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2160Hz PWM dimming to reduce eye strain.

It is extremely bright and is said to produce up to 1,300 nits. It's one of the brightest panels I've seen on a mid-range device, meaning you'll be able to easily see the screen on a bright, sunny day. Streaming content from providers like Netflix is ​​also great thanks to HDR10+ support.

Multiple color rendering adjustment options are also available. You can choose between Standard, Pro and Vivid settings and adjust the color temperature of each. There's an eye protection mode if you're concerned about your eye health, as well as SGS certification for low blue light, low flicker and low smudge.

This model only has one speaker, so you won't get a stereo effect when watching content or playing games with built-in audio. However, it can still be quite powerful without feeling too small. This probably won't surprise you, but watching YouTube at home is enough.

Performance and software

The Vivo V29 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G, a mid-range chip that is a few years old. So, it is clear that this phone will not top the benchmark charts. However, it's the same chip you'll find in the Nothing phone (1) and the Honor 70, so we already know it has a lot to offer.

It has an ample 8GB or 12GB of RAM and can easily be expanded to another 8GB, making it a great multitasking device. The phone was always snappy and responsive to use, apps opened quickly and I could easily forget I was using a non-flagship device.

You'll only notice the difference during gameplay, and you'll need to load something graphically intense like current favorite Honkai Star Rail to see the effects. I had to set the graphics settings to low to get a usable framerate for gaming, which is definitely less enjoyable, but it worked well in this mode and the phone started to warm up after about 45 minutes, never too hot.

The Vivo V29 packs a 4600mAh battery, which along with an efficient chipset ensures fairly long battery life. You can easily get through a day of fairly heavy use on a single charge, and when it's time to charge, it's easy to do so with the included 80W wall adapter. You can expect to go from flat to full in about 40 minutes; A 50% charge takes just 20 minutes. This device doesn't have wireless charging, but that's still pretty rare for devices in this price range.

The V29 runs FunTouch OS 13, which I'm very familiar with after using the X90 Pro for so long. It doesn't stray too far from the stock Android experience, and while it's nice, it offers very extensive customization options with few drawbacks. The main reason is that you have to fiddle around a bit to make sure you get all the notifications, as the default power saving settings are quite strict. Another factor is the amount of software that hasn't changed compared to previous V-series devices I've tested. Fortunately, most of them can be easily removed.

the camera

In previous V-series models, it was the camera performance that really set them apart, and it's the same for the V29. The selfie camera seems to have the same specs as its predecessor, but it was the best selfie camera I've tried, and the same goes for this model.

The front camera has an excellent resolution of 50 MP and, above all, a fast and precise autofocus. It's still missing from most flagship devices (except the new Pixel 8 Pro), and means you can hold the phone close or at arm's length and still see sharp.

The rear camera array is largely unchanged from the Vivo V27; You still get a 50-megapixel main sensor and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor, but there are some less noticeable changes. First, gone is the useless 2MP macro camera, now replaced by a 2MP depth sensor to help frame portrait mode. Another thing is that the main sensor is now Samsung GN5 instead of Sony IMX766.

Photos taken by the main camera look great especially in daylight. Vivo's color processing delivers vivid, natural images with sharp details and a wide dynamic range. Low-light photos are also good, as Night Mode can reveal details in even the darkest scenes. As always, portrait mode expressions are among the best in the business

Ultrawide is less impressive. It has fixed focus, so you don't need to take close-up photos, and the level of detail isn't as good as a prime lens. It will still come in handy from time to time, but it's best to use it sparingly, as you'll get better results with the other two cameras.

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The camera system of this phone has another unique trick. The large round flash next to the main lens isn't actually a flash, but a continuous two-color light source. This smart light can automatically adapt to the light in your scene, creating diffused light that adapts to your surroundings. It's a brilliant idea, and as far as I know, it's unique to this phone.

Of course, since Night Mode is so good, this smart lighting solution might not see much use in the real world, but it's nice to have the option. In my tests, it did a good job of detecting the ambient light temperature, but you can also adjust it manually if you want. There is also a separate traditional LED flash that can be used when needed.

judgment

The Vivo V29 is one of the best selfie phones you can buy, but beyond that it offers a brilliant main camera, a beautiful display and great value for money. Those looking for a camera-oriented mid-range smartphone in this price range can recommend it, as its photography performance surpasses even models like the Pixel 7a in many cases, especially when it comes to selfies.

It's not perfect: the weak ultra-wide speaker, single speaker and midrange reproduction certainly set it off a bit. But the main problem is its availability; I live in the UK and most of our readers live in the US. Vivo V29 has not been officially released in any region and probably never will be. This can make it difficult to purchase at a good price.

However, if you're in a supported region, the Vivo V29 is worth considering. It's stylish, takes great photos and costs half the price of most flagship phones