Vivo V25 Pro First Impressions: Loses an eye for the greater good

The Vivo V25 Pro comes with minor upgrades over the V23 Pro at a reasonable price of Rs. 35,999. Know what it has to offer.

The Vivo V25 Pro launched in India at a starting price of Rs. 35,999.  (Divya / HT Tech)

The Vivo V25 Pro comes with the same old recipe that it served earlier with its V-series phones, especially its predecessor V23 Pro. That colour-changing back panel, feature-rich cameras, social media-ready selfie portrait, curved display, powerful performance - almost everything can be seen transported to the new V25 Pro. But there are some minor upgrades. The new Vivo V25 Pro packs a better chipset, a large battery life, faster-charging technology, and a smooth display at the starting price of Rs. 35,999. We have spent a few days with the Vivo V25 Pro, and here is what we learned about it. Full review coming out soon, stay tuned.

Vivo V25 Pro Design and Display

The colour-changing gimmick stays on the back of the Vivo V25 Pro, but in a different shade. With its Fluorite material, V25 Pro changes its Sailing Blue colour into a darker tone under the sunlight. Plus, the Glass finish at the back gives it a premium look. Fingerprints and smudges? Nah, you won't find them here. However, the large camera module featuring a triple camera sensor may get some stains of fingerprints and dust. Those curves on the sides just add a hint of style. Overall, the V25 Pro looks desirable and thanks to not following the "iPhone design", it is comfortable to hold as well.

Not sure which
mobile to buy?

The Vivo V25 Pro comes in two colour shades - Sailing Blue and Pure Black.  (Divya / HT Tech)

The Vivo V25 Pro comes in two colour shades - Sailing Blue and Pure Black.  (Divya / HT Tech)

The display with curved edges and thin bezels makes binge-watching more enjoyable. It features a 6.56-inch AMOLED display that offers a rich viewing experience -- rich in colours, contrast and brightness. And the refresh rate of 120Hz keeps the transitions and animations smooth. There is also an in-display fingerprint sensor which is quick to unlock the phone.

Vivo V25 Pro specs and features

Beneath the stylish design and well-built body, the Vivo V25 Pro gets an upgrade with Mediatek Dimensity 1300 chipset. It runs effortlessly without any lags for multi-tasking as well as basic gaming. How does it perform with heavy tasks such as high-end games and video editing? You will have to wait for the full review. So far, V25 Pro has been a decent performer with daily tasks such as social media browsing, taking calls, and some spontaneous photo sessions. With all such activities, the V25 Pro manages to make it to the end of the day so far -- thank you 4830mAh battery. If you were wondering, there's support for 66W FlashCharge. On the software front, it runs Funtouch OS 12 based on Android 12.

Vivo V25 Pro  (Divya / HT Tech)

Vivo V25 Pro  (Divya / HT Tech)

Surprisingly, the cost-cutting effect has been seen mainly in its key highlights - cameras! Unlike Vivo V23 Pro, the latest edition dumps the idea of dual selfie cameras and boasts a single 32MP lens with an Eye auto-focus feature at the front. Moreover, at the back, it brings a triple camera setup led by a 64MP OIS camera along with an 8MP wide-angle and 2MP macro lens. It is kind of disappointing to see Vivo drop its characteristic dual selfie camera system, which has been around for years! With limited usage, the cameras look promising with bright, detailed and rich coloured images.

Vivo V25 Pro First Impressions

Vivo V25 Pro (Divya / HT Tech)

Vivo V25 Pro (Divya / HT Tech)

The Vivo V25 Pro definitely gets subtle improvements over its predecessor in terms of performance, battery life, faster charging, and a higher refresh rate display -- all that looks great on paper, especially with a price drop of Rs. 3,000 when compared to its predecessor. I am glad Vivo decided to keep that curved display and the "chameleon back" from the older model but equally disappointed to see the characteristic dual selfie camera go away. It feels like a powerful phone that can take care of almost every task with ease. But the competition is getting tough these days; Oppo's Reno 8 with the same Dimensity 1300 chipset is also a fashion statement, while the Nothing Phone (1) goes bold with its design and the user experience. Does Vivo V25 Pro stand out in front of such strong competition? We will explore more in the full review soon.