Four months ago, I had written on why having a triple-rear camera setup in a mid-range smartphone doesn’t really matter, and smartphone manufacturers should increase sensor count only if the primary sensor can produce the desired result. But the trend has escalated from putting three camera sensors on the back to the quad camera setup.
But not all smartphone manufacturers are just increasing the camera count, some are proving that it actually serves good use too– and this includes the Vivo V17 Pro. As I noted in the camera review of the device, the Vivo V17 Pro can click amazing shots, but then camera is not everything that matters in a smartphone. So how does the Vivo V17 Pro perform on other parameters like the screen, audio, multitasking, gaming, and battery backup? Is it worth the price tag of Rs 29,990? Here is the review of the Vivo V17 Pro.
https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/08/1x1.pngVivo V17 Pro price: Rs 29,990
Vivo V17 Pro specifications: 6.44-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display | 20:9 aspect ratio | 48MP+13MP+8MP+2MP quad-rear camera setup | 32MP+8MP dual pop-up front camera | Snapdragon 675 processor | 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM | 4,100mAh battery | 18W Dual-Engine fast charging
Vivo V17 Pro review: Full marks for design
Vivo V17 Pro might not be as flashy as some of its counterparts, but it sure is eye-catching. The company has gone for a plain glass back for the Vivo V17 Pro ditching the gradient colours, which I appreciate. Both the colours models of V17 Pro, Glacier Ice (White) and Midnight Ocean (Black) look premium and stand out.
The screen’s aspect ratio is 20:9 and I really liked it. It’s not too tall like the 21:9 screen and not too broad like the usual 19:9 screens. It sits in the hands comfortably and if you have bigger hands unlike me, you can easily use it with one hand. The ergonomically-shaped edges ensure a better grip and it wouldn’t slip off your hands.
The Vivo V17 Pro looks premium and stands out. (Express Photo: Mohammad Faisal)The 3.5mm audio jack is at the top edge, aligned to the left, which is my preferred position to use the earphones while playing games. Vivo has packed a good pair of earbuds in the box, which is more premium than the ones you get with Vivo Z1X and Vivo S1.
Vivo V17 Pro review: The Super AMOLED screen
The screen on the V17 Pro is a Super AMOLED with FHD+ resolution. It is bright enough to use outdoors without any problems at all. It produces sharp colours and Instagram feed on the screen looks really vibrant. The blacks are deep and the viewing angles are pretty good.
The Dark Mode on Zen UI is an added bonus, which not only turns the whole UI black, but forcefully puts a dark theme on the third-party apps as well. Only if the sound of V17 Pro was as good as its screen, it could have been a brilliant device for entertainment. The single bottom-firing speaker produces clear sound, but it could have been louder.
The viewing experience on the Super AMOLED display of Vivo V17 Pro is great. (Express Photo: Mohammad Faisal)Vivo V17 Pro review: Performance
The Vivo V17 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 675 processor. The chipset is not bad and for the most part, the V17 Pro doesn’t disappoint performance-wise, but when other manufacturers are going for Snapdragon 700 series processor or even 855 at this price point, you do question the move.
Still the phone handles day-to-day tasks easily and you can have as many Chrome tabs ope as you want, without the device freezing in the process. The phone can handle a flood of notifications and keep a good amount of apps opened in the background. I noticed that switching between apps or Chrome tabs is not quick thanks to slow animations of Zen UI. I observed the same problem with the Vivo Z1X. Maybe, it’s time for Vivo to tweak its skin a little.
Gaming on the phone, for the most part, is good but for the graphics-heavy games, it is not a champion. PUBG Mobile runs on High graphics with High frame rates and when you set the graphics to Medium, you have the option to select the Ultra frame rate option as well.
Vivo V17 Pro could have used the Snapdragon 730 instead of the Snapdragon 675 chipset. (Express Photo: Mohammad Faisal)While the game in itself runs without lags or noticeable frame drops, the device gets quite warm near the camera module within 5 minutes of the gameplay. The temperature keeps on rising and within half-an-hour, and I could not hold the device because of the heat.
Vivo V17 Pro review: Battery backup
The battery performance of the V17 Pro is actually good. With my extensive usage, the 4,100mAh battery lasted more than a day and if you are using it moderately, it easily lasts two days. The charging speed of the battery with 18W Dual-Engine fast charging support takes around two hours to fully charge the device, which is not bad.
Vivo phones have been coming with pretty good in-display fingerprint scanner tech and face-unlock feature, and Vivo V17 Pro is no different. Both the unlock methods are quite fast and accurate.
The Vivo V17 Pro features a dual-popup selfie camera where the secondary lens is an ultrawide sensor. (Express Photo: Mohammad Faisal)Vivo V17 Pro review: There are a total of six cameras
Vivo V17 Pro shines in the camera department. The company has marketed it as a camera-centric smartphone and it gets this right too. It sports a quad rear camera setup of 48MP + 8MP ultrawide-angle lens with 120-degrees field of view + 2MP bokeh lens + 13MP telephoto lens with 2X optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. The front camera setup includes 32MP + 8MP (ultrawide) combination.
Vivo V17 Pro camera sample: Normal shot (image resized for web) (Express Photo: Mohammad Faisal) Vivo V17 Pro camera sample: Ultrawide shot (image resized for web) (Express Photo: Mohammad Faisal) Vivo V17 Pro camera sample: Ultrawide shot (image resized for web) (Express Photo: Mohammad Faisal) Vivo V17 Pro camera sample: Night mode (image resized for web) (Express Photo: Mohammad Faisal) Vivo V17 Pro camera sample: Normal shot (image resized for web) (Express Photo: Mohammad Faisal) Vivo V17 Pro camera sample: Ultrawide shot (image resized for web) (Express Photo: Mohammad Faisal) Vivo V17 Pro camera sample: 2x optical zoom (image resized for web) (Express Photo: Mohammad Faisal)In daylight conditions, Vivo V17 Pro clicks vibrant pictures with good details, nice dynamic range and decent exposure levels. Apart from ultrawide shots and 2x optical zoom, the camera can also take pictures in Super Macro mode as well as in Night mode, although the Night sight could have been better.
The front camera setup also retains good details and produces vibrant colours, but its exposure levels aren’t good. Read our Vivo V17 Pro camera review for a detailed analysis of its camera performance.
Vivo V17 Pro review: Verdict
Apart from the heating issue while playing PUBG Mobile and slow transition speeds, the Vivo V17 Pro doesn’t give room for criticism. The phone has a nice build, good display, decent battery backup, and brilliant cameras. The biggest drawback of the phone is its price.
Although the performance of the phone is not bad, for a price tag of Rs 29,990, will make it hard to for Vivo V17 Pro to stand out in this crowded segment.Still for those who want a device for smartphone photography, Vivo V17 Pro remains a good option.