Two of the most popular names in the local smartphone scene just released their latest midrange offerings.
One of those brands is Vivo, who just brought the new Vivo V19 Neo in the country. Sitting in the sub-Php18,000 price range, it packs a couple of extra features for a complete midrange experience.
Samsung, on the other hand, also launched the Samsung Galaxy A51, the latest from the Korean tech giant’s most popular midrange line.

Just like the former, Samsung did not only cover the essentials on this phone, but also added a couple of novelty to make the price justified.
But which between these phones should you pay attention to? We find out in our Vivo V19 Neo versus Samsung Galaxy A51 specifications and features comparison.

Vivo V19 Neo | Samsung Galaxy A51 | |
Operating System | Android 10 FunTouch OS 10 | Android 10 One UI 2.0 |
SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby | Dual SIM Dual Standby |
Display | 6.44-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution ~408ppi 91.38% screen-to-body ratio | 6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution ~404ppi 91.38% screen-to-body ratio |
Processor | 2.0GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 octa-core | 2.3GHz Exynos 9611 octa-core |
RAM | 8GB | 6GB |
GPU | Adreno 616 | Mali-G72 MP3 |
Storage | 128GB expandable via microSD | 128GB expandable via microSD |
Front Camera | 32-megapixel (f/2.0) Punch-hole | 32-megapixel (f/2.2) Punch-hole |
Rear Camera | 48-megapixel (f/1.8) 8-megapixel (ultra-wide, f/2.2) 2-megapixel (depth sensor) 2-megapixel (macro, f/2.4) PDAF LED flash Night Mode Software Video Stabilization | 48-megapixel (f/2.0) 12-megapixel (ultra-wide, f/2.2) 5-megapixel (macro, f/2.4) 5-megapixel (depth sensor) PDAF LED flash Night Mode Software Video Stabilization |
Audio | Single loudspeaker Headphone jack | Single loudspeaker Headphone jack |
Security | In-display fingerprint scanner Face unlock | In-display fingerprint scanner Face unlock Samsung Knox |
Connectivity | HSPA+, 4G LTE WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 FM Radio GPS, BDS, Galileo, GLONASS USB Type-C | HSPA+, 4G LTE WiFi 803.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.0 FM Radio NFC GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo USB Type-C |
Others | n/a | n/a |
Dimensions | 159.01 x 74.17 x 8.5mm | 158.5 x 73.6 x 7.9mm |
Weight | 186.5g | 172g |
Body | Front: Gorilla Glass (unspecified version) Back: Plastic | Frong: Gorilla Glass 3 Back: Plastic |
Colors | Gleam Black Sleek Silver | Prism Crush Black Prism Crush White Prism Crush Pink Prism Crush Blue |
Battery | 4,500mAh battery 18W Flash Charge | 4,000mAh 15W fast charging |
Price | Php17,999 | Php17,990 |
Design
As we always say, designs are always subjective and differ from people to people. However, you ought to know that both devices have plastic backs that made looks like glass.

While on the front, both devices are protected with Corning Gorilla Glass, but Vivo didn’t care to mention what version they used. For a cleaner look, the Vivo V19 Neo has a punch hole on the top right, while the Samsung put it in its usual location — on the middle top of the Galaxy A51.
Personally, we like having the camera on the far corner as it’s less distracting, like what the V19 Neo has. But as for the design on the back, we liked the inconspicuous geometric shapes of the Galaxy A51. It’s also noticeably thinner, narrower, and lighter than the V19 Neo.

We also like the variety of color options that Samsung gave us as the Galaxy A51 is available in Prism Crush Pink and Blue, and your usual Black and White. Although, it seems that not all colors will be made available locally.
On the other hand, the Vivo V19 Neo is only available in contrasting Gleam Black and Sleek Silver options.
Display and Multimedia
Both smartphones use similar Super AMOLED screens, which is made by Samsung. They are also similar in size at about 6.5-inches with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. That should give you enough room for watching movies, multitaksing, reading small text, and more.

However, it’s a downer that neither these OLED screens have HDR support. A stereo speaker setup would have been nice, too, but we’re just glad that Samsung and Vivo kept the headphone jack, unlike what they did in their flagship devices.
Performance
A couple of benchmarks and performance reviews favors the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor of the V19 Neo over the Exynos 9611 chipset of the Samsung Galaxy A51.

The processors’ performance scores are actually neck and neck, but the Snapdragon 675 ended up winning by a margin. Plus, with its bigger 8GB of RAM, it could also beat the Galaxy A51’s multitasking capabilities.

However, Vivo used its clunky and overloaded FunTouch OS on the V19 Neo, while the Galaxy A51 has a lighter and more streamline Samsung One UI that may help speed things up.
Cameras
Sitting on the same price range, both devices had some of the best cameras they can have for the price. They both have 48-megapixel main and 32-megapixel selfie cameras.

However, it’s a bit disappointing that the main shooter on the Galaxy A51 only had an f/2.0 aperture, thus, limiting the cameras ability to take brighter and overall better photos, when compared to the f/1.8 of the V19 Neo.
But, Samsung makes up for it by having a sharper ultra-wide, macro, and depth sensor cameras. Personally, we’d still go with Samsung on this round.
Related
Battery
The numbers on our specs comparison table above states the obvious: the Vivo V19 Neo wins this round.

As you saw, it has a 4,500mAh battery that should last a few hours longer than the 4,000mAh of the Galaxy A51. The 18W fast charger should also fill it up faster than the 15W on the competition.
Extras
Since they have OLED screens, both devices were able to have in-display fingerprint scanners. But if your fingers are too sweaty or greasy, there’s the face unlock that uses the selfie camera to recognize your face.

However, Samsung is taking security a step further with its Samsung Knox feature. It’s built on the phone’s hardware and software to offer multi-layer security.
Another missing feature on the V19 Neo that the Galaxy A51 has is NFC. Not a lot of people might use it, but for those who have NFC-enabled accessories, it will help you pair your device by simply tapping them with each other. It’s also used for cashless payments with select banking apps and physical stores.
Conclusion
Since they’re basically the same price, you can’t go wrong with these two.
Obviously, if specs — and specs alone — is what you’re after, the Vivo V19 Neo offers a slightly more powerful processor, bigger RAM, larger battery, and better primary camera. You can check out our full review for more details.

However, the Samsung Galaxy A51’s slimmer body and cleaner interface makes it a more appealing device to use as a daily driver.