Hands-on with Vivo V9 – First Impressions and Quick Overview

Vivo has just launched its full-view display smartphone Vivo V9 with a dual-camera on the back. It’s not like the APEX we have seen earlier with no interruption on the screen. The V9 has a notch on top of the display but not that big.

With the price tag of PKR 38,000/- or (~USD 330), the Vivo V9 lies among the upper mid-range or the lower high-end smartphones range. The company launched the phone recently in Lahore where we could witness the phone and could do some trial with it. With no questions asked, the Vivo V9 impressed right with the first looks.

A little ins and outs are that the phone is running Android 8.1 Oreo software right out-of-the-box. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s mid-range chip Snapdragon 625 processor along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

Vivo V9 has boasting 18.9:9 aspect ratio with FHD+ resolution of 2280×1080 on a 6.3-inch large screen. The pixel density of ~400ppi looks impressive on display that is 90% of the front body. As said, it’s not APEX like fully bezel-less display, however the top-notch on Vivo V9 is smaller than what we have seen on iPhone X.

The full HD+ resolution is quite sharp but the phone has an LCD display which is said to give better performance with its battery. Snapdragon 625 is also helping in that regard for sure.

The top notch, which has much to hype about, on Vivo V9 it’s handled very well. We are not yet sure, if the Vivo V9 has something like Huawei’s latest P20 Pro that lets you hide the top notch by disguising it in darker/black status bar completely. However V9 indeed does the job at different occasions when needed. For example, there are scenarios when some apps bring up their own themed status bar – when it’s black, the notch goes invisible.

That notch hosts a tiny ear piece and a large front-facing camera that has a 24MP sensor inside with an f/2.0 aperture lens. The front camera comes with the features like AI Beauty, AR Sticker, AI Selfie Lighting which include natural lighting, studio lighting, and monochrome background.

If I didn’t mention above, the build quality of this phone is quite impressive. Even though it’s plastic but made really well that it can make you struggle identifying the material. Specially the glossy black finish, it’s mind blowing.

The phone mostly goes same on its curved sides. The top and bottom shiny shoulders are pretty much same as we have seen in Vivo V7. The dual-camera on the back is stacked vertically within a stretched sphere. Below the camera module, there is an LED flash and then down there is the fingerprint scanner.

Fingerprint scanner is quite good in performance, just like company’s previous iterations. Further down, you can see the branding Vivo. If you can’t see the bottom part very clearly, it writes “Designed by Vivo”.

The top of the phone doesn’t hosts anything, but the right side goes with standard volume rocker and a power button. The SIM card and micro SD card slots on the left while a 3.5mm audio jack is also present on the bottom along with a loud speaker and micro USB port. Yes, the phone doesn’t have premium USB Type-C port – no wonder it’s eventually a mid-range smartphone.

Coming over at the software side, Vivo V9 gives you a punch of Android 8.1 Oreo software out-of-the-box. That indeed is an impressive thing to attract a consumer – the latest and up to date software is always welcomed. Yet unknown, how frequent the Vivo V9 is going to have software updates, it comes with Vivo’s proprietary Funtouch OS 4.0.

If you are not familiar with it, it’s way far from the stock Android UI and gives a full fledged customized experience. Most of you would identify it as an iOS like interface, but it comes with some good additions.

Final but pre-finalized thought

Technically with respect to the specifications and hardware inside, the Vivo V9 does not take things on par with any other smartphone in its price range. However, what could make you attract in Vivo V9, is its looks. Definitely, it’s a beautifully crafted device – with that large and sharp display which is not so common among this segment of the smartphones. Specially that so-called notch, which can call more of you out there.

First impressions, as said above, are really good with the Vivo V9, and it is a big deal when you fall for a phone in very first glance. If you are looking for a phone with an appealing large display, wondering to find a phone that suits your photography needs in this specific price range. You can easily go for this new Vivo V9. Let alone the selfie features, it brings a lot more than what we have seen in Vivo V7 previously.

You really would want to watch out for a full review of Vivo V9 in every aspect. Hold tight, it’s coming soon.