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ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip Review

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ASUS has recently brought back the Zenfone smartphones to the Philippine shores but unlike before, these Zenfones packs the latest and powerful chips from Snapdragon, the Snapdragon 888, and today, we’re gonna review one of the two Zenfones to arrive in the country, the ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip.

ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip Review: Design and hardware

The ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip still carries the same design of the predecessor. The form factor and the design is pretty much the same. For the materials used on the smartphone, well, it’s very premium. I like the glass feel at the back of the smartphone and also the premium metal sides of the smartphone.

It is tough and premium but the body of the ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip is noticeable thick compared to most smartphones this 2021. So having a case on the smartphone means that the smartphone will be even thicker but I highly suggest that you use the case on this one as the back is mostly made up of glass.

For the ports, the ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip comes with a USB-C port that supports 30W charging on the smartphone which is a little bit slow considering that most smartphones are above that and the ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip comes with a 5000mAh battery inside.

As for the buttons on the smartphone, the power button is placed on the right and above it is the volume rocker but as for the fingerprint scanner, the smartphone comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner and I don’t really recommend using facial recognition on this smartphone you might wear out the flip camera of the smartphone.

Speaking of the flip camera, I noticed that it was fast and smooth when flipping. Of course, it comes with a protruding camera module at the back but the flip was solid on this one. There are some safety features on the smartphone as it automatically flips back in case you’re using the camera and you suddenly drop your smartphone to protect it from more damages.

ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip Review: Display

The display of the smartphone is pretty big like before. We got here a 6.67-inch 20:9 Samsung AMOLED display with Delta-E<1. It also comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for its protection and it does come with 110% DCI-P3 colors. For the display aspect ratio, we got here a 92% screen-to-body ratio thanks to its flip camera so there’s no notch or punch-hole camera over here.

Now the colors and the screen size might sound excellent for users but the smartphone still comes with a 90Hz display instead of a 120Hz display which can be found on most flagship smartphones these days. The smartphone’s display is still great nonetheless and it’s very visible outside and it’s perfect for watching videos as it has no notch or punch-hole cameras

ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip Review: Battery

Again, the ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip comes with a 5000mAh battery and it might take some time before you can fully charge the smartphone with its 30W battery. Despite having a large 5000mAh battery inside, I only got a score of 8 hours and 11 minutes on the PC Mark Work 3.0 Battery Life test.

I was not surprised though as my smartphone’s usage cannot last a single workday for me and I’ve been looking for a charger before the day ends.

ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip Review: Software and performance

What I like about the ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip is that the software and the UI of the smartphone are fast and very responsive and one of the reasons why is because the UI of the smartphone is clean and almost untouched. There are no heavy customizations on this one.

There are only a few bloatware that comes with this smartphone and as for the responsiveness, well, it’s excellent and it’s fast. The 90hz refresh rate does add some smoothness to the smartphone.

As for the performance, we got here the best of Qualcomm inside as the smartphone runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor inside along with 8GB of RAM, and for the storage, we got here a 256GB of internal storage on the smartphone.

The smartphone might be powerful and it might have the same processor of the ASUS ROG Phone 5 but the ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip is too hot to handle. I mean, literally. We’ve noticed that after playing a few minutes of Genshin Impact on the smartphone, it gets really hot to the point that the smartphone is uncomfortably hot to use.

Nonetheless, the smartphone was able to run any games that we’ve installed on it and the benchmarks on the smartphone are what we’ve expected.

ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip Review: Camera

The camera is the main highlight of the smartphone and ASUS did a tremendous job on this one. Yes, it’s a flip camera so you might probably be worried about its mechanism on the smartphone. But in my usage, it was sturdy and it comes with some safety features like what I’ve mentioned earlier.

You can even control the flip mechanism manually if you want to take an angled shot on the smartphone which is pretty cool. The flip mechanism was fast and it was good. AS for the cameras, we got here a 64MP main camera along with a 12MP ultrawide camera and also an 8MP telephoto lens.

The smartphone is capable of zooming up to 12x on this one and it’s also capable of recording videos at up to 8K and when it comes to the quality of the shots that we took, well, they’re great as expected.

The details that we’re getting on the smartphone’s camera along with the accurate colors make the smartphone one of my favorite ones when it comes to camera and since the triple-lens camera of the smartphone is also your selfie camera, our selfies on the smartphone were excellent too.

ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip Review: Verdict

The ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip didn’t change much from the previous generation when it comes to the design. The processing power inside makes it really interesting as the Snapdragon 888 processor is very powerful and yes, the design and construction of the smartphone are premium and sturdy despite the flip mechanism. The camera of the smartphone is excellent as expected as the quality of our shots on the smartphone was great. The display is big and excellent too but it’s still at 90hz.

