Vivo V29 Review: A well-balanced premium midrange phone

October 17, 2023

The Vivo V29 is the latest premium mid-range phone from the company which is kinda similar to the Vivo V27 (review), which was launched just about 5 – 6 months ago. The price for the Vivo V29 starts at around NPR 60,000 for the 12/256GB variant here in Nepal, making it compete with phones like the Honor 90 (review), Samsung Galaxy A54 (review), and Nothing phone 1 (review). And in this Vivo V29 review, I’ll be exploring whether this phone is worth its price or not among other things.

But before we begin, let’s take a quick look at its specs.

Vivo V29 Review: Specifications

Body: 74.37 x 164.18 x 7.46mm, 186gm, Plastic frames, IP54 dust/splash resistant
Display: 6.78-inches AMOLED panel, 120Hz refresh rate, 10-bit colors
Other Properties: 1,300 nits peak brightness (BOE Q9 luminescent material), HDR10+ certified, 2,160Hz PWM dimming
Resolution: 1.5K (2800 x 1260 pixels), 453 PPI, 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G (6nm mobile platform)
CPU: Octa-core:

– 1x Cortex-A78 (2.4 GHz)

– 3x Cortex-A78 (2.20 GHz)

– 4x Cortex-A55 (1.90 GHz)
GPU: Adreno 642L
Memory: 8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
Software & UI: Android 13 with Vivo’s Funtouch SO 13 on top
Rear Camera: Triple (with “Aura Light” LED flash);
– Wide: 50MP f/1.88 sensor, 1/1.57-inch, OIS
– Ultrawide: 8MP f/2.2 sensor, 120° FoV
– Depth: 2MP f/2.4 sensor
Front Camera: 50MP f/2.0 sensor, Eye Autofocus (Eye AF)
Audio: Mono speaker, Built-in microphones, No 3.5mm jack
Security: In-display fingerprint sensor (optical)
Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient Light, E-compass, Gyroscope, Proximity
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 5 (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.2, GPS / AGPS / Galileo / Glonass / QZSS / BeiDou / GNSS / NavIC, USB-C port, NFC, 4G LTE (VoLTE), 5G
Battery: 4600mAh with 80W fast charging (80W power adapter provided)
Color Options: Noble Back, Peak Blue, Majestic Red
What’s Inside The Box: Vivo V29, USB-A to USB-C cable, 80W power adapter, Protective case, SIM ejector tool, User manual and other documents
Price in Nepal: NPR 59,999 (12/256GB)
Buy Vivo V29 here

Vivo V29 Review:

Design and Build

74.37 x 164.18 x 7.46mm, 186 grams
Glass front/back, Plastic frames
IP54 dust and splash resistance

As usual, the biggest attraction of Vivo’s V series of smartphones is the design. And the Vivo V29 is no exception. It boasts a slim build quality with curved edges that provide an amazing hands-on feel. The rear camera module is eye-catching, and the “Majestic Red” finish adds a bold touch.

Interestingly, its back color changes from bronze to purple when exposed to direct sunlight. But sadly, this color variant is not available in Nepal. You’ll have to go with Peak Blue or Noble Black shades.

However, it’s worth noting that the Vivo V29 only has IP54 dust and splash protection, while the global variant of the phone comes with an IP68 rating. It would have been better if its Nepali variant also had a proper IP68 rating.

Display

6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel
120/240Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
No Gorilla Glass protection

Moving on to the display, there haven’t been significant compromises here. The Vivo V29 features a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 1.5K resolution, which is an upgrade from the Vivo V27 which had a 1080p display. The color reproduction and brightness levels of the display are impressive. However, I did notice a slight issue with the white balance, so I hope a software update can address this.

The auto refresh rate optimization is not particularly well-implemented in the Vivo V29 either. Under this, the display limits itself to 60Hz and 90Hz only. Whereas running the phone at a constant 120Hz mode all the time results in some battery drain.

As for content consumption, the Vivo V29 offers Widevine L1 and HDR10+ certification, but I don’t like how it only has a single down-firing speaker with mediocre audio quality.

