I have been using the vivo V27 for over a month, and I have come to love the device for what it brings to the table, although I have a few reservations that I will want to point out. The reservations are important because you, a reader, may want an objective assessment of a given hardware device, especially on features that need to be improved. Before we investigate the device, you may want to check its specs here. Note, this is a 256 GB model with 8 GB of RAM. It also rocks the MTK 7200 chip that is based on a 4nm manufacturing process. Theoretically, this should be an efficient and performant chip, but real-world usage says otherwise, although I think these are issues that vivo can address with multiple software updates.
And now that we have introduced the performance element, let’s start talking about it…
Performance
The MTK 7200 chip is not found in many devices. Perhaps, the V27 is the only device that is available locally with that chipset. I had high expectations about the performance of the device until I started using it actively for weeks and realized that I was actually wrong. Don’t misread my intentions – the V27 is a fast device for ordinary users, and many wouldn’t notice its limitations or will accommodate them in the long run.
First and foremost, the chipset doesn’t seem to keep up with 120 Hz. This makes the display appear slower than other panels that rock the same refresh rate. I am not sure whether this is a panel deficit or a chipset limitation. My bet is on both, as the screen should actually feel more fluid, smoother, and better at 120 Hz than it currently is. This is not a criticism per se, but an observation.
Secondly, the V27 performs dismally in some instances. Say you are opening the camera from the lock screen: the device will freeze for a couple of minutes before firing up the camera. It gets worse if the camera in use is the front one. Try switching back to the rear camera and the device will just lag for seconds before responding. This shouldn’t be the case for a device with an excellent chip.
I have also noticed that the device just doesn’t play well with YouTube Premium. If you want to minimize the YouTube window and open another app, the device will literally struggle to open the next app. It is an issue I have been able to replicate many times, and I don’t know why this happens here, and I hope vivo will be able to address this in future updates.
Multitasking shouldn’t be a concern here, to be honest, as the device packs a lot of RAM (8+8GB, the latter being virtual). I really hope these concerns are just limited to me, and other vivo V27 devices are running just fine.
Software
vivo devices run Funtouch OS, and this version here is the most refined I have seen yet. It apes stock Android, looks clean, functional, and with additional features that are really handy. What’s more, it employs Material You and its wallpaper theme functionality just fine, which make a consistent user experience for supported apps.
Other devices from BBK Electronics (the mother company of vivo), such as OPPO and realme use different skins to present a unique user experience to customers. However, I find vivo’s approach the cleanest and gainfully useful to my use case. And I appreciate that a lot, which is saying a lot.
Cameras
Regarding camera performance, the vivo V27 ticks the right boxes and shines through and through. Its primary sensor at 50 MP is optically stabilized, and there are other lenses for versatility too. There is no way you are getting a bad picture from this device even on low light. I have snapped a lot of images in different lighting scenarios, and they all came out looking good and social media ready. The selfie camera is equally capable and does its job well.
At this point, I can comfortably say that the V27 outshines its rivals in the camera section, and I look forward to vivo maintaining this trend in its future releases.
Battery
The 4700mAh cell packed in the V27 is more than enough for a day of use. The device also ships with a 66W charger (well, you know which competitor doesn’t ship with a charger in this price segment?), which tops up the device fairly fast. I used my 65W laptop charger to fill it up and got a full tank in under one hour.
Display and other hardware features
The vivo V27 packs a 6.7” AMOLED screen that looks great and is plenty bright to use outside. I have spoken about its 120Hz performance, which I found lacking, but can be improved with software.
The display is also curved, a rare feature in modern smartphones nowadays. Samsung used to be one phone maker that could ship its S line of phones with curved screens. They made the phones look slimmer and svelte, but the curved screen affected the user experience with accidental touches or challenges when using keyboards or apps that have their UI elements tucked on the inner side of a curved screen. Eventually, Samsung stopped using the panels, instead opting for flat screens, although some of its modern phones still have curved screens, with substantially reduced curvatures. Nonetheless, the curved display here makes the V27 a joy to look at, and I understand why many people love the device so much.
I also wanted to mention that the V27 does not have ingress protection so don’t use it while it is raining.
It has a speedy fingerprint scanner, a shimmering backplate, and well-positioned buttons.
And for an upper mid-range smartphone, dual speakers should be standard. However, the V27 does not have stereo speakers, which is unfortunate. I can forgive the absence of IP rating, but dual speakers? No.
The overall design is a phone that sits well in the hand, although you might want to use it with a case if you want to keep it pristine for an extended period.
Conclusion
Part of this short assessment might appear that I am throwing jabs at the V27. That is not true, because I really love the device, and where credit is due, I am never hesitant to grant it. I really hope the screen could be faster, and the overall performance could be smoother. Can software fix this? Probably. However, if the issues I have mentioned do not concern you at all, then go ahead and purchase the vivo V27, and enjoy the excellent cameras while at it.
Cheers!
