It feels just like yesterday when we were reviewing the vivo V27. Now, we’re testing out its successor, the vivo V29 5G.
Like its predecessor, this model promises killer low-light photography performance with its updated Aura Portrait technology, camera features for aspiring content creators, flagship-level display, and fast charging. We tested all that and more in our vivo V29 5G review, to see if it’s actually worth getting.
vivo V29 5G Specs
- Android 13, FuntouchOS 13
- Dual SIM, Dual standby
- 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED display, 2800 x 1260 pixel resolution, 452ppi
- 120Hz refresh rate, 1,000Hz touch sampling rate
- HDR10+, DCI-P3
- 2160Hz PWM dimming, 1300 nits peak brightness
- 2.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G octa-core processor
- Adreno 642L GPU
- 12GB RAM
- 256GB/512GB UFS 2.2 internal storage, non-expandable
- 50-megapixel front camera, dual-LED flash
- 50-megapixel (f/1.9, PDAF, OIS) + 8-megapixel (ultra-wide) + 2-megapixel (depth sensor) rear cameras, LED flash
- Under-display fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
- Single loudspeaker
- No headphone jack
- HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
- Bluetooth 5.2
- GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS
- NFC
- USB Type-C
- Dimensions: 164.2 x 74.4 x 7.5mm
- Weight: 186g
- Colors: Starry Purple, Magic Maroon
- 4,600mAh non-removable battery, 80W fast charging
Design and Build Quality
The vivo V series has one of the sleekest designs in its segment. However, the company dropped the color-changing back on the vivo V29, which has been one of the signature features of the lineup. It’s no big deal, honestly. But it was really a good party trick when we had it.
Still, the color options available are nothing short of tantalizing. The Philippines are getting the Starry Purple and Magic Maroon colors, while others will also get the Black and Teal.
The Starry Purple, which is the unit that we have here, looks really clean yet mesmerizing. It has glitters underneath the surface that shine as it reflects light. There’s a delicate accent at the bottom, which looks like subtle waves hitting the shore. The contrasting Magic Maroon has a more plain look but is elegant nonetheless as it contrasts the other color option.
Like the V27, the vivo V29 5G feels incredibly thin. It’s only 7.5mm, which is thinner than most phones as they average at 8mm. Paired with the curved screen, curved glass-like back panel, and you have a device that feels really smooth and comfortable in the hands. It’s fairly light too, weighing at only 186g.
More than the looks, the vivo V29’s body feels like it will stand the test of time as it’s IP68 certified for dust and water resistance. In addition, it comes with a free clear case that protects every corner and the curved screen without adding too much bulk and weight.
On the front, we have a large 6.78-inch AMOLED display. It doesn’t have the thinnest bezels, but it’s still gorgeous to look at thanks to the curved sides and the clean punch-hole for the selfie camera. The fingerprint scanner is also on the screen for a more premium touch.
The left side is clean, while on the right, we have the volume controls and the lock/power switch. The buttons are plastic, but still provide a satisfying click when pressed.
At the top, we only have the secondary microphone for voice isolation. At the bottom, there’s the only loudspeaker, USB-C port, primary microphone, and the dual nano SIM card slots with no space for a microSD card.
Overall, there’s no denying that the vivo V29 5G is one of the lightest and posh smartphones in its class — all without sacrificing durability.
Display and Sound Quality
The vivo V29 5G has one of the sharpest and feature-packed displays in its class. What we’re looking at here is a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 2800 x 1260 pixel resolution resulting in a high 452ppi, 120Hz refresh rate, 1,000Hz touch sampling for responsive touches in games, HDR10+, DCI-P3, 2160Hz PWM dimming to keep your eyes safe, and 1,300 nits peak brightness.
It has three display modes: The default setting is called Standard, which should be fine for anything. But if color accuracy is top priority — say you edit or produce content — it’s better to switch to Pro.