Performance

Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC (6nm)
8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
Android 13 with Vivo’s Funtouch OS 13 on top
2 years of OS, 3 years of security updates

Now, let’s talk about performance. Interestingly, the Vivo V29 is equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G processor, which is a slight downgrade compared to Vivo V27’s Dimensity 7200. Then again, the 778G is a competitive performer compared to phones like the Honor 90, Nothing Phone (1), and the Galaxy A54.

Given the price range, I feel like Vivo could have offered a more powerful chip, but the Snapdragon 778G is reliable and doesn’t suffer from significant performance issues. It outperforms the Galaxy A54 in terms of gaming, with higher frame rates and better temperature management. But if you’re primarily looking for a gaming phone, the Vivo V29 might not be the best choice.

In terms of software, the Vivo V29 runs Funtouch OS 13 based on Android 13. And Vivo promises two major OS upgrades and three years of software updates here. This is a good commitment from Vivo but still doesn’t hold a candle to what Samsung promises for the Galaxy A54. As for the software experience, Funtouch OS 13 is fairly reliable and pretty customizable too.

Cameras

Triple camera setup at the back
(50MP primary, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP depth)
50MP selfie camera (hole-punch)

Vivo’s V series phones are known for their good cameras. And the Vivo V29 proudly continues this tradition.

Daytime Images

When compared to the Samsung Galaxy A54, the Vivo V29’s 50MP main camera captures images that are slightly more saturated and contrast-rich in daytime shots.

Daytime Images

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If you prefer vibrant and contrasty photos, you’ll appreciate this camera. Vivo also offers a “Natural Mode” option for those who prefer closer-to-natural colors.

Ultrawide Images

However, I noticed that V29’s images turn out oversharpened sometimes. Especially those taken with the ultrawide camera.

Ultrawide

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In this regard, the Galaxy A54’s ultrawide images appear slightly faded. Still, color tone is a matter of personal preference, and both phones produce good results.

Portrait Images

In portrait mode, the Vivo V29 continues on with its vibrant photos that have pretty good edge detection too. There’s some smoothening going on from both phones, but the Galaxy A54 sometimes struggles with exposure control.

Portraits

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How’s the “Aura Light”?

Vivo V29 features an updated “Aura Light,” which is a circular ring light next to a separate LED flash for low-light portrait shots. Vivo V27 had it too, but it wasn’t particularly useful. But since Vivo has provided options to adjust color temperature and brightness this time, it’s quite useful for capturing portraits with different moods.

Aura Portraits

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Lowlight Images

In low-light conditions, the Vivo V29 manages pleasant-looking shots, with better noise processing compared to the Galaxy A54, resulting in better overall detail most of the time.

Lowlight

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Selfie Images

Its 50MP selfie camera also captures high-quality selfies. The sharpness is on point but compared to the A54, the subject’s skin tone can look slightly pinkish.

Selfies

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Videography

But when it comes to videos, the Galaxy A54 gives better results at both 1080p and 4K resolutions. Vivo V29’s footage can appear relatively jittery, even with optical image stabilization (OIS). Additionally, the V29’s selfie videos have a wider field of view but the Galaxy A54 excels in skin tone, stabilization, and exposure control.

In summary, the Vivo V29 offers a decent camera experience, but there’s room for improvement, especially in video recording.

Battery

4600mAh battery with 80W fast charging

Moving on, the Vivo V29 is equipped with a 4600mAh battery, which easily lasts a day with moderate usage.

However, heavy gaming, photo/video capture, and data usage may require charging at some point. The included 80W charger can take the phone from 0% to 100% in less than an hour, so there’s no need to worry about battery life.

Vivo V29 Review: Conclusion

Overall, the Vivo V29 is a well-balanced premium midrange phone. It’s a reliable choice for those seeking an attractive design and good cameras. Plus it’s worth noting that Vivo hasn’t overpriced the V29 in Nepal, as its prices here are similar to those in India.

However, if a clean user software experience is more important to you, then Samsung Galaxy A54, Nothing Phone (1), and Honor 90 might be better choices.