Disclosure: this article is sponsored by vivo Malaysia.
More and more phone makers are adopting taller and narrower displays, but more often than not, this particular feature is reserved for high-end, flagship smartphones. Well, that’s where the vivo V7+ stands out: it’s a mid-range smartphone with an 18:9 FullView display.
Aside from its display, the V7+ boasts some respectable hardware too, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset paired with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, a 16MP rear camera with phase detection autofocus, a 24MP front-facing shooter complete with flash, as well as a 3,225mAh battery.
These are respectable hardware for a mid-range smartphone, and the V7+ is one of a few vivo smartphones to come with a Qualcomm chipset; other phones from the company are usually equipped with MediaTek SoCs. Nonetheless, let’s get to one of the most notable features of the V7+: its sleek 5.99-inch 1440 x 720 FullView Display with 84.4% screen-to-body ratio.
Like most noteworthy flagship smartphones in the market now, the V7+ features very minimal top and bottom bezels, giving it a modern-looking design. Despite packing a large 5.99-inch display, the phone doesn’t feel unwieldy at all thanks to the minimal bezels; the display’s 18:9 aspect ratio is also taller and narrower than your typical smartphone display.
Although the V7+’s FullView Display is “only” a 1440 x 720 panel, it’s certainly good enough for daily use. The display’s viewing angles are also good, and colours are vibrant too. Given the 720p resolution of the display, we imagine the V7+’s 3,225mAh battery can return commendable battery life as well. The Snapdragon 450 chipset powering the V7+ is also a pretty power-efficient SoC; it’s built on the 14nm process, after all.
And then we have the V7+’s 24MP selfie camera, which is touted as a world’s first. Featuring a front-facing flash, Face Beauty 7.0, and even Portrait Mode – yes, the selfie camera can create bokeh effect – we imagine those who love taking selfies will appreciate these selfie-centric features. Face Beauty 7.0, for one, is said to use a new algorithm to brighten images and offer a more even complexion in your selfies. According to vivo, selfies will look natural even in low-light conditions.
Interestingly, the V7+ also comes with Face Beauty for video calls, which is effectively real-time beautification. The best part is, this feature is supported on quite a number of popular messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Line, Viber, and even BBM.
Out of all these features, we reckon the V7+’s Portrait Mode is the most exciting one. As its name suggests, Portrait Mode on the V7+’s front-facing camera adds bokeh effect to your selfies. Surprisingly enough, the single selfie camera can separate the subject from the background pretty well too.
Portrait Mode in action.
Normal selfie shot (top) and Portrait Mode. The V7+ does a decent job blurring the background.
Beyond these selfie-centric features, the V7+’s front-facing camera is also used for one particularly interesting feature: Face Access. Essentially, it is vivo’s take on facial recognition, and it works quite seamlessly. The V7+ can recognise my face accurately and quickly most of the time, and it’s quite impressive how fast it unlocks the phone.
Besides the selfie camera, the V7+’s 16MP rear camera is pretty good too. Much like the vivo V5s, the vivo V7+ also supports Live Photo. Once enabled, all you have to do is press and hold on an image, and the phone will play a short video before and after that particular image was shot. Yes, it’s very similar in practice to Apple’s Live Photo feature.
Beyond the Live Photo feature, the V7+’s rear camera is really quite a decent shooter. With ideal lighting and good composition, the 16MP shooter can return some good-looking shots.
Another noteworthy feature of the V7+ is its dedicated DAC: it comes with an AK4376A DAC, which does improve audio quality when used with earphones quite a bit. There’s certainly a noticeable difference in audio quality in comparison to other smartphones – most of which don’t even come with a dedicated DAC. Naturally, the V7+ comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack too.
Other aspects of the V7+ are really what you’d come to expect from a mid-range smartphone worth its salt. It has an all-metal body with rounded sides for better ergonomics, a rear fingerprint sensor – which is easily within reach, unlike certain smartphones – and although its Snapdragon 450 chipset isn’t the most impressive SoC around, the V7+ feels plenty responsive and zippy.
The vivo V7+ sports a sleek, modern design thanks to its FullView Display. In fact, it’s really one of very few mid-range smartphones with such a display at the moment in Malaysia; the LG Q6 isn’t exactly available here, after all. Aside from that, the V7+’s plethora of selfie-centric features will likely appeal to those who love taking selfies.
Not many mid-range smartphones offer the same feature set as the vivo V7+, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint in the design department. If you’re looking for a sleek, mid-range smartphone that doesn’t break the bank, the V7+ is an interesting option.
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