vivo V29 review

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Introduction

vivo is continuing to churn out V-series updates twice a year and the latest entry in the lineup is the V29 - a competent midranger for the global market. It doubles down on the previous model's 'Aura light' concept with a dedicated color-changing illuminator on the back, brings an extra high-res display and introduces dust and water resistance for the first time on a non-flagship in the vivo roster.

The new Aura light implementation includes a separate dedicated set of LEDs that can automatically adjust their temperature depending on ambient light, and you can also tweak it manually if you so choose.

Next on the list of major upgrades is the display, which remains unchanged in size, at 6.78 inches in diagonal. It is, however, an unusually high-res panel - the 1260x2800px resolution makes for a 453ppi density, so you can count on some extra sharpness.

And finally, something you won't really be seeing, but you'll probably really appreciate at least that one time - the V29 comes with an IP68 rating. It's an increasingly more common feature, even in mid-tier devices, and it's nice to see vivo making the extra effort.

The new model comes with a different chipset - the Dimensity 7200 makes way for the Snapdragon 778G. As we'll see later on, it's a bit of a side step in terms of performance, but the 778G remains a solid choice.

vivo was dead set on maintaining a slim waistline for the V29, and thickness is a nicely svelte 7.5mm. That's meant keeping the battery capacity at 4,600mAh, though if the V27 is any indication, that should be plenty. Charging is now rated at 80W instead of the V27's 66W spec, but those are fairly meaningless numbers, so we'll be keeping an eye out for charging speed. Another change of similarly minimal importance is the removal of the 'macro' camera - the 2MP shooter won't be missed.

vivo V29 specs at a glance:

• Body: 164.2x74.4x7.5mm, 186g; Glass front, glass back; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.78" AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1260x2800px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 453ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM7325 Snapdragon 778G 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3x2.2 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55); Adreno 642L.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 2.2.
• OS/Software: Android 13, Funtouch 13.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 1/4", 1.12µm; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 50 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), AF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 4600mAh; 80W wired, 1-50% in 17 min (advertised).
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.2, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive; NFC.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical).

vivo V29 unboxing

The vivo V29 arrives in a full-size gray box that highlights the Aura feature with a large shiny circle around the phone's name. A full set of accessories is included, starting with an 80W charger and a cable to go with it.

The V29's retail bundle isn't skipping protection either. A factory-applied screen protector film is joined by a transparent case to minimize worrying about the handset's physical well-being right out of the box.