vivo V23e 5G
RM1,599
Pros | Cons |
+ Lightweight | - Low refresh rate |
+ Vibrant AMOLED display | - Not splashproof |
+ Good selfie camera | |
Valentine's here so today we're reviewing a new device that's just released in celebration of this special day - the vivo V23e 5G Mirage Gold. We're putting it on a test to see if it's the best option for your other half, or yourself (if you're single xD)
Unboxing and Design
I've never said this before but the V23e comes in a really beautiful box (I'm not even exaggerating). When you purchase something, you would expect everything nice from the packaging to the quality of the item, and vivo really impressed me with this one. The box comes in dark blue with a glittery finish that resembles the galaxy. While I'm a huge minimalist, I love how vivo managed to keep the box clean and neat while looking premium.
Inside, you'll be greeted by the V23e followed by a TPU phone case, user manual, 3.5mm earphones, a 44W charging unit, a corresponding USB-A to USB-C cable, a SIM tray ejector, as well as a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter. (Very considerate of vivo!)
Moving onto the main character itself. The V23e that I received comes in Mirage Gold with a matte and glitter-ish finish on the back. It's been a while since I received one with a matte rear so that adds another bonus point to it as it doesn't attract fingerprints easily (at least they aren't visible) no matter how long you spend holding the phone. The camera island is aligned with the vivo logo on the left.
On the front display, you'll see a drop notch on the top housing the selfie camera. While the top and side bezels are fairly slim, I feel that it's a shame that the chin is thicker than the others. You'll also find everything crammed on the right and bottom. The volume rocker and the power button are located on the right. Meanwhile, we'll get the SIM card slot, USB-C charging port, and a mono speaker at the bottom.
Overall, I like its premium design especially because this one comes in golden color and it's really lightweight, weighing only 172g. If you're looking for more color options, vivo does offer two other color variants: Moonlight Shadow and Sunshine Coast. The rear cover of this model is also special as it tends to change from gold to bluish-green when you look it from certain angles.
One thing that always makes my heart skip a beat is the smoothness of the phone's back cover. It's so smooth to the extent that it can easily slip off your hands if you're not being careful so make sure you have a case protecting it and don't put it on slippery surfaces.
Display
The V23e uses an AMOLED display that measures 6.44-inch. The size is just right in my hands and of course, I have no comments about the AMOLED panel because content is always bright and colorful on-screen. I have no problem with the brightness as well both indoors and outdoors.
The screen also has a Full HD+ resolution so watching YouTube videos are pretty great on this device. Unfortunately, I'm disappointed that it only has a refresh rate of 60Hz. At this price range, you can find a more common 90Hz refresh rate on rival phones in the market. The standard refresh rate just pulls down the whole viewing experience as it's not as smooth.
Under the display, there's an integrated fingerprint scanner that works just fine for you to unlock the phone as one of the lock screen security options. While I appreciate its sensitivity, I thought it would've been better if the scanner is placed slightly higher up.
Camera
Coming to the camera department, this phone houses a triple rear camera module on the back, which consists of:
50MP F1.8 AF main camera
8MP F2.2 wide-angle camera
2MP F2.4 macro camera
The photos taken by the main sensor have nice colors and are not too saturated in default mode. Details and sharpness are also on the point under bright conditions without overexposure.
In low light conditions, the photos turn out pretty decent and the night mode helps add more details to the subject.
Selfies come out well during daytime or under bright conditions thanks to the 44MP F2.0 selfie camera with autofocus. Edge detection and background blur of the portraits are quite nice too.
As for videos, the V23e can only handle up to 1080f 60fps with average details and sharpness. You will also notice some noise when taking videos in daylight conditions.
Performance
This vivo V23e is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 810 processor that supports 5G connectivity. It is also coupled with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Its memory can be extended with virtual RAM taken from the internal storage of 4GB. Here's what the benchmark tests have to say:
In real-life situations, the device didn't disappoint when it comes to multitasking as I was able to run multiple apps at the same time and there wasn't any hiccup. If you're playing more resource-intensive games, you can enable the RAM extension feature but otherwise, I think the default 8GB is enough for your daily usage like social media.
For gaming, it can manage Call of Duty at up to medium graphics and high fps settings without any stutters. If you're forcing it on Genshin Impact, make sure you keep all the settings at the lowest level for a smooth experience.
The 4050mAh battery is a tad better on paper than the 4000mAh in the V21e. On average, it can last for over a day. It supports 44W FlashCharge that is said to be able to charge up from 1% - 40% in just 15 minutes. In our test, the charging unit can juice up the phone from 27% - 90% in 41 minutes.
Buy or no buy?
The vivo V23e is a relatively affordable option if you're looking to upgrade your current device to a 5G phone with all the features you need. It certainly can manage your daily tasks from messaging and calling to social media and mid-performance gaming.
Of course, compared to flagship devices, it still lacks features like water resistance and a high refresh rate display that can also be found on other mid-range devices.
If you're really planning to get the V23e, we'd recommend you to get this Mirage Gold version over the other color variants as it's a special color released in collaboration with L’Oréal Paris Malaysia to celebrate Valentine's Day. You can purchase the V23e 5G Mirage Gold that comes in a unique Valentine's Day gift box.
