Update – 29-July-2019
Price Drop for Vivo V15 Pro and V15 in India
The Vivo V15 Pro was launched for Rs. 28,990 for the 6 GB Ram and 128 GB Storage version. It is not available for Rs. 26,990. In fact, you can buy the 8 GB Ram and 128 GB storage version for Rs. 29,990.
Further, the Vivo V15 is now available for Rs. 19,990 (6 GB Ram and 64 GB Storage), instead of the launch price of Rs. 23,990.
Also, Read About – Latest Mobiles in Vivo Y Series and Vivo S Series.
Vivo V15 Pro India Launch, Specs, Price Performance, and Camera Details
Published On 4/March/2019 – The selfie king is back with a new offering and a different type from what the company has been offering to buyers. Vivo has today launched the new high-end V15 Pro (model number – 1818/PD1832F_EX) in the Indian market for Rs. 28,990.
Update – 04-Mar-2019 – Vivo has also launched the Vivo V15 apart from the Vivo V15 Pro. Below I have detailed the changes in the Vivo V15.
The phone is available on Flipkart starting today for purchase.
Cameras
The new Vivo V15 Pro comes with an electronic pop-up selfie camera with a massive 32 Megapixel resolution.
Vivo loves to flaunt big megapixels on the selfie cameras and here is another one.
Additionally, the V15 Pro comes with triple rear cameras at the back. There is a massive 48 Megapixel (Quad Pixel Sensor, supports up to 12 million effective pixels), camera, along with an 8 Megapixel (Wide Angle Camera with AI) and a 5 Megapixel tertiary camera.
In total it has (48+8+5+32=93) 93 MP Cameras, just shy of 100 MPs.
The rear cameras come with 48 MP (f/1.8), 8 MP (f/2.2) and the 5 MP (f/2.4) with EIS support. Notably, there is no OIS support on this expensive phone from Vivo.
The camera assembly at the back looks unique and the 48 MP Quad Pixel Sensor is the highlight of V15 PRO.
The V15 PRO is the successor to the V11 Pro that the company has launched in the latter part of last year.
In-display Scanner
Likewise, the V15 Pro will also come with an in-display fingerprint scanner for quick unlocking and even has the face-unlocking support.
Display
Further, it comes with a 6.39-inch FHD+ (2340*1080 pixels) Super AMOLED Ultra Full-View Display panel. The display has 91.64% screen to body ratio.
Notably, there is no notch on this device, thanks to the pop-up selfie camera.
Performance (Benchmark Score Antutu)
Powering the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 Octa-Core Processor that comes with Adreno 612 GPU for gaming.
The maximum clock speed is 2.0 GHz and the processor is made from 11 Nm manufacturing process.
Also, according to GSM Arena, the Snapdragon 675 is faster in comparison to the SD 710. The SD 675 scores 178K on the Antutu benchmark in comparison to the 154K of SD 710.
Definitely, the processor is much faster in comparison to the SD 660 or 636 found in several mid-range phones but it is no match for the flagship SD 845.
I was recently testing the SD 660 on the Zenfone Max Pro M2 and it scores close to 126K on the Antutu benchmark. The SD 675 is about 50-60% more powerful in comparison to SD 660.
There is 6 GB LPDDR4X Ram and has 128 GB internal storage. Additionally, there is a dedicated Micro-sd card slot on the V15 Pro to expand the storage upto 256 GB.
Also, it runs on the latest Android Pie update along with the custom skin from Vivo.
Other Features
Also, the phone has a micro-USB Port (there is no USB Type C Port) and has a 3700 mAH capacity battery with Dual Engine fast charging support. Also, the device comes with a pair of earphones in the box, along with a fast charger.
The phone can charge from 0 to 24% in just 15 minutes.
It weighs 185 grams and has 8.21 mm in thickness. Lastly, there is support for Bluetooth 5.0, APTx, face unlocking, 3.5mm headphone jack, and WIFI 5.0 GHz.
