Are you an aspiring TikToker, vlogger, or Youtuber and you’re currently looking for a new smartphone to be your reliable content creation tool moving forward but your budget for it is only around PHP 25,000?
Here’s a fresh release from our friends at vivo Mobile Philippines that you might want to check out.
Donning an official suggested retail price of PHP 23,999 here in the Philippines for the version with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, vivo V25 5G looks great, has a brilliant display, comes with a good set of internal hardware, has high resolution cameras, supports fast charging for its big battery, and above all has powerful front and back video recorders.
Unboxing and Package Contents
Before I show you the handset itself and talk about its key selling points, let’s do this quick unboxing.
As you can see in the image above, vivo V25 5G ships in this silver box with the brand and model name heatpressed on the cover with iridescent finish and dark ink, respectively.
My review unit, which happens to be an official retail package, includes the handset itself, the quick start guide, a pair of wired headphones (which has frankly become a rare inclusion with smartphone packs these days), the USB Type C charging cable, the travel charger, the metal pin for ejecting the SIM card tray, USB Type C to 3.5mm combo jack adapter (since vivo V25 5G lacks the latter port), and a soft silicone case.
I appreciate the fact that vivo had included a free soft silicone case so the user won’t have to buy one separately. I think that a protective case is a must for this model.
Design and Aesthetics
Right out of the box, the first thing about vivo V25 5G that impressed me would have to be its downright gorgeous looks.
I’d say that this phone has two identifying physical characteristics. First would be its oversized camera module at the back, which house three cameras with two being more prominent like big eyes. The second would have to be the beautiful back panel with eye-catching iridescent finish that goes from bright yellow to deep peach.
The polycarbonate midframe of vivo V25 5G has a sleek metallic finish which frankly makes the handset look even more sophisticated and elegant. If you own this, you definitely won’t be shy to take it out on meetings, dates, or even when you’re just hanging out in a cafe in another country.
Now, let’s take a closer look at all the sides of the device. There’s nothing on the left panel of the smartphone. It’s totally clean.
On the right side, you will find the volume rocker and the power button.
On top, there’s just one microphone pin hole.
Finally, at the rear, there’s the SIM card tray, another microphone pinhole for stereo sound recording, the USB Type C charging port, and five holes for the loud speaker.
Display
Another highlight of the vivo V25 5G is definitely its large 6.44-inch FullHD+ 1080 x 2404 pixels AMOLED display with 20:9 aspect ratio.
Apart from being crisp, clear, vibrant, brilliant and sizable, this screen also supports up to 1,300 nits of brightness as well as 90Hz refresh rate for smooth screen transitions. Also, thanks to the very slim size bezels, vivo V25 5G has an impressive 84.7% screen-to-body ratio, which I’m sure makes the front of the device very easy on the eyes.
Whether you use your smartphone mostly for watching videos, viewing vlogs, reading websites, browsing social media apps, or playing games, I think that you will find the visual experience very enjoyable on the display of the vivo V25 5G.
Imaging Capabilities
Now, let’s jump to the camera of this high-end release.
vivo V25 5G sports a Triple Rear Camera Module that’s made up of these shooters:
1. 64 MegaPixels, f/1.8 Aperture, 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS
With its imaging high-resolution, wide aperture, and relatively big sensor, this is the most powerful camera of this bunch allowing with great imaging flexibility in day-to-day point-and-shoot photography. Its also the most reliable camera in this line-up for snapping images in low-light conditions.
2. 8 MegaPixels, f/2.2, 16mm, 120˚ Ultra-Wide, 1/4″, 1.12µm
The secondary shooter has an ultra-wide lens that makes it ideal for snapping landscape and architectural photos as well as group shots.
3. 2 MegaPixels, f/2.4, Macro
Finally, the tertiary camera at the back is ideal for taking close-up photos of small objects as well as minute details on larger subjects.
I think that the combination of these three rear cameras along with vivo’s enhanced imaging software make vivo V25 5G a viable option for budding and experienced mobile photographers who are thinking of upgrading to a more powerful smartphone with updates specs without breaking the bank.
For those who love to take selfies and groufies, vivo V25 5G has you covered. The handset features a high-resolution 50 MegaPixel f/2.0 AutoFocus camera that’s housed in the waterdrop notch above the AMOLED display.
Front-Facing AutoFocus cameras have always been very rare in the smartphone world so this one very special in that regard. This is on top of the fact that this selfie-cam is powered by vivo’s self-portrait beautification software, which has consistently been one of the best in the industry.
Video Recording Features
As I’ve mentioned in the first line of this article, vivo V25 5G is a great new smartphone option for aspiring vloggers, TikTokers, and Youtubers because of the fact that it is a reliable tool recording videos.
