Vivo V17 comes with an almost bezel-less design
Vivo recently launched the Vivo V17 in India. The smartphone brings a punch-hole design, 48MP quad-camera setup, an in-display fingerprint sensor and more. All of this goodness comes in with a price tag of Rs. 22,990. But is the asking price worth it? Let’s find out in our full review.
Vivo V17 Review: Specifications
Vivo V17 features a 6.44-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400x1080 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor coupled with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The storage is further expandable up to 256GB using a microSD card. It runs on Google’s Android 9 Pie operating system layered with Vivo’s FunTouchOS on top. All of this is backed by a 4,500mAh battery, which supports 18W fast charging.
In the camera segment, the Vivo V17 sports a quad-camera setup at the back consisting of a 48-megapixel primary sensor, 8-megapixel super wide-angle lens, 2-megapixel macro and 2-megapixel bokeh sensor. There is also a 32-megapixel selfie shooter upfront.
Vivo V17 Review: Display and Design
Vivo has taken an interesting approach in terms of the design. The Vivo V17 comes with a punch-hole design upfront and it is touted to have the world’s smallest punch-hole camera. The form factor of the smartphone is fairly compact when compared to some other smartphones in the segment, which makes holding the device easier for people with smaller hands.
Vivo V17 has the smallest punch-hole camera.
The back of the smartphone is equipped with the quad-camera setup and the Vivo branding. Vivo V17 lacks any gradient design or patterns at the back but gets a clean and simple look, which also help it look a little premium.
As for the display, the Vivo V17 gets an AMOLED panel, which offers punchier colours and deeper blacks. The display not only makes room for an in-display fingerprint scanner but brings a better battery life as well as a great entertainment experience. However, the panel is not as vivid as the ones seen on Samsung smartphones.
Vivo V17 Review: Performance, Software and UI
The performance benchmark numbers are decent.
Vivo V17 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 chipset coupled with up to 8GB of RAM. During my time with the device, I had a smooth experience overall. Even gaming was a breeze as graphics-intensive games like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile did not show any hiccups. However, these games did stutter a bit when played on the highest settings.
FunTouchOS is inspired by Apple's iOS operating system.
As for the software, the Vivo V17 runs on Android 9 Pie-based FunTouchOS 9 out of the box. From the gesture-based navigation to the control centre, the user interface resembles quite a lot to iOS. This means new users coming from the other side of the fence will not have a tough time settling in. On the other hand, users coming from stock Android will need some time to get used to the new environment.
Vivo V17 Review: Camera
The main focus of Vivo’s V-series smartphones is the cameras. The Vivo V17 comes with a quad-camera setup at the back with a 48-megapixel primary sensor. The shots captured on the Vivo V17 are crisp and carry a ton of details. The colours are accurate and even edge detection is decent.
The quad-camera setup on the back stands out.
Outdoor shot
Outdoor shot
Outdoor shot
Outdoor shot
Outdoor Selfie
Indoor shot
Upfront, the handset sports a 32-megapixel selfie shooter. Even selfies come out pretty well with a great amount of detail. The camera app does offer a beauty mode, AI mode and more.
Vivo V17 Review: Battery
Under the hood, the Vivo V17 packs a massive 5,000mAh battery. The smartphone can easily last through a full working day with heavy usage including phone calls, texting, scrolling social media and even some casual gaming. Even when it runs out of juice, the bundled 18W fast charger can charge it back up fairly quickly.
Vivo V17 Review: Verdict
This is the Midnight Black colour variant.
In a nutshell, Vivo V17 brings a decent package with good cameras and above average specifications. Priced at Rs. 22,990, the Vivo V17 competes directly against the likes of Redmi K20, Samsung Galaxy M30s. While the former offers a better processor, the latter comes with a more vivid display.
In the end, it all depends on the consumer. If you are looking for a great camera experience and you can compromise on processing power, the Vivo V17 is one of the best options available. However, if you are more into gaming or content streaming, there are other options to consider.
