Vivo V40 and V40 Pro smartphones review

Vivo V40 and V40 Pro Smartphone Review: The first phone in the Vivo V40 series, the Vivo V40 has already arrived in June 2024. Recently, the smartphone makers launched the Pro version of this phone with major upgrades in hardware and build quality. Apart from this, the rest of the aspects are pretty much the same. At first glance, the Vivo V40 and V40 Pro look like a pretty decent mid-range phone. Usually, Vivo V-series phones are known for their camera and unique designs.

However, the new Vivo V40 series has pushed the boundaries and introduced a good hardware configuration along with a long-lasting battery. In addition to this, the design and camera look have also evolved compared to the previous V30 lineup. It seems like the company has finally turned its attention to achieving better value for money. Moreover, both the V40 and V40 Pro look great, so let’s discuss them without further ado.

Vivo V40 and V40 Pro smartphones review

Highlights

1. The front display is a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a peak brightness of 4500 nits.
2. As for the software interface, Funtouch 14 based on Android 14 appears on both Vivo V40 and V40 Pro.
3. The Vivo V40 is powered by the standard Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset with Adreno 720 GPU.
4. The Vivo V40 offers a 50MP dual camera setup, while the Pro variants have a triple camera setup.
5. As for the battery configuration, both models get a 5500mAh battery with 80W wired charging support.

Design and exhibition

The Vivo V40 smartphone comes in three attractive colour varieties including Titanium Grey, Lotus Purple, Sunglow Peach, and Ganges Blue. All of them look pretty standard with a solid colour paint while the matte finish gives it a premium look. But, the Vivo V40 Pro goes a step further and adds a slight glossy finish texture on the glass back panel. With this, the Titanium Grey and Moonlight stand out from the rest of the options. However, the Ganges Blue is something that we liked in our first impression.

Apart from offering a wide range of colour options, the overall build quality isn’t bad either. You get an IP68/IP69 rating with glass protection for the display. Moreover, both models are thin and light despite offering more battery capacity. Still, it’s good to see that the company has introduced a new camera module in the V series. For your information, the Vivo V40 Pro equips a triple camera while the non-Pro model has a dual camera setup.

Both devices offer the same 6.78-inch AMOLED panel size with a display supporting FHD+ resolution. Typically, this AMOLED display can provide up to 4500 nits of peak brightness. As far as the viewing experience is concerned, the 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ unlocks seamless content consumption. On the other hand, the devices offer in-display biometric sensors with Face ID security benefits to enhance the privacy aspect.

Memory and internal

Under the hood, the Vivo V40 comes with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset that can provide decent performance. It can handle normal activity, support high-end mobile gaming, and provide decent processing speed. The octa-core processor can support a cloaking speed of up to 1×2.63GHz, which is considerably good for a mid-range smartphone. Moreover, the images and graphics are improved with the Adreno 720 GPU configuration.

As for the Pro variant, the device will be powered by the Mediatek Dimenisty 9200+ chipset. With this hardware, you can get flagship-level performance without any issues. In addition to this, it could be considered one of the best gaming phones. Unlike the previous phones, Vivo is not focusing on delivering top-notch performance within its V-series phone. Moreover, there are tons of interesting and cool gaming features available on the software interface.

As for the software skin, both models arrive with Android 14-based FuntouchOS 14 setup. It is usually up to the users whether they like the custom skin or not. However, you will notice a handful of bloatware and ad notifications, which can be disabled via the settings menu. The Vivo V40 brings UFS 2.2 storage with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB of space with 8GB to 12GB RAM support. Whereas, the Vivo V40 Pro smartphone equips 256GB to 512GB of UFS 3.1 space that accompanies 8GB to 12GB of RAM.

Camera

The Vivo V40 series phones arrive with the Zeiss optical solution that incorporates custom filters within the native camera app. Also, daylight photos look stunning with accurate colors and precise contrast control. At the same time, there is a wide range of features you can capture photos with. It includes Night Mode, Cinematic Video Mode, Portrait, AI Beauty, and others. You can also explore other features within the camera app.

Apart from this, the app even packs in the latest AI features including removing people from the background and other cool effects. All those things are just the tip of the iceberg as the camera setup on the Vivo V40 and V40 Pro will deliver immersive results regardless of the lighting conditions. Also, low-light photos don’t disappoint and deliver clear results. Finally, the Vivo V40 Pro houses a triple camera setup with a 50MP primary lens, a 50MP telephoto, and a 50MP ultra-wide lens with a 50MP selfie camera.

This setup is more than enough to deliver exceptional results. However, you won’t get a dedicated telephoto lens with the Vivo V40. The rest of the specs are pretty much identical, though. In terms of video recording, both versions can support up to 4K video at 30fps. Hopefully, both devices integrated optical image stabilization support so that the image quality doesn’t feel so disappointing.

Battery and others

As for the battery, both the Vivo V40 and V40 Pro feature a 5500mAh Li-ion battery setup. Unlike other brands, these devices have a lightweight body despite housing a massive battery. As far as battery usage is concerned, the standard version of the Vivo V40 can deliver up to four hours of screen-on time for regular activities. But for gaming, the Vivo V40 Pro pushes the limit and delivers a long-lasting battery.

With the Pro variant, you will get about an hour more screen time to play with. In terms of charging support, users will receive an 80W charger inside the box with an additional cover. At the same time, both models are equipped with the latest sensor. But, the NFC setup is commercial, so there is little chance of this feature appearing in the Southeast Asian smartphone market.

Anyway, the sound output of the Vivo V40 series is pretty good. With them, multimedia usage remains unaffected while the loud and crisp audio provides a decent experience. Talking about the price, the Vivo V40 will cost around $417 (Rs 34,999 in India) approximately, while the Pro variant will start at $595 (Rs 49,999 in India) approximately. Both models offer pretty solid specifications and pack substantial features.

Pros and cons of Vivo V40 Pro

Detailed specifications of Vivo V40 Pro

Below you can see the Vivo V40 Pro Smartphone Full Specifications.

Conclusion

The Vivo V40 and V40 Pro are a bit of an improvement over last year’s V30 series phones. Instead of relying on the camera and design, Vivo has come up with a complete package with both models. Apart from minor changes and in this regard, both phones can be a perfect choice in the mid-range premium phones. However, there are some downsides – Vivo often delays Android updates, users will notice bloatware apps and annoying notifications.

Apart from the software interface, both phones don’t seem that bad, especially the Vivo V40. If you want extra performance for gaming, then the V40 Pro would be a great choice. But for standard usage, the V40 might be an ideal choice. Still, we would suggest you compare both devices with alternatives like the Motorola Edge 50 Pro. However, we always want you to choose a phone based on your needs. So look into other options and make a wise decision.