Major Pros
- 32 MP POP-UP Selfie Camera
- 48 MP Rear Camera
- In-Display Fingerprint Scanner.
- Decent Performance
- Above Average Battery Life
Major Cons
- Lack of USB Type C Port.
- Lack of OIS.
- Lack of flagship processor SD 845.
Price and Availability
Aforementioned, it is available for Rs. 28,990 in India and you can buy it from Flipkart or Amazon. Flipkart is offering a 5% discount on the Axis Bank credit cards and Amazon is offering a 5% discount on HDFC cards. You can choose the seller based on the card you have.
The V15 Pro is slightly expensive at launch in comparison to the V11 Pro, was launched for Rs. 25,999.
The phone is available in Topaz Blue and Ruby Red Color. I think the Topaz Blue color of V15 Pro looks much better.
Other great choices in this price range are Poco F1, Asus Zenfone 5Z, OnePlus 6T and Honor View 20 that offers better value for money.
Vivo has released the Below Video, Starring Bollywood actor Amir Khan, showcasing the low light prowess of the 48 MP rear camera.
Should You Buy the Vivo V15 Pro?
The V15 Pro has a couple of disadvantages – lack of OIS, processor is no match for the Snapdragon 845 or Kirin 980. Also, there is a micro-USB port instead of the modern USB type C. Also, there is Funtouch OS 9.0, which is barely acceptable.
Otherwise, the V15 Pro looks good, performance is decent and has superfluous cameras for bragging rights. The pop-up camera is great and makes it more bezel-free and Super AMOLED panel is an added advantage.
Battery life is adequate and the same as the OnePlus 6T. It is a decent choice but you should get the OnePlus 6T or View 20 if budget allows. Else can also get the Zenfone 5Z for a better gaming experience.
For Selfies and popup cameras and more nifty features like in-display scanner can shop the V15 PRO. But don’t forget to get the discounts and even check in retail for better offers and EMI schemes from Bajaj and other companies.
Vivo V15 – What’s Different in Comparison to V15 PRO?
Vivo has also announced the watered-down version of the Vivo V15 Pro – the new Vivo V15. First of all it is yet to launch in India but has gone on sale in Malaysia and Thailand markets. We can expect Vivo to launch the V15 in coming days in India as well.
The Vivo V15 was launched for Rs. 23,990, Rs. 5000 cheaper than the V15 Pro. The design and looks are the same for both the devices. The biggest change is the processor, the V15 comes with the Helio P70 Octa-Core Processor Vs the Snapdragon 675.
You can expect around 30-40% performance dip on the V15 Vs the V15 PRO.
Further, the rear camera is downgraded from the 48 MP Sensor on the Pro to a 12-megapixel primary sensor with the f/1.78 lens. The V15 also comes with triple rear cameras with the second camera with 8 MP lens (f/2.2) and a 5 MP sensor with (F/2.4) lens.
Rest of the specs are same for both the devices and you can buy it in only one variant (128 GB storage and 6 GB Ram).
Oppo has also launched a similar phone with 48 MP rear camera – Oppo F11 Pro in India.
V9 India Launch (24MP Camera, SD626, 4 GB RAM)
Vivo V9 is launched officially in India on 23rd March 23, 2018. It comes with an iPhone X-style notch, vertically stacked dual rear camera setup, face unlock, and many more.
Having said that, without jumping into the topic right away, let’s start with a prelude of the company. Vivo is a Chinese electronics company who is trying to expand its base in the Indian smartphone market with artful marketing strategies.
As we all know, Vivo phones are mainly focused on the camera, especially selfie camera, and they even advertise with ‘Camera and Music’ caption.
Nonetheless, Vivo isn’t doing quite well nowadays; its smartphone market share has reduced from 10 percent(Q4 2016) to 6.5 percent(Q4 2017).
