Rating — 3.5/5
Vivo’s V series has consistently focused on sleek design and camera-centric features. As the successor to the Vivo V40, the latest entrant – Vivo V50 brings meaningful upgrades, particularly in the camera department, processing power, and battery life. Powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, the V50 promises smoother performance, while its enhanced camera setup aims to deliver better low-light photography and improved portrait shots. With a larger battery for all-day use, a refined design, and Vivo’s signature focus on imaging, the V50 is positioned as an all-rounder in the premium mid-range segment. But does it deliver on its promises? We have been using the smartphone and here’s what we think about it
Vivo V50 design
Vivo has fine-tuned its design language with the Vivo V50, offering a sleek, premium look while ensuring durability. Unlike its predecessor, the handset features a rounded, pebble-like design that feels comfortable to hold, complemented by a chrome-finished polycarbonate frame that enhances grip while keeping the weight in check.
We received the Rose Red variant, which features a smooth matte glass finish, giving it a satin-like texture while minimizing fingerprints. The keyhole-shaped camera module seamlessly blends into the matte-finished housing. Vivo has also upgraded its Aura ring light, increasing its diameter for better light coverage, a welcome addition for those who rely on it for low-light photography.
Despite its 199g weight, the V50 doesn’t feel unwieldy, thanks to its well-balanced structure. That said, one minor design quirk is the sharp cutout around the USB port and speaker grille, which could have been smoother.
On the durability front, the IP68 and IP69 rating makes the Vivo V50 one of the most rugged premium mid-range phones. It can withstand dust, accidental spills, and even submersion in freshwater, though, as with most manufacturers, liquid damage isn’t covered under warranty.
Vivo V50 display
Vivo V50 sports a 6.77-inch AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ resolution (2,392 × 1,080 pixels, 387 PPI) and a variable refresh rate (60-120Hz) for fluid visuals. While the display continues Vivo’s emphasis on immersive, curved-edge screens, there’s a slight compromise this time around. The quad-curved panel introduced this year has a lower resolution than its predecessor—the Vivo V40 featured a higher 2,800 × 1,260-pixel display. In real-world usage, though, the difference in sharpness is negligible, and most users won’t notice a drop in detail.
The AMOLED panel ensures deep blacks, punchy colors, and excellent contrast, making it great for media consumption. Scrolling and animations feel smooth thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate, but the display smartly adapts to 60Hz or 90Hz when needed to conserve battery.
One thing that stood out during outdoor usage was noticeable reflections, which can affect visibility under direct sunlight. The Schott display protection adds a layer of durability, keeping scratches at bay. Overall, the Vivo V50’s display remains a strong point, offering a vivid, responsive experience with well-executed curves, despite the minor dip in resolution.
Vivo V50 performance
Vivo V50 is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, a capable mid-range processor designed for efficiency and balanced performance. In day-to-day use, the phone delivers a smooth and responsive experience, handling tasks like social media browsing, video streaming, messaging, and light multitasking with ease. App launches are quick, and switching between multiple apps feels fluid, thanks to the optimizations in Funtouch OS 15.
However, when pushed to more demanding tasks, the phone does start to show its limitations. While general UI navigation remains fluid, heavier applications—especially those that require high graphics processing—cause the phone to heat up slightly and lead to occasional frame drops. The touch response is adequate for casual use, but for tasks requiring precision and ultra-fast reactions, it may feel slightly less sensitive compared to some flagship devices.
Running on Funtouch OS 15, based on Android 15, the Vivo V50 brings aesthetic refinements and improved system stability. Vivo’s custom UI remains highly customizable, allowing users to tweak icons, themes, animations, and even finer system elements that many other brands don’t offer.
In terms of overall fluidity, the UI feels well-optimized, with minimal lag during everyday interactions. However, occasional micro-stutters can be observed when handling multiple background processes or when using certain resource-heavy apps. While these do not significantly impact usability, they are noticeable at times.
