vivo V30 Pro Review: Premium Camera Experience at an Affordable Price

The mid-range smartphone arena has been fiercely competitive lately, with notable releases like the Pixel 7a, Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+, and OnePlus 12R. One standout in this segment has been vivo, particularly with the previous V29 Pro that offered an impressive camera at a budget-friendly price.

Now, vivo is back with the V30 Pro, boasting a larger battery, sleek design, and the introduction of a premium ZEISS camera partnership to the mid-range market. After using the V30 Pro extensively, I can confidently say that this is the finest mid-range camera smartphone in 2024. Here’s why!

vivo V30 Pro

Best Mid-range Camera Smartphone of 2024

vivo V30 Pro is the latest mid-range camera-focused smartphone from the brand. It marks the debut of vivo’s partnership with ZEISS in the mid-range market, and the results are impressive! With its outstanding camera, the vivo V30 Pro is my choice for the best mid-range smartphone of 2024.

Pros

• Excellent premium-feel display
• Impressive battery life with fast charging support
• Exceptional camera performance for its price
• Ergonomic design that’s easy to hold

Cons

• Uses the same processor as the previous generation V29 Pro
• Only IP54 rating for water and dust resistance

Price and Availability

The vivo V30 Pro was announced on February 28, 2024, and has been released in some Asian markets like India, Malaysia, and Thailand. Priced starting at Rs. 41,999 (~$500) and going up to Rs. 46,999 (~$560) for the highest end model with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. It’s not yet available in Europe or North America, but stay tuned for updates on its availability.

Design and Build

Sanuj Bhatia / Pocketnow

The vivo V30 Pro maintains the sleek look of its predecessor, the V29 Pro, with curved front and back panels, housing rear camera modules in the top left corner with a new Aura ring light system below it. The camera module now highlights the ZEISS branding.

Available in colors like Bloom White, Waving Aqua, Lush Green, and Noble Black, the V30 Pro’s design offers variety. Testing the Black variant revealed a finish akin to the Space Black variant of the V29 Pro, while Bloom White resembles 3D-etched flower petals, and Lush Green and Waving Aqua sport unique finishes.

Comparing the V30 Pro to its predecessor, it’s slightly wider and taller but maintains the same weight despite a larger battery. The curve is less pronounced, offering a more comfortable grip, with a screen that’s easier to view. In terms of durability, the V30 Pro features IP54 dust and water resistance and Schott Alpha glass for screen protection.

Being a bit slippery, vivo includes a transparent TPU case in the box to address this concern.

Display

Sanuj Bhatia / Pocketnow

The V30 Pro features a large 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and peak brightness of 2800 nits. This screen delivers vibrant colors, impressive sharpness, deep blacks, and excellent contrast, despite some slight color shifting at the edges due to the curved display. The overall display experience is enjoyable and engaging.

Overall, the V30 Pro’s display offers excellent quality images and videos, making it a standout feature of this device.

Camera

Sanuj Bhatia / Pocketnow

The vivo V30 Pro’s camera setup includes a triple-50MP configuration with primary, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses. These lenses provide exceptional performance, capturing vibrant photos with sharp details and excellent dynamic range even in daylight conditions. The portrait mode is notably outstanding, providing edge detection, background blur, and sharpness, resulting in amazing portraits.

With ZEISS branding, the V30 Pro offers a range of ZEISS portrait styles, enhancing the photography experience.

The device performs well in low-light conditions, producing impressive results with the help of the Aura Ring Light system. This system balances light effectively and accurately captures subject colors.

Overall, the camera setup of the V30 Pro excels in various photography scenarios, making it a standout feature of this smartphone.

Software and Performance