Vivo V19 Neo review

This review also appears on the tech and video game site Solid State Now.

Vivo’s latest midrange release, the V19 Neo, doesn’t exactly break any new ground in the sub-P20,000 price segment, but it packs a number of cool features that make it worth considering. 

What I really like about it is that it keeps the stellar Super AMOLED panel from previous V series devices, giving you that flagship-quality display with decent color contrast and black levels. It’s quite immersive too, with the screen itself measuring 6.44 inches and only a tiny punch-hole notch breaking up the all-screen experience. 

I’m personally not a fan of notches and prefer pop-up mechanisms that hide the selfie camera from view – a setup Vivo used for previous releases – but it’s discreet enough here for it to be barely noticeable. So it didn’t take long for me to completely forget about it when I was watching videos and playing games in full screen.

The phone also has an in-display fingerprint scanner that works like a charm. It’s quick, snappy, and responsive. Other brands have been including the feature in their midrange lineups as well, albeit with varying levels of success. 

Another thing I like about the V19 Neo is that it has great battery life, making it a suitable daily driver if you’re the type to mix work and play. 

In the two weeks or so that I’ve been using it, I was always able to fit a couple hours of gaming between the usual tasks of browsing the web, checking social media, calling, texting, and sending emails, without needing to immediately charge. 

Your usage will, of course, vary from mine, but from my own estimates, a full charge of the phone’s 4,500mAh battery will give you more than enough juice to last an entire work day.

When it comes to the other departments, the V19 Neo sort of becomes another by the numbers midrange release. There’s just not a lot in it that hasn’t been done before by its competitors and predecessors. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just worth noting that it’s a release that doesn’t take any big risks and can, at times, feel dated. 

The design, for instance, feels all too familiar: curved edges, moderately-sized bezels, and a pseudo-glass back with a dual-tone gradient finish. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an attractive phone, but it’s going to be hard for it to stand out against its similarly-priced competitors when it comes to its appearance. 

I do, however, appreciate that it still has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which expectedly works perfectly with the pair of earphones included in the package.

Performance-wise, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 along with the 8GB of RAM gets the job done for most tasks, including browsing, gaming, and a bit of multitasking. Just don’t expect it to hit those high frame rate numbers in more graphically-intensive games. For the most part, I didn’t have any troubles running games such as Call of Duty: Mobile and Marvel Super War in medium to max settings. But your mileage can vary depending on what games you play.

Meanwhile, the phone’s quad rear camera setup packs all the neat tricks you expect from a midrange phone. The 48MP primary sensor, specifically, captures high-resolution images with excellent quality and sharp details. My only complaint is that colors can sometimes appear too saturated and vibrant for my own personal taste. 

Check out some of the samples I took:

The phone also has a capable night mode for shooting in low-light situations. It’s probably not the best out there, but, as with all its cameras, it more than suffices for your social media posts. 

The V19 Neo faces tough competition in its price segment, but if there’s one thing that I think it has going for it and arguably does better than the rest: it’s the Super AMOLED screen. It touts some pretty accurate colors and incredible image quality that can surely boost your viewing experience on your phone. If you care more about the display over powerful specs or the newest features, then this is a good option. – Rappler.com