Vivo’s V-series smartphones are aimed at those who want an all-rounded photography experience but don’t want to burn a big hole in their pockets by purchasing a flagship. The Vivo V40 tries to replicate the same formula as the Vivo V30 last year, with largely the same specs, but a new starting price tag of Rs 34,999. Here’s a detailed review of the Vivo V40, where you’ll know whether you should purchase it or consider other options in the segment.
Vivo V40 Review: Design & Display
The Vivo V40 distinguishes itself from its predecessor with a revamped design. The blue model we have gets a wavy pattern underneath the glass, which shines uniquely when light falls on it.
While the frame is plastic, the glass on the back and the front curve on the sides, accounting for a comfortable grip in the hand. It also feels quite premium in the hand, and because it’s lightweight and narrow, one-handed use doesn’t cause hand fatigue.
The camera module on the back also plays a major role in the design because it creates an identity for the device, as it has been given a unique shape. There’s a metallic ring around the module, while the camera island itself has a dual-tone design, including elements such as glass and metal.
The right buttons feel tactile when clicked. The device is also IP69 rated, meaning submersion in water or exposure to dirt shouldn’t adversely affect it.
Overall, I’d say Vivo V40 is definitely one of the most beautifully crafted smartphones in its segment.
Another aspect of design and in-hand feel is haptics, which are subpar on this Vivo device. Like the Honor 200 5G, they are rattly and not tight at all because the motor used in budget smartphones is the same.
As for the speaker setup, there are dual speakers on the Vivo V40 which sound quite decent. While they lack bass, they are loud enough with good instrument separation, making the whole listening experience a pleasant one.
As for the display on the front, it’s a 6.78-inch AMOLED Display with a 1.5K 2800×1260 Pixels resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, punch-hole cutout, 20:9 aspect ratio, 89.9% screen-to-body ratio, 452 ppi, 4500 nits peak brightness and 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut.
As the specs show, this panel is impressive, similar to previous Vivo AMOLED panels we tested. It’s bright, vivid, and sharp. The curves on each side look appealing, and the viewing angles are impressive, too. It also supports eye protection mode, where the screen colour automatically adjusts according to your environment for the best viewing experience.
The display is also quite responsive to the touch. However, even with a 120Hz refresh rate, I cannot say it’s the smoothest because the Refresh Rate mostly stays at 90Hz even when it’s set to “Smart Switch.” Even when set to 120Hz at all times, it still switches to 90Hz during some animations, such as opening or closing apps. We haven’t faced this issue before on Vivo and iQOO devices, so we hope Vivo fixes it with an update soon.
The in-display optical fingerprint sensor works without any issues. It’s quick to read the print and is accurate as well.
Read More: Vivo Y28s, Vivo Y28e Launched in India: Price, Specs, Availability
Vivo V40 Review: Software & Performance
The Vivo V40 is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 Processor paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. Vivo sent us the 8GB + 128GB model, and for the price, we feel that 128GB of storage is quite low, while the base storage should have been 256GB.
Nonetheless, the device actually holds up well in most scenarios, except for demanding tasks where the phone slightly struggles. However, for day-to-day use, I didn’t face any major issues at all.
The device reacted smoothly to my commands, such as switching apps, and was efficient in other operations, including RAM management. Apps like Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Chrome, and more worked without any glitches.
The Vivo V40 runs on FunTouch OS 14 and will get 3 years of major OS upgrades with 4 years of security patches. FunTouch OS 14 has been good with features for a while now, and it doesn’t really lack behind except in one area: basic animations.
While the performance is surely decent, the smoothness of the animations isn’t. I noticed some animations, stuttering, and inconsistencies across the whole user interface. For instance, the App opening and closing animations do not always originate from the app icon and fly in or out from/to anywhere on the screen.
Again, as I said, FunTouch OS may lag behind in animations, but it doesn’t in terms of features. You get plenty of dynamic effects to choose various types of elements of System UI such as fingerprint icon, animation speed, etc.
A bunch of Always-on display styles are available, too, alongside app lock functionality, wallpaper-based theming of system and icons, sliding effects in launcher, and much more. A new option, also found in One UI, allows the Always-on display to turn on as soon as new notifications arrive.
For those who want to game on the device (even though it won’t be the best at it), there’s an ultra-game mode with options allowing you to block notifications or mute calls while gaming, a game sidebar, E-sports mode, and more.
Vivo also uses the ring flashlight on the back with a feature called dynamic light. With it turned on, the light on the back can softly flash to notify you of incoming calls and notifications. You can also use it during music playback.
Then there’s a new Voice Isolation feature where, during a call, the ambient noises will be dialled down so your voice is prioritized. Additionally, features like double-tap to wake the screen or turn it off, three-finger screenshots, floating windows for multitasking, and more are also available.
The device is running on the June 2024 security patch out of the box, which we feel should change soon to the August 2024 patch. However, we haven’t received any update as of now.
Connectivity performance of the handset, including that of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 5G, remained optimum.
Vivo V40 Review: Battery
The Vivo V40 is backed up by a 5500mAh battery with 80W fast charging. Vivo now also offers the ability to view the maximum battery health in terms of percentage, similar to how iPhones do. The V40 can also intelligently pause and resume charging based on your nighttime charging patterns if you enable the “Smart optimisation based on habit” option.
As for the battery backup, the device can easily last two days with moderate usage. My usage included a good amount of calling while browsing social media apps like Instagram, watching videos on YouTube, and chatting on WhatsApp.
The device easily lasted me for about 1.5 days with a screen-on time of slightly over 8 hours which is outstanding. Even with cycles including heavier usage patterns, the device easily lasted a day.
The Vivo V40 charges from 0% to 100% in under an hour, which is remarkable.
Vivo V40 Review: Cameras
The Vivo V40 packs a dual camera setup on the back, consisting of an OIS-assisted 50-megapixel f/1.88 primary camera, and a 50-megapixel f/2.0 ultra-wide lens. There’s a 50-megapixel selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture.
The Vivo V40 is packed with camera features that photography enthusiasts will appreciate. On the hardware side, it includes an aura light for portraits, with adjustable temperature and brightness. Software features include various bokeh effects and multiple Portrait mode focal lengths, offering different styles and colour tones.
Portrait shots are vibrant and detailed, with natural-looking bokeh and precise EDGE detection. Regular photos come in Vivid, textured, and Zeiss-tuned natural modes, each enhancing colors and details uniquely. The Vivid mode is particularly striking, though all modes capture excellent photos with high dynamic range, fast focusing, and minimal shutter lag.
Zoom quality declines after 2x, with 10x and 20x zoom resulting in poor quality. Ultra-wide shots maintain colour and sharpness but have noticeable edge distortion. In low light, the aura light helps capture details and colours well, though colours fade slightly without it.
Selfies feature accurate skin tones, vivid colours, and great detail, with various bokeh effects available. Shots in artificial lighting are noise-free and detailed. Night shots are well-exposed, detailed, and noise-free, even in very dark conditions. Overall, the Vivo V40 offers a versatile and high-quality camera experience.
Check out our detailed camera review of the Vivo V40 5G for a more comprehensive look at the device’s cameras.