There are also three screen refresh rate settings. You can set it to 60Hz or 120Hz or stay with the default Smart Switch setting to let the system decide which of the two is best to use based on the task on hand for better hardware efficiency.
The bottom line is, the display quality is great. It is large enough for multitasking, very sharp for reading even small texts, and vibrant and punchy colors for watching content.
It also has Widevine L1 DRM support, so you can watch in HD on platforms like Netflix. The HDR also works well.
While the visuals are great, the audio isn’t. The lack of stereo speakers, especially for the price, is really disappointing. What’s worse, the single speaker is just average. It could use more volume and better bass, but at least the treble is clean.
Hardware and Performance
vivo made an odd decision on the hardware for this one. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor, which is a downgrade to the Dimensity 7200 of its predecessor. vivo might have wanted to lure Qualcomm fans for the V29, but they could have picked from the brand’s newer Snapdragon 7 series chips.
vivo V29 5G Benchmark Scores
Moving on, the vivo V29 does come with a large 12GB of RAM as a standard with an option between 256GB or 512GB of fast storage. Unfortunately, no microSD card slot for storage expansion. The chipset has a clock speed of 2.8GHz with an Adreno 642L GPU.
The chipset might be aging, but it was still able to provide a smooth performance in basic tasks. The boot-up was fast, scrubbing through the interface is seamless, and handling day-to-day tasks was fine.
We tried running Call of Duty: Mobile under Very High graphics quality and Max frame rate and it ran smoothly. Titles like PUBG Mobile, Farlight 84, Mobile Legends, and also performed well under medium to high graphics. More intensive games like Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact are also playable, but there were some stutters every now and then, especially in busy areas.
Overheating and frame drops were also not a big issue after playing 30 minutes or more.
Software and User Interface
The new vivo V29 5G runs on the Android 13-based FunTouch 14. The company said that it plans to provide it with two OS upgrades and three years of security patches. Not the longest OS support there is, but we still appreciate the improvement compared to past releases.
FunTouch is still one of the most feature-packed interfaces around. It’s not the cleanest, but still straightforward enough. There’s an app drawer that lets you easily curate and look for apps, and even has a dedicated page for Widgets.
The Control Center has small icons, so you can see more toggles at once. Swipe left or right if you want to see more quick actions. The Settings Menu is also neatly organized.
There are also tons of customization features like screen savers, adjusting the fonts and texts sizes to what you’re comfortable with.
You can also play with the UI colors, themes, pick from pre-installed wallpapers, and choose your preferred Always-On Display wallpapers and what information you want it to show.
vivo also threw in NFC for easy file sharing and pairing with compatible accessories, file sharing with Nearby Share to other Android devices, and of course, Android Auto, which paired well with our car’s infotainment system with the included USB-C cable. No issues there.
We also appreciate how the battery settings show the estimated range of the battery and see what apps use the most power. There’s also a section in the settings that shows how much RAM you’re currently utilizing and a breakdown of your storage use with a simple visualization of how much is left.
The V29 5G has an in-display fingerprint scanner, which worked quickly and accurately during our tests. There’s also the face unlock, which opens the device faster as all you need to do is pick up your phone in a natural manner. Unfortunately, it struggles in low-light as it lacks a night-seeing IR sensor.
Jovi Home, vivo’s own personal assistant, is also here. You can learn how to use it if you want, but we doubt it’s any better than Google’s native feature.
Digital Wellbeing is also available if you want to check and regulate your smartphone usage.
As usual, the vivo V29 5G uses Google Keyboard by default. We had no issues with it as it is easy to type on, has access to gifs and emojis, and is heavily customizable. The camera app, one of the most used apps on this device, is also clean and straightforward. There’s no way you can get lost in it even if you’re a beginner.
Overall, FunTouch is an okay interface. It’s not the best, but we have no complaints with it and we’re excited to see what the next two big updates will bring to the vivo V29 5G.
Camera Quality
The vivo V series has always been about their cameras, and the V29 5G is no different. This one has a 50-megapixel main camera with OIS, while the front also has a sharp 50-megapixel sensor for selfies.
