VIVO recently launched its newest contenders for the premium mid-range segment — the V15 series. We’ve already taken the V15 Pro for a full spin, so it’s time to take a look at the more affordable sibling, the V15. Check out the hands-on and first impressions on the device. Let’s start!
The V15 has the same design principle as the V15 Pro. It’s a culmination of what the V-series has become and a mixture of the company’s flagship device, the VIVO NEX. Its glossy back has a glittery finish especially when you look closely at the bottom. The front is all-screen with slim bezels on all sides. The design was made possible thanks to its pop-up camera mechanism. Overall, the device looks slim and premium. While I’m not fond of its Ruby Red color, I still think that the phone is stylish in any way you look at it.
The front panel sports a 6.53-inch Ultra Fullview display which resulted into a 91.64% screen-to-body ratio. In case you’re wondering, a Corning Gorilla Glass 5Â protection covers the whole screen. Also, you won’t recognize it but above the bezel resides the call speaker.
You will find the tray that houses the dual SIM card slot on the left while below it is a dedicated Smart Button for Google Assistant (by default) and can be customized to perform othee functions in the settings.
On the right are the usual power button and volume rocker pairing. The buttons are clicky given that they are made up of plastic. I didn’t have to readjust my thumb to reach them which is good.
At the top are the noise-canceling microphone and the 32MP pop-up selfie camera. Unlike with the V15 Pro, you will not find the 3.5mm audio port here.
The bottom houses the 3.5mm audio port, main microphone, micro USB port, and loudspeaker. It is unfortunate not to see a USB Type-C port here like come on, it’s 2019 already, and the device’s specs are evolving already, why can’t VIVO upgrade their main charging port to a better one already?
In any case, you will see the 12MP + 8MP + 5MP triple rear cameras housed in a protruding module. We’ve seen this placement frequently with the Huawei smartphones, but VIVO’s design made it more apparent that the shooters exist there. Right beside it is a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Unfortunately for us, only the V15 Pro has an in-display fingerprint sensor which is a bummer.
I’ve held the V15 Pro already, and I can say that the V15 isn’t that much different with its more powerful sibling when it comes to design and construction. What I’ve noticed, however, is that it is taller and slightly thicker which mainly comes from its larger display when I held both of them in my hands. It feels premium but just like with any other glossy designs; it is very prone to fingerprint marks and smudges. I am hoping that there’s a protective case included in the package when we finally take this device for a full spin.
The VIVO V15 is powered by MediaTek’s newest Helio P70 chipset paired with a 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Software-wise, it is running on Funtouch OS 9 based on Android 9.0 Pie. I expect that its performance will be snappier and faster compared to P60-powered devices I’ve handled before.
The VIVO V15’s priced at PHP 17,999 which is PHP 6K more affordable than the V15 Pro (8GB + 128GB). I will take this device for a full spin in the coming days so stay tuned!
Vivo V15Â specs:
- 6.53-inch 19.5:9 FHD+ Ultra FullView display @ 2340 x 1080px, 91.64% screen-to-body ratio
- Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- MediaTek Helio P70 2.1GHz octa-core processor
- Mali-G72 MP3 GPU
- 6GB RAM
- 128GB storage
- Dual SIM (nano + nano)
- 32MP f/2.0 front camera
- 12MP f/1.78 + 8MP f/2.2 + 5MP f/2.4 AI triple rear cameras w/ LED flash
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- 4G LTE
- Bluetooth 4.2
- GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou
- micro USB
- Fingerprint scanner (rear-mounted)
- Jovi AI
- 3.5mm audio port
- FunTouch OS 9 (Android 9 Pie)
- 4,000mAh battery w/ Dual-Engine fast charging
- 161.2 x 75.9 x 8.5 mm
- 186 g
