This design is pretty good despite it being a nerfed V30.
We sniff the Vivo V40 a mile away, and before then, we got the opportunity to look at the ZEISS-powered V30 Pro, complete with a brand new Aura Ring light! You may be asking “TechnophilePH, everyone else already had reviewed the V30e, you’re about a month late”. Well, we can always blame logistics, and you can say we should have declined the offer. However, that would be breaking our philosophy of reviewing devices regardless if they are new or not. As long people enjoy, a casual user can buy, then yes, it’s valid for review. Is that a possible hint of a retro device review? Who knows, but we’re eyeing on that in the future.
Now that you know why we still accepted the V30e, let’s take a look at the device from the outside. It’s just like meeting your favourite superstar. Great complexion, almost mestiza-like, you can say.
The first thing we asked is the question “why”. As in, why does the V30e matter? It feels like a sidegrade more than anything substantial. It easily is powercrept by its siblings, the V30 and V30 Pro. Also, there are other phones that are a lot better than this for a smaller or similar price tag. If you look at Vivo’s current portfolio, there are other Y-series phones that are almost on par with the V30e, notably the Y100. In fact, we were offered to review either two, but we chose the V30e because of the name, a nerfed version of the V30. The “e” subseries usually refers to the lite variants of the photography-centered V-series, such as the V25e and V29e, a phone that preceded this review unit.
UNBOXING: Nothing New
Before the delivery, we took small research about the specs and what others say about it. We’ll say it now. We take inspiration from others before we write or make reviews, and feedback from our colleagues are also part of it. Every new device, we learn and become better. That’s why we like this sort of thing. Now, we took the phone out on a rainy day. It’s currently rainy season in the Philippines and Vivo is just right for marketing the phone for having an IP64 rating and an “enhanced wet touch” feature. We’re yet to determine if that actually works.
As you can see, the unboxing experience is pretty typical. It’s just like the Vivo V30 Pro we had except that the charging cable we have is thinner. This can easily be explained by visiting the vivo website. The V30 Pro comes with 80W fast charging while the V30e only has 44W, typical of the brand’s budget and lower midrange phone lines.
The box comes with the usual stuff you expect from a phone released within the last few years. Particularly, the manual, a silicone case, and a SIM Ejector tool. These days, you’ll be fortunate to have the charger included. Thankfully, the 44W charger comes included in the box. However, if you don’t have a charger with you, any charger with support higher or equal to 44W works just as fine, hence the omission by some brands. That does limit you of the “benefits” you’ll get from the proprietary charging tech many of these phones have.
DESIGN: Distinct, Unique, Can Tell
The Vivo V30e was announced a little later versus its siblings. Both the V30 and V30 Pro were launched simultaneously and feature a similar design. One way you can tell them apart is by looking at the camera island. The V30 Pro features “ZEISS” branding while the V30 does not.
When the V30e got released, it comes with an entirely new design that makes it distinct from its more powerful siblings. While the V30 and V30 Pro uses a rectangular-shaped camera island, the V30e uses a ring-like island inspired from luxury watches. The island is not smooth as it features zipper-like edges that mimics a watch’s crown. We like that nice, subtle touch. The Aura Ring light here, we believe, is taken directly from the V29 series due to the overall shape and size. The reason why it’s grainy here is because we used our Nord 3 camera to take this shot, at 4x digital zoom which of course would mean more stitching resulting in quality loss.
The camera island does have a bulge but it’s not so thick to make the phone rock back and forth, which is a good thing because this makes the phone stable on a flat surface. This also means that there won’t be awkward bumps when you slide the phone in your pocket.
It’s no-brainer to say that almost every phone from the V series, starting from the very beginning, are designed to feel luxurious, akin to more expensive midrange phones. The tradition continues. We like how the V30 Pro has that smooth texture to it, almost like matte ceramic. We’re glad Vivo did not surrender this neat feature on the V30e because this phone is just as smooth. It also comes with that relaxing, wavy, “flowery” design which makes the phone look feminine, but we dig it. It does feel like it’s beyond the clouds (hey that’s the title of the article).
There are two colours. Our unit is the Cloud White variant. There is also the Coco Brown colour which is inspired from a similar brown colour from the V29 series.
The phone has plastic frames designed to feel metallic, and they’ve done a good job doing it. However, there is no “professional portrait” marking on the top side this time. It’s not completely empty as the microphone hole sits up here. The USB-C port, single speaker, and SIM Card slot are situated at the bottom frame. Nope, you can’t find a headphone jack here. And yes, it still has a single speaker which means the phone isn’t for audiophiles. The right panel are where the volume rockers and power button reside. The left frame is empty, allowing you to lay the phone flat on one side which is great for watching movies.
ERGONOMICS: Curvy but Fragile
The Vivo V30e comes with a curved OLED screen, and a thickness of just 7.65mm, as stated on the website. While we’re all for curved OLEDs as they do make a phone feel like a flagship, even if they aren’t. That still poses an issue. It sacrifices some ergonomics for better aesthetics. We would like it better if the phone is slightly thicker and easier to hold. The matte smooth texture doesn’t help with it being easy to hold, either. Slap a case on immediately. This is also the same issue we have with the V30 Pro, that it’s slippery.
Holding the phone upright to take pictures is a challenge as you’re touching the screen when you’re holding the corners. That’s one thing you got to adjust for while using a phone with a curved OLED. It also hurts our hands a bit, especially on longer usage. Thankfully, the given case is enough to make it less fragile and slippery.
If you ask us, we’d prefer if brands sacrifice a bit of the aesthetic appeal for better ergonomics. What is a beautifully designed phone for anyway if it falls so easily?
VERDICT: It’s Definitely Pretty, But Pretty Can Only Get You Somewhere
The Vivo V30e is admittedly pretty. We’re not going to lie about that. It has that premium-like aesthetics that goes so well with its price. Plus, it has that same smooth texture and curvature as the more powerful V30 and V30 Pro. Everything about the V30e’s design feels so right at home, as it should.
Moreover, we love its distinct “luxury watch” camera island and the little rough edges it has. This makes the phone the most unique between the three and you can easily tell it without looking for the signs.
However, what is a beautiful phone if it’s not ergonomic? The V30e has the same issues we have with the V30 Pro. It is slippery and fragile without a case. It also feels a little hard to hold thanks to the corners being part of the display. Once the phone cracks in its sides then it’s game over. Replacing the display can be pricey too. Sure, vivo has warranty but that warranty will expire before you could ever get a free screen replacement.
Thank you for reading, techie! Stay tuned for the FULL review!