In addition, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide is on the back, but the 2-megapixel macro lens from the V27 5G was sadly replaced by a 2-megapixel monochrome/depth sensor. Aside from the usual flash, there’s the ring LED flash paired with vivo’s Aura Light 2.0 technology for better portraits in low light.
The said ring flash is different from the standard flash. The basic flash is meant to work when the standard flash mode is enabled as well as for the flash light feature.
Daylight shots are lively and vibrant, but not oversaturated. Paired with the deep contrast and high dynamic range, you’re getting powerful yet realistic shots that’s perfect for social media, no editing needed.
Thanks to the sharp 50-megapixel camera, we were able to do 2x zoom shots with great detail with the same impressive colors, even in low-light.
Indoor and low-light shots from the vivo V29 5G are also amazing. Shadows are brightened, highlights are toned down, and the colors are savory, even without the Night Mode enabled.
The depth sensor does a superb job of analyzing the scene and separating the subject from the foreground with precision. This works even in low light.
Of course, the main highlight of the vivo V29 5G is the ring flash and the Aura Light 2.0 software. You can enable it in the flash settings, where you can even adjust the hue depending on the scene. However, we didn’t find the need to adjust the color manually as the software did a great job of analyzing the shot and applying the appropriate color.
The difference between the regular flash is definitely noticeable. The subject looks well exposed with great balance. You can use the Portrait Mode for an even more professional look.
On the other hand, the 8-megapixel ultra-wide is not the sharpest we’ve seen. But of all ultra-wides we’ve seen with the same sensor, it produces some of the best photos. They have fine details and accurate colors, despite challenging light conditions.
Finally, we have the sharp 50-megapixel selfie camera. As expected, it takes photos with great detail, accurate skin tones, and good exposure.
vivo has been raving about the cameras of the vivo V29 5G’s camera, and based on our test results, they have the right to do so.
Battery and Charging
The vivo 29 5G has a 4,600mAh battery paired with 80W fast charging. It’s definitely smaller than the usual 5,000mAh capacity we see on other devices, but that’s forgivable considering how thin it is and, more importantly, the test scores we got.
On PCMark’s battery tests, it was able to last for 15 hours and 18 minutes before dropping to 20%. That’s a loop of different workloads with the brightness and volume at 50% and the Bluetooth and WiFi off.
This means that you’d still be charging the device every day if you’re a light to moderate user. What’s worth noting is, the device was able to achieve such battery life on a relatively thinner package.
But if you do run out of juice fast, the 80W FlashCharge does a speedy job at filling it up. For a 15-minute charge, we were able to go from 15% to 63%. Another 15 minutes and we’re already at 96%. All in all, a full charge from 0-100% only takes around 40 to 45 minutes.
Verdict
vivo made a few questionable decisions with the V29 5G. There’s the choice to go with an older and less powerful processor, replacing the macro lens with a depth sensor, and still not upgrading to stereo speakers.
It may not offer the best value for the price, but things like the Aura Light and the ultra-sleek design is something of a rare find in its segment. There’s also the fancy display, great camera sensors and lenses, good battery life and fast charging. While it doesn’t have the best CPU in its price range, it still provides reliable and enough performance for most people.
All of these makes the vivo V29 5G a great daily-driver for those who want a premium-looking device that can take killer shots even at night. But if processing power and gaming is your top priority, it’s better to look somewhere else.
vivo V29 5G price and availability in the Philippines
The new vivo V29 5G has a price of Php24,999 for the 12GB/256GB and Php26,999 for the 12GB/512GB. It’s available in vivo’s official web store, TikTok Shop, Lazada, Shopee, and on physical stores nationwide.
Pros
- Slim and eye-catching design with IP68 protection
- Impressive cameras across the board
- Aura Light 2.0 is effective
- Good battery life with fast charging
Cons
- Processor choice lags behind the competition
- No stereo speakers