Are you in the market for a slim and stylish smartphone with a sleek design, powerful cameras, and performance to match? Well, that’s what vivo Philippines promises with its latest device, the vivo V27 5G.
This time around, we’re taking a close look at this highly praised smartphone to see if all the hype surrounding it is well deserved. Does it live up to it? That’s what we’re going to find out. Let’s go.
vivo V27 5G Specs
| Display | 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED Display, 2400×1080, 120Hz Refresh Rate |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7200 |
| RAM/Storage | 12GB+256GB |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP Main 8MP Ultra-wide 2MP Macro Aura Light Flash |
| Front Camera | 50MP Selfie Camera |
| Network | 5G, 4G LTE, Dual SIM |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi Dual Band, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS |
| Others | In-display Fingerprint Sensor, USB-C |
| OS | Funtouch OS 13, Android 13 |
| Colors | Noble Black, Magic Blue, Flowing Gold, Emerald Green |
| Battery | 4600mAh Battery, 66W Fast Charging |
Design & Display
We have already talked about the vivo V27 5G’s design in another post, but we’re repeating it here nonetheless because it deserves attention. The phone is beautiful with a sleek and elegant design that truly catches the eye.
The vivo V27 5G is made to be comfortable and stylish and has a minimalist aesthetic and an ultra-thin grip of only 7.36mm thick, a 60-degree curved screen, and a 3D back panel that blends smoothly into the 2.3mm thin metal frame. Despite the thin body, it feels good and solid in the hand.
Our review unit is in Emerald Green color, a mesmerizing colorway that looks like jade marble. It has its predecessor’s color-changing ability, now called Photochromic 2.0, which transitions much faster to a darker hue when exposed to sunlight.
The phone has an AMOLED display that measures 6.78 inches and has a full HD+ resolution and a small punch-hole cutout for a 50MP Eye AF vlogging selfie camera. The display is bright and vibrant with deep blacks and excellent color reproduction. I love how pleasant the colors look, without being overdone. This makes watching videos a great experience. The handset also has Widevine L1 certification, which means services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ can stream at FHD quality.
The top and side bezels of the screen are very narrow, allowing for a more immersive viewing experience. Meanwhile, the bottom bezel has almost the same thickness as the other bezels, giving it a more uniform and premium look.
On the back of the phone, you have a large rectangular camera module that houses three cameras and the Aura Light ring light. The module has a matte metal finish, offering a stylish contrast to the shiny rear panel.
While at the bottom, you have the mono speaker, which can get loud and has good quality, but I wish there was another speaker at the top side.
Cameras
The vivo V27 5G has four cameras in total: a 50MP OIS Ultra-Sensing primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP macro camera on the back, and on the front, a 50MP Eye AF selfie camera.
The 50MP OIS Ultra-Sensing Camera uses a Sony IMX766V sensor. The sensor is a customized version of the IMX766, jointly developed by Sony and vivo. It is a Quad Bayer sensor with a size of 1/1.56 inches and a 1.0um pixel size, and OIS+EIS Dual Ultra Stabilization that allows it to capture more light while reducing motion blur, even in low light conditions. The results: Clear and vivid photos with high dynamic range.
The phone also has an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro camera on the back for different perspectives. The ultra-wide camera has a 16mm lens with an f/1.4 aperture, while the macro lens has an f/2.4 aperture and a focusing distance of 4cm.
The primary camera has impressive quality with accurate colors and good detail. I have to say, it is very close to flagship levels.
At the front, the vivo V27 5G has a 50MP Eye AF vlogging camera that can take clear selfies with rich details. It supports autofocus and can zoom in and crop without losing quality.
One of the vivo V27 5G’s main features is the aura light portrait system, which consists of three elements: the aforementioned Sony IMX766V sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS), the ring LED flash dubbed Aura Light Portrait that adds brightness to low-light selfies, and a portrait mode that enhances facial beauty and bokeh effects.
The aura light portrait system is designed to create natural and charming portraits with vivid colors and details. It works by detecting ambient light and then smartly adjusting the brightness of the aura light to illuminate the subject. To use the aura light portrait system, go to Portrait Mode on the Camera app and toggle the flash symbol to turn the aura light on.
Notice how pleasant the photos look, thanks to Portrait Mode’s Natural color style. Moreover, its beauty filter has a natural style as well, which makes the skin tone look natural, and not too aggressive in the smoothing.
Performance
The vivo V27 5G is powered by a Dimensity 7200 chip based on a 4nm process which boasts 40 percent less power consumption than competitors, with 22 percent higher CPU performance, and 43 percent higher GPU performance. It has eight cores clocked at up to 2.8GHz, a Mali-G610 MC4 GPU, 12GB RAM (with an additional 8GB extended RAM for a total of 20GB), and 256GB of storage. The handset runs on Android 13-based Funtouch OS 13.
In terms of performance, the Dimensity 7200 sits in between the Snapdragon 778G and the Snapdragon 870, but with better heat management and power consumption.
Here are the benchmark scores:
- AnTuTu Benchmark V9.5.6: 605,078
CPU: 157,074
GPU: 194,430
MEM: 108,904
UX: 144,670 - 3DMark Wild Life: 4,117
Ave. FPS: 24.70 - Geekbench 5: 877 (single-core); 2,380 (multi-core)
- Geekbench 6: 1,174 (single-core); 2,675 (multi-core)
As a daily driver, the vivo V27 5G is fast and smooth. It is very responsive and can handle any app and even heavy games. And speaking of gaming, it is capable of handling Genshin Impact, Mobile Legends, and CODM.
The vivo V27 5G has a 4600mAh battery that can last for a day of moderate usage. It also supports 66W fast charging. The included charger can top up the phone to 50 percent in less than 20 minutes and 100 percent in less than an hour.
Verdict
The vivo V27 5G is a powerful midrange that delivers on all fronts, providing an unmatched bang-for-your-buck experience.
It has one of the best camera systems I have seen on a non-flagship phone. Moreover, it has the looks to match, thanks to its 3D curved screen, slim body, and color-changing Photochromic 2.0 design.
Meanwhile, the Dimensity 7200 under the hood offers unmatched performance in its range. Plus the additional 8GB extended RAM (for a total of 20GB Dynamic RAM), gives it an edge in multitasking and gaming.
See also: realme 10 Pro+ 5G review: Premium design, great display, satisfying phone
But like everything else, it’s not perfect. There are missed opportunities. One thing I hoped it has were stereo speakers. I am usually a stickler for this, but I am willing to overlook it in this case because of all the positives this phone brings.
With this, we highly recommend the vivo V27 5G for anyone looking for a stylish and powerful smartphone. All that for under ₱25K.
Price and Availability
The vivo V27 5G is priced at ₱24,999, and will be available nationwide starting April 11.
You can purchase the phone in vivo’s offline shops, and e-commerce stores on Shopee and Lazada, as well as on the SM Malls Online App.
To know more about the vivo V27 Series, visit vivo’s official website, or follow them on their official social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