Enough of the history, let’s discuss the new Vivo Mobile, the Vivo V9 now! Ahead of its official launch, the device was leaked online revealing key specifications, design, and also the price which turns out to be true.
The Vivo V9 reminds us of the latest top-end iPhone, and the company even sprinkled some AI magic as an icing on the cake. Let’s cover everything about the phone in detail!
Design
The Vivo V9 looks like a Vivo ‘Original'(pun intended)! Ahem! Ahem! Why do these manufacturers try to mimic Apple? It’s indeed a shame as it’s a loss of innovation.
Aforesaid, the face of the V9 looks exactly like that of the iPhone X. In fact, the wallpaper on the V9 is similar to the iPhone X that cost more than 3X the Vivo mobile.
A notch on the forehead houses a camera sensor, and there is a minimal bezel on the bottom.
Moving to the back, the metal panel accommodates a fingerprint reader and also a vertically oriented dual-camera setup.
Display and Design
The Vivo V9 will feature a 6.3-inch Full HD+ IPS Incell display with a resolution of 1080×2160 pixels.
The display comes with 19:9 aspect Ratio similar to the Asus Zenfone 5.
Notably, the 19:9 aspect ratio prevents the notch to cut-out content with 18:9 aspect ratio. It is a beneficial feature as the notch doesn’t interfere with your viewing experience.
Another benefit of the Notch is, the bezels are a lot thinner on the V9 and it offers an incredible 90% screen to body ratio.
The phone weighs 150 gram and has a thickness of 7.99 mm, making it a sleek device as it comes with a large display.
Performance and Specs
Powering the phone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 Processor that comes with 8 Core architecture and has 2.0 GHz clock speed.
Additionally, there is 4GB RAM, 64GB onboard storage, and a 3,250mAh battery.
The dual-camera setup on the rear is expected to bury in a 16-megapixel (with f 2.0) & 5-megapixel (with f/2.4) sensors duo. Upfront, there is the famous 24-megapixel wide-angle camera that comes with an f/2.0 aperture.
Other features include Face Unlock (using Face Acess 2.0 technology) that allows you to unlock the phone using facial recognition.
Also, there are AR stickers and AI-backed face beautification to improve your selfies and even the video chats.
The camera offers portrait mode to click images with background blur.
OS, Connectivity, and Battery Life
Furthermore, the handset runs on the latest FunTouch OS 4.0 out-of-the-box, which is a heavily customized version of the Android Oreo 8.1. It comes with Dual Sim + micro-sd card arrangement and you can add a memory card up to 256 GB.
Standard connectivity options such 4G Volte, Bluetooth, and Wifi is present.
But if you were looking for the modern USB Type C port you will not find it on the V9. It comes with micro-USB port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and GPS.
The battery capacity seems decent as it offers a 3260 mAH capacity without fast charging support reports even the gadgets360. (Vivo’s official site doesn’t mention anything).
Price & Launch Offers
As far as the pricing is concerned, the Vivo V9 costs Rs.22,990. Moving forward, the device is available online as well as offline channels to penetrate deeply into the market. The mobile is available in Black, Gold and Blue Color Options.
You can pre-book the V9 on Amazon or Flipkart from 23 March, and offline availability is from 2nd April 2018. Also, it comes with only 4 GB ram / 64 GB storage version.
Notably, Amazon is offering a 5% discount if you buy it using Amazon Pay.
Initial Thoughts
As usual, Vivo is banking on a large 24 Megapixel camera for the success of Vivo V9. The price looks a bit higher but is not exorbitant. The design looks stunning if we forget the fact that it is a clone of the iPhone X.
The V9 is the successor to the V7 and V7 Plus that were launched in the Indian market a couple of months back and is not significantly different from these two phones.
As both these devices also came with the coveted “24 Megapixel Front Selfie Camera”.
What’s your Opinion About the V9 Please share with me in comments below? 🙂
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