Using the both the main camera at the back with PDAF and the front-facing AutoFocus camera, vivo V25 5G can record 4K at 30 frames per second as well as 1080p FullHD clips at 60fps and 30fps. These cameras are also powered by vivo’s stellar video recording software features including Standard Stabilization and Skin Beautification for 4K and FullHD videos, Ultra Stabilization (Back) and Steadyface Stabilization (Front) for FullHD 30fps clips, and Bokeh Effect for Video at 720p.
As for sound recording, the onboard stereo microphones pick up voice nicely and also cancel noise relatively well. For even clear audio recording, users may also attach an external microphone using the provided USB Type C to 3.5mm combo jack adapter.
All these features truly make vivo V25 5G a very attractive offer for those who are trying to get into or become more serious about video content creation but who are not keen on spending more than PHP 30,000 on a new smartphone or camera.
Internal Hardware
Alright, let’s explore the internal specifications of the vivo V25 5G.
This smartphone runs its Funtouch 12 UI customized Android 12 operating system with a 6nm 2.4GHz Octa-Core MediaTek MT6877 Dimensity 900 that incorporates a Mali-G68 MC4 graphics chip. This high-end processor from the Taiwanese chipmaker doesn’t only enable a smooth daily mobile experience but also allows for lag-free gaming performance on popular titles such as Mobile Legends Bang Bang.
The Philippines got the vivo V25 5G variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. What’s interesting about it is that the RAM can be boosted by up to 8GB more via vivo’s own extended RAM innovation that borrows space from the ROM to enhance the multitasking experience on the device. The internal storage can also be easily augmented using the hybrid microSD card slot. Although, the user must sacrifice the Dual SIM capability of the handset to do that.
Privacy and Security
One premium feature of the vivo V25 5G is its In-Display Fingerprint Scanner, which is particularly useful for quickly unlocking the handset when its placed on the table as you won’t have to hold it or to flip it to perform the gesture as shown in the image above.
If you remember, vivo was actually the very first company to incorporate this feature on a smartphone. Released in 2018, vivo X21 is the first ever handset to feature an In-Display Finger Scanner. I was there when vivo launched it in the Philippines.
It’s just nice to see vivo still putting innovations they introduced in the mobile industry on their new smartphone releases. This proves that those advancements actually mattered and continues to matter to consumers.
Battery Size and Charging Speed
vivo V25 5G is powered by a large, non-removable 4,500 mAh Li-Po battery that easily ensures a whole day of uptime for most users. Heavy gamers or power users, though, might have a hard time getting up to two days of usage from this smartphone coming from a full charge.
Don’t fret, however, because vivo V25 5G supports 44W Fast Charging that delivers 61% charge coming from 0% in just 30 Minutes. This is another very useful premium feature that users can enjoy on this release.
5G Connectivity
Currently reaching speeds of around 150mpbs in the Philippines, 5G is the latest in mobile broadband stardards and it will soon supersede 4G LTE globally.
As its very name suggests, vivo V25 5G lets you enjoy the benefits of 5G mobile connectivity while its still fairly new. This feature also future proofs the device for when 5G becomes available in more parts of the Philippines.
Recommendation
Considering its beautiful design, brilliant display, great set of cameras, stellar video recording features, more than decent set of internal hardware, in-display Fingerprint Scanner, fast-charging feature, and 5G connectivity feature, its hard not to be impressed by vivo V25 5G.
If you’re a budding video content creator who’s currently still using an entry-level smartphone or an aging midrange handset but you’re not yet ready to spend so much money on an ultra-premium flagship release, vivo V25 5G could be the ideal upgrade for you.
vivo V25 5G Specs
159.2 x 74.2 x 7.8 mm
186 grams
6.44-inch, FullHD+, 1080 x 2404 pixels, 20:9 ratio, AMOLED
1,300 Nits Maximum Brightness
90Hz Refresh Rate
84.7% Screen-to-Body Ratio
Waterdrop Notch
Triple Rear Camera Module:
64 MegaPixels, f/1.8 Aperture, 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS
8 MegaPixels, f/2.2, 16mm, 120˚ Ultra-Wide, 1/4″, 1.12µm
2 MegaPixels, f/2.4, Macro
LED Flash
Front-Facing Camera:
50 MegaPixels, f/2.0, AutoFocus
Video Recorder:
Back and Front – 4K 30fps, 1080p FullHD 60fps and 30fps, HDR
Funtouch 12
Android 12
6nm 2.4GHz Octa-Core MediaTek MT6877 Dimensity 900
Mali-G68 MC4
Philippine Release: 8GB + 8GB Extended RAM Technology
Philippine Release: 256GB ROM
Hybrid microSD Card Slot
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.2
4G LTE-A
5G
In-Display Fingerprint Scanner
No FM Radio
No 3.5mm Audio Jack
44W Fast Charging, 61% in 30 Minutes
Non-Removable 4,500 mAh Li-Po Battery Pack
High-Gloss, Iridescent Finish
Elegant Black, Sunrise Gold, Surfing Blue
vivo V25 5G Price
Official SRP:
8GB RAM + 256GB ROM = PHP 23,999