It’s difficult to walk in Samsung’s shadow, especially when you know the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer will announce its greatest gamble in just a few weeks. Vivo, on the other hand, has never been one to back down from a challenge, and it has taken a risk right at the start of the year, bringing off 2022 with a bang. Despite the fact that the non-Pro Vivo V23 is a mid-range model, the handset seems interesting on paper, so we gave it a well-deserved chance to prove itself in practise.

Design

Almost all smartphone manufacturers these days rely on a few gimmicks to stand out, whether it’s the design of the camera bump or the phone itself. The Vivo V23 5G is no exception, but thankfully it does not resort to anything flamboyant or extravagant that would turn off shoppers. Its party trick, in fact, is almost too slow and unpredictable to be a selling point.

The rear panel is made of Flourite AG glass, which gives it a more textured feel, but its distinguishing feature is the UV reactive colour used by Vivo on the Sunshine Gold model. In a nutshell, when exposed to UV light, this golden blue colour changes to many shades of blue and other hues in between. The gradation isn’t uniform, transforming the rear of the Vivo V23 into an abstract art painting, but it’s also slow and progressive enough to be a live art display. Unfortunately, this function isn’t available on the Stardust Black model, making it a little bland and forgettable.

Moving to the sides, the Vivo V23 takes an almost flat-edged form that’s regaining popularity, thanks in no small part to Apple, of course. It is completely flat, with the exception of a little curve where the display and rear glass meet the mid-frame. The phone’s frame is constructed of “aerospace aluminium,” which gives it a beautiful shine, in contrast to its Pro sibling’s polycarbonate composition. However, if the phone’s sides are left naked, they are more prone to scuffs and blemishes.

Display and Audio

The front of the phone, where the 6.44-inch display is likewise nearly flat, continues Vivo’s oblique homage to the iPhone. Most users may miss this piece since they are distracted by the notch on the phone’s forehead, which feels outdated by today’s standards. Despite its existence, the screen still features visible bezels, maybe as a compromise to distinguish it from an iPhone.

In terms of display quality, the Vivo V23 has a usable AMOLED screen, but it doesn’t create a lasting impression. Its maximum brightness is adequate for outdoor use, however it suffers in direct sunlight. This also has an impact on its HDR performance, which isn’t as good as we had hoped but is still workable. In this regard, the phone supports HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG formats but does not support Dolby Vision.

The screen has a maximum refresh rate of 90Hz, which is nearly normal by now, but it appears that Vivo’s FuntouchOS has difficulty applying the correct refresh rate at the right moment or with the right programme.

In terms of display quality, the Vivo V23 has a usable AMOLED screen, but it doesn’t create a lasting impression. Its maximum brightness is adequate for outdoor use, however it suffers in direct sunlight. This also has an impact on its HDR performance, which isn’t as good as we had hoped but is still workable. In this regard, the phone supports HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG formats but does not support Dolby Vision.

The screen has a maximum refresh rate of 90Hz, which is nearly normal by now, but it appears that Vivo’s FuntouchOS has difficulty applying the correct refresh rate at the right moment or with the right programme.

The Vivo V23 5G’s audio output, like its display, is adequate but underwhelming. A portion of the problem can be attributed to the single down-firing speaker and the lack of a stereo setup. There is no headphone jack to be seen, but Vivo is kind enough to throw in a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter for users who need it.

Performance and Battery

It’s difficult to classify the Vivo V23 as a mid-range phone, especially given all of its capabilities, including 12GB of RAM in its maximum version. The discrepancy, though, comes down to the Dimensity 920 chipset, which is one of MediaTek’s newer 5G processors that sits just below the premium Dimensity 1200 option. This silicon’s performance is “good enough,” but not outstanding, as is the case with other aspects of the phone.

In terms of synthetic benchmarks, it falls well short of high-end flagships powered by the newest Snapdragon 888 or even the MediaTek Dimensity 1200, which drives the Vivo V23 Pro. In practise, though, the Vivo V23 continues to perform admirably, and it can even handle most games without losing a beat or a frame. Its heat management is actually rather remarkable, and the phone does not become too hot to handle during prolonged gaming sessions.

Cameras

The Vivo V23, like any other phone, places a premium on its cameras, but not in the way you may expect. The phone’s main cameras are adequate, but their output is what you’d expect from a mid-range device. The fact that they’re placed under a ridiculously huge camera bump doesn’t help matters.

For example, the main 64MP sensor features just basic PDAF and no optical image stabilisation. The main camera has a Quad-Bayer filter by default to pixel-bin the image down to 16MP, although the quality loses slightly, particularly in making colours look soft and vast swathes of the same hue look practically noisy. You may obtain better results if you use the full 64MP resolution, but colours appear more muted than they do in real life in both circumstances. This, ironically, contradicts the normal practise of Chinese brands, which oversaturate hues.

An 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP macro camera supplement the main camera. Both do an adequate job, but nothing extraordinary or outstanding. There is no separate telephoto lens, but you may zoom up to 2x with the main 64MP camera, with noticeable detail loss.

In low light, performance is surprisingly good, however you may see some overprocessing to compensate for the lack of light data. Unfortunately, the night mode is hit or miss, but the ones that are processed successfully look rather good.

The selfie camera, or at least the main 50MP sensor, is where the Vivo V23 shines the best. There’s also an 8MP ultra-wide front camera, but it performs the same thing as the one on the back. However, megapixel counts aren’t everything, and Vivo’s innovation is two LED lights hidden in opposite corners of the display, flanking the notch. This “Dual-Tone Spotlight” provides much-needed flash lighting, and its tones may even be changed in the camera app to fit your settings.

Software

Fortunately, the Vivo V23 uses a version of Funtouch OS that is currently based on Android 12. This means that new owners of the phone will not have to wait for an update to the most recent Android platform. It also implies that several of the built-in Android 12 features, notably those linked to privacy, such as notifications when the camera or microphone is used, are already present.

Funtouch OS 12, on the other hand, abandons the practically vanilla aesthetic that previous iterations attempted to emulate. The experience now appears to be more customised than ever before, deviating dramatically from what is considered stock Android. The Quick Toggle icons, for example, are fixed with a square shape and cannot be modified regardless of theme.

Vivo’s Android skin is naturally brimming with unique features, such as the requisite “Ultra Game Mode.” It not only reduces unneeded distractions, but it also has a unique feature that keeps the game running even when the screen is turned off. Of course, this will result in a significant battery drain, but it may be useful for some games that do not require your full attention all of the time.

Final Take

The Vivo V23 5G is a stylish smartphone with a clever party trick that can tell you how much UV light you’re exposed to. Inside and out, it’s a mid-range phone that provides adequate performance while cutting a few corners. If that were the end of the storey, the phone would sound underwhelming, but that isn’t the case.

The model is aimed at a price of roughly $400, which puts all of those features in a more favourable perspective. The Vivo V23 5G is an enticing alternative to its Pro version because to its attractive design, decent performance, and low pricing. More significantly, folks who are into selfies and vlogging will appreciate how the company went above and above to create a great product that may give them an advantage over the competition.

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