Vivo V23 Pro Review: Sleek Design, BD Price, In 2022

Vivo V23 Pro review: sleek design, BD price, in 2022

Vivo is starting in 2022 with the mid-range V-series. The V23 comes in two variants: the V23 and the V23 Pro. The USP here is the color-changing glass on the back, dual front-facing cameras for selfies, and the promise of good overall performance thanks to the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset. We are reviewing the Vivo V23 Pro today and this is what we think of the latest phone from the brand.

Table of Contents

Vivo V23 Pro Specifications:

Vivo V23 Pro: What is good?

If you’re looking for stylish phones with an impressive design, Vivo is doing that very well. The V23 Pro is one of the slimmest phones that I have used in the recent past. It comes with a curved edge screen that is also seen in the brand’s premium X series. But I must warn that finding a screen protector can be a challenge thanks to the curved edges. And it’s even harder to get someone to put a screen protector on a device as I recently found out.

Vivo V23 pro specifications

BD Price	BDT 41,999.00
Launch	Announced > 2022, January 05
Body	Dimensions > 159.5 x 73.3 x 7.4 mm (6.28 x 2.89 x 0.29 in) Weight > 171 g (6.03 oz) Build > Glass front (Schott Xensation α), glass back SIM > Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Platform	OS > Android 12, Funtouch 12 Chipset > MediaTek MT6893 Dimensity 1200 5G (6 nm) CPU > Octa-core (1×3.0 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3×2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) GPU > Mali-G77 MC9
Display	Type > AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+ Size > 6.56 inches, 104.6 cm2 (~89.5% screen-to-body ratio) Resolution > 1080 x 2376 pixels (~398 ppi density) Protection > Schott Xensation α glass
Memory	Card slot > No Internal > 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM
Mein Camera	Triple > 108 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/1.52″, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 16mm(ultrawide) , 1/4.0″, 1.12µm 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) Features > Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama Video > 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS
.Connectivit	WLAN > Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot Bluetooth > 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD GPS > Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NavIC NFC > No Radio > No USB > USB Type-C, USB On-The-Go
Network	Technology > GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
Features	Sensors > Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass Color changing back panel when exposed to sunlight
Selfie Camera	Dual > 50 MP, f/2.0, (wide), AF 8 MP, f/2.3, 105˚ (ultrawide) Features > Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR Video > 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps
Battery	Type > Li-Po 4300 mAh, non-removable Charging Fast charging > 44W, 1-63% in 30 min (advertised)
Basic	Colors > Sunshine Gold, Stardust Black Models > V2132 SAR > 1.22 W/kg (head) 0.63 W/kg (body)
Sound	Loudspeaker > Yes 3.5mm jack > No Loudspeaker > -28.6 LUFS (Average)
Price	Bangladesh > BDT 41,999.00 India > ₹38,990 United States > $ 499 United Kingdom > About 430 EUR

Vivo V23 Pro has a 108MP camera on the back and has an overall sleek design. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola.

Vivo V23 Pro: back color

The back of the phone has what Vivo uses, what it calls a color-changing Fluroite AG glass. The gold on the back will take on shades of blue-green when sunlight or any light hits it. What’s more interesting is that the back manages to retain a matte texture and is largely resistant to fingerprints. It will also keep that clean finish without a cover. However, Vivo offers a plastic box in the box, which you can use.

Note that this slim profile comes at a cost – there is no headphone jack on the device. There is also no microSD slot. But Vivo has packed a pair of headphones in the box with a Type-C to 3.5mm jack converter. Again, this is something we don’t see brands typically offering in the box these days.

Vivo V23 Pro: Display

Vivo V23 Pro has a 6.56-inch Full HD + AMOLED screen. This is bright enough for everyday activities, be it playing games or watching videos. The display is also perfectly readable in sunlight. It has a maximum refresh rate of 90 Hz, although, by default, the setting is in ‘Smart Switch’, where the phone automatically decides the most appropriate refresh rate according to the usage scenario. I would recommend sticking with this for better battery performance. But during the course of my review, I turned it up to 90 Hz.

Vivo V23 Pro review: performance

Vivo V23 Pro review: sleek design, BD price, in 2022

(Vivo V23 Pro review: sleek design, BD price, in 2022)

The phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensiy 1200 chipset. I have the 8GB RAM + 128GB option to review, and it is based on FunTouch OS 12 on Android 12. Vivo is also using the virtual RAM feature, which we are seeing on many other devices. This allows another 4 GB of storage to be allocated as ‘extended RAM’, although you can also disable it from settings.

For everyday performance, the Vivo V23 Pro does it comparably well. There were no hiccups or stutters when switching between multiple apps or games. Games like Asphalt 9, Genshin Impact, Mars: Mars worked perfectly well. What I also liked was that the slim profile of the phone made it easy to grip during these gaming sessions. But just ten minutes of Genshin Impact, a more resourceful game, meant the phone started to heat up a bit towards the top.

When setting up the Vivo V23 Pro, the overall impression came closer to setting up a standard Android phone, which was interesting. But when the ‘Recommended services’ section appears in the settings, you must deactivate the option for Vivo to show ads or other services. This will definitely make the experience less of a hassle. It will also reduce the appearance of irrelevant notifications.

Although the FunTouch OS 12 has improved, there are aspects that are annoying. For example, in WhatsApp, Vivo has decided to add the ‘Beauty filter’ when making video calls or taking pictures. This is not necessary and in my opinion spoils the experience. Some of the preloaded apps are just as unnecessary in 2022 as they were in previous years.

Vivo V23 Pro review: performs camera

The Vivo V23’s camera performs quite well in daylight capturing good details and the colors are pleasing. A little more saturated than I prefer, but the images will keep most users happy. Skin tones are also more natural, although in some lighting conditions the camera still makes one appear too white.

I also liked the advance selfie camera, as it offered very nice and natural photos. You can see the blemishes on my skin and luckily it doesn’t look very processed. The camera also works well during night mode and Vivo has managed to get the software correct in this regard. Just remember to keep the camera very still when clicking in night mode.

Vivo V23 Review: What’s Not Good?

But when switching to the other two modes (ultra-wide and macro), the drop in quality is just too obvious. The ultrawide, in particular, isn’t impressive at all. Details are missing when zooming in on photos taken in this mode, even with good outdoor lighting.

Another issue I faced during the review was that the night mode just wasn’t working initially. All I got was a black photo every time I used it. Restarting the camera fixed the problem. Vivo acknowledged the problem and issued an update for it. Fortunately, I did not face the same problem again.

The other weak aspect of the phone would be the battery. Vivo has opted for a 4300 mAh battery, which will last about a day with moderate to heavy use. Yes, it comes with a 44W fast charge. But for those who are very into gaming or are generally glued to their phone for hours, the battery may fall short. Most other phones now offer 5000 mAh or more in some cases. This could be a deal-breaker for some users.

Vivo V23 Pro: Verdict

The Vivo V23 Pro lives up to most of the claims it makes. It has a sleek design to offer, the performance is more than adequate, and the camera performs well, although it could be better in some situations. Where I feel like it’s a compromise is on the front of the drum. But again, this will also depend on the daily use of each user. The lack of a microSD card could also make this not possible for some users.