Another mid-range phone from vivo, but can it really stand out in a market packed with options? After spending some time with the vivo V50, I’d say this phone is an interesting mix of premium design, solid battery life, and camera performance backed by ZEISS. It’s aimed at users who want a sleek phone with great battery life and decent photography portraits without paying flagship prices.
Design: Sleek, Slim, and Premium
The vivo V50 doesn’t just look premium—it feels premium. The quad-curved display together with the matte finish back gives it an elegant look, and the rounded edges combined with its lightweight 199g body make it comfortable to hold, though a bit slippery without a case.
The model in my hands is the Ancora Red variant, which is vivo Colour of the Year, and I have to say it gives off a very bold and stylish appeal. One noticeable design improvement is the Aura Ring Light, which now feels just right after its size was reduced on the V40 from the larger version on the V30, giving better lighting coverage for selfies without being overpowering.
The vivo V50 also comes with an IP68 and IP69 rating, providing strong water and dust resistance, so you don’t have to panic even you’re caught in the rain, accidentally spilled over some coffee, or even dropped into shallow water.
Display: Quad-Curved Display
The vivo V50 features a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2392 × 1080 pixels, which qualifies as Full HD+. The screen supports an adaptive refresh rate that can switch between 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz, depending on the content being displayed. The peak brightness reaches an impressive 4,500 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even under Malaysia’s bright sunlight.
With vivo emphasizing the quad-curved display, I was curious to see if it actually improves the viewing experience. The curved edges do make content feel a little more immersive. However the resolution is slightly lower than the V40 (2800 × 1260 pixels) but that said, the difference is actually barely noticeable. Colours are still vibrant, brightness is excellent for Malaysia’s harsh sunlight, and HDR10 support makes binge-watching sessions enjoyable.
Camera: ZEISS Magic, but Not Flawless
The vivo V50 is equipped with a dual-camera setup on the back, featuring a 50MP main camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and an f/1.8 aperture. It also includes a 50MP ultra-wide lens with an f/2.0 aperture. The front camera is also a 50MP shooter with an f/2.0 aperture, designed to capture high-quality selfies. However it stills lacks a telephoto lens, which limit the phone's potential.
The ZEISS partnership continues, and while the camera hardware isn’t revolutionary, the software processing does a good job. In daylight, the images are sharp, vibrant, and full of detail.
Portrait mode is a standout feature with ZEISS multi-focal effects, giving images a beautiful and natural-looking bokeh that enhances the subject effortlessly. The background blur is well-balanced, making portraits look professional and polished.
The camera is still performing quite well at various focal lengths even without the telephoto lens, though having one could bring more possibilities to portrait shooting styles.
Low-light performance is impressive under normal mode, while the Night mode effectively further brightening scenes while maintaining clarity and detail. Low-light portraits are also better than ever thanks to the upgraded AI Aura Light Portrait 2.0.
Left: Night Mode, Right: Auto
Left: Night Mode, Right: Auto
Left: Night Mode, Right: Auto
The selfie camera also delivers excellent results, producing well-lit and clear images with natural skin tones, making it perfect for both casual and professional photography.
Performance: Reliable Performance but Not for Hardcore Gamers
The vivo V50 is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, the same processor used in the last two predecessors, so overall performance we won’t see much improvement. It comes with 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage, ensuring smooth performance for daily activities such as scrolling through social media, watching videos, and multitasking.
For everyday use, the phone handles tasks effortlessly, delivering a fluid experience when browsing, streaming content, and switching between multiple apps. When testing out the phone for an hour of Honor of Kings session, the performance is quite within expectations, thanks to the game acceleration engine. Graphic settings combinations are being locked, so at Max FPS, HD graphics and Ultra resolution, the phone is able to deliver stable 120FPS throughout the session. So users looking to get the best graphics and FPS, this phone would not be the best choice but some casual gaming session during your photography breaks, this phone is more than capable.
Battery: More Than Sufficient
The vivo V50 comes with a massive 6,000mAh battery, which ensures extended usage throughout the day. It supports 90W FlashCharge, allowing for rapid recharging when needed. A heavy one-hour gaming session consumes 17% of the battery, so I’m pretty sure a mix usage of work, social media, photography and gaming could comfortably last you for a day.
Charging is equally impressive. Actual charging test from 0% has the phone hitting 22% in 10 minutes, 59% in just 30 minutes and was fully charged in about an hour. While there’s no wireless charging, the fast wired charging more than makes up for it.
Software: Mostly Good but Could Be Better
The vivo V50 runs on Android 15 with Funtouch OS 15 on top. Vivo promises three years of major Android updates and four years of security updates, ensuring long-term software support.
Funtouch OS 15 is polished and customisable, but it still has a fair bit of bloatware. Thankfully, most pre-installed apps can be uninstalled. The AI features are a mixed bag—Circle to Search is genuinely useful, and the AI Call Translator worked surprisingly well. AI Eraser works well for some simple post editing, however, struggled with more complex edits, so hopefully it could be improved given its positioned as a photography phone.
Pricing & Value: Worth It or Not?
Pros:
Gorgeous quad-curved design
IP69 rating (excellent water resistance)
Great battery life and fast charging
ZEISS camera tuning adds a unique touch
Cons:
Not ideal for serious gaming
Some AI features feel undercooked
Display resolution is slightly lower than previous model
At RM1,999, the vivo V50 is competing with quite a few of notable contenders. While the V50 excels in design, battery life, and camera software, it falls behind in raw performance compared to Snapdragon 8s Gen 3-powered rivals.
Final Verdict: Buy or Skip?
If you prioritize sleek design, long battery life, and a solid camera for your social media profile updates, this phone is a fantastic option. But if you need gaming performance, you might want to explore some alternatives that use a newer processor.
For anyone upgrading from an older vivo V20 or V30, the V50 offers a big jump. But if you’re on the V40, the improvements are minor, and you might be better off waiting for the next iteration. Still, for its price, the vivo V50 delivers a well-rounded experience that will appeal to many Malaysian users.
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