The stereo speakers on the Vivo V50 can get loud enough for an enjoyable media experience, but the lack of bass makes the sound feel flat. Vocals and treble are clear, but the audio doesn’t have the depth or richness found in some competing devices. This makes Vivo V50 good for casual content consumption.
Overall, for everyday users who need a phone for social media, video streaming, messaging, and general multitasking, the Vivo V50 delivers a smooth and reliable experience.
Vivo V50 camera
Vivo V50 comes with a triple 50MP camera setup covering primary, ultrawide, and selfie lenses. Under daylight conditions, the 50MP primary sensor captures balanced shots with good colors and dynamic range, but the details appear a bit soft, especially in textures and fine elements. Shooting at 2X digital zoom delivers surprisingly sharper images, making it a good option when you need closer shots.
Where the Vivo V50 shines is in low light. Thanks to Night mode algorithms, photos come out bright, detailed, and with controlled noise levels. Shadows retain more detail than expected, and highlights don’t get blown out. However, capturing Night mode shots takes a few extra seconds, which can be a bit of a wait if you’re trying to shoot multiple images quickly.
The ultrawide camera outputs 12MP binned images, but the results are underwhelming. Images often suffer from lens distortion around the edges. There’s also aggressive sharpening and noise reduction, which makes textures appear painted rather than natural.
For macro shots, the ultrawide lens doubles as a Super Macro camera, allowing you to get really close to subjects. The shots look good at first glance, but zooming in reveals excessive oversharpening and loss of fine details.
The 50MP selfie camera produces sharp and detailed images, with excellent edge detection in Portrait mode. Daylight selfies look crisp, but in outdoor bright conditions, backgrounds can get slightly overexposed. Low-light selfies, on the other hand, benefit from the Aura ring light, which provides even illumination for well-lit and natural-looking shots.
Portrait mode on the rear camera performs decently, with good subject separation and natural-looking blur, though low-light portraits can appear a bit soft and lacking in micro details.
Videos shot at 1080p 30fps appear soft yet well-stabilized, making them suitable for casual recording. The jump to 4K 30fps provides marginally better details, though stabilization remains consistent.
Wedding Mode
One of the highlight features of the Vivo V50 is the all-new Wedding Mode, and it genuinely delivers. We had the chance to test it at a wedding, and the results were impressive enough to make even the professional photographers take notice.
The Wedding Mode offers three distinct filters—Prosecco, Pestle, and Neo-Retro—each fine-tuned for different lighting and moods at weddings. Switching between them is seamless, and they enhance skin tones, add depth to portraits, and create a warm, cinematic atmosphere.
Adding to the experience, the Zeiss portrait lenses allow further customization, letting you apply seven different effects to enhance the bokeh and styling of portraits. The Wedding Mode is hassle-free, intuitive, and actually useful, making it a great addition for anyone looking to capture weddings without professional gear.
Vivo V50 battery
With a massive 6,000mAh battery, the Vivo V50 ensures that power anxiety is a thing of the past. During our testing, it easily lasted well over a day with casual use and mixed connectivity, which included browsing, social media, camera usage, and some gaming. Even with more demanding tasks like video recording and extended gaming sessions, the battery held up impressively.
When it comes to charging, the 90W wired charging is a game-changer. It refuels the phone quickly, taking it from nearly empty to a significant charge in just a short time.
Verdict
Vivo V50 refines the V-series formula with meaningful upgrades in design, camera capabilities, and battery life. Its sleek aesthetics, large 6,000mAh battery, and Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor make it a solid mid-range contender. The Wedding Mode is a standout addition for photography enthusiasts, enhancing portrait shots with professional-style filters. However, the slightly lower display resolution, occasional performance dips, and a modest ultrawide camera leave some room for further improvement.
If you’re looking for a stylish phone with strong battery life and a camera-first approach, the Vivo V50 is a good option, though it faces stiff competition in its price segment.
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