However, the smartphone might have a powerful processor inside but the temperatures of the smartphone were too high especially when playing games which makes it a not so attractive choice for gamers. The battery of the smartphone was disappointing too and it only uses up to 30W charging instead of 65W that we’ve seen before on the ASUS ROG Phone 5.

Despite the flaws, the ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip is still attractive due to its price of Php39,995.

ASUS Zenfone 8 Flip Specs

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Chipset
  • 6.67-inch Samsung All-Screen AMOLED Full HD+ Display, 90Hz refresh rate, 110% DCI-P3, Gorilla Glass 6
  • 8GB RAM
  • 256GB UFS 3.1 Internal storage
  • 64MP IMX 686 main camera + 12MP ultra wide camera + 8MP telephoto camera
  • 5G
  • USB-C
  • In-display fingerprint scanner
  • 30W Charging
  • 5000mAh battery
  • Android 11 with ZenUI 8

Huawei Nova 8 and Nova 8i is coming to the Philippines this August

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The Huawei Nova 8 and the Nova 8i are both arriving in the Philippines this August with both smartphones sporting a quad-camera setup including a 64MP primary camera and also some cool features including a 66W Huawei SuperCharge which is one of the fastest in the industry.

The Huawei Nova 8 and the Nova 8i both feature a Nebular Camera System Design in where we got an elliptical shape that houses the camera and also the flashlight which is unique to HUawei nova smartphones.

It will also have features including seamless connection to Huawei laptops for a cross-device experience. For the apps, you can rely on the Huawei AppGallery or you can use the “Petal Search” so you can download apps for your smartphone.

Huawei Nova 8 Specs

  • 6.57-inch Full HD+ Curved OLED display, 90Hz refresh rate
  • Kirin 820E processor
  • 8GB RAM
  • 128GB internal storage
  • 64MP main + 8MP Ultra-wide-angle camera + 2MP depth + 2MP macro camera
  • 32MP selfie camera
  • LTE
  • In-display fingerprint scanner
  • 3800mAh battery
  • 66W Huawei SuperCharge
  • EMUI 11 based on Android 10

Huawei Nova 8i Specs

  • 6.67-inch Full HD+ Curved OLED display, 90Hz refresh rate
  • Kirin 820E processor
  • 8GB RAM
  • 128GB internal storage
  • 64MP main + 8MP Ultra-wide-angle camera + 2MP depth + 2MP macro camera
  • 32MP selfie camera
  • LTE
  • In-display fingerprint scanner
  • 4300mAh battery
  • 66W Huawei SuperCharge
  • EMUI 11 based on Android 10

The Huawei Nova 8 and the Nova 8i are expected to arrive this August in the Philippines

realme 8 5G Review: The affordable 5G smartphone

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realme 8 5GThe realme 8 series is here and it’s one of the smartphones that we’re looking forward to after its announcement because it brings an affordable price and also 5G which is still new today in the country. But is it good? Well, we’re gonna discuss that in our review today

 realme 8 5G Review: Design and hardware

Unlike the realme 8 Pro that we’ve reviewed before, the realme 8 5G sports a glossy back but the design language is still in line with the realme 8 smartphones. It’s clean, sleek, and the look of the smartphone is premium.

On the right, we can see the fingerprint scanner of the smartphone which also serves as the home button of the smartphone while on the other side, we can see the volume rocker of the smartphone.

As for the ergonomics, the realme 8 5G comes with a curved back which is really ergonomic to the hands and despite having a 5000mAh battery and 5G inside, the smartphone still comes with a sleek profile. Because of its glossy back, the smartphone can attract a lot of fingerprints and also smudges but again, the smartphone does have a pretty premium look at the back that looks like glass from afar.

Below the smartphone is where you can find the USB-C port that only supports 18W charging and also a 3.5mm headphone jack for external audio. Unfortunately, it will take some time before you can fully charge the smartphone, unlike its other realme 8 brothers that come with a faster Dart charge.

Realme 8 5G Review: Display

The realme 8 5G comes with a large 6.5-inch display with Full HD+ resolution. The smartphone uses a full HD+ resolution thankfully and we got here a 90Hz refresh rate which will give us a smoother motion than most smartphones but when playing games on the smartphone, you wouldn’t see it get past 60fps.

As for the quality of the display, I can use the smartphone. even when playing games outside but don’t expect that the smartphone will have the same caliber as an AMOLED smartphone but hey, at least we’re getting here a Full HD resolution and also a 90Hz refresh rate, and the IPS display isn’t that bad.

Realme 8 5G Review: Battery life

When it comes to the battery life, I was actually not expecting that much when it comes to the battery as the smartphone comes with a new chipset with 5G inside but surprisingly, it did well than I expected. The smartphone packs a 5000mAh battery inside and it did manage to get a score of 13 hours and 35 minutes in PC Mark Work 2.0 Battery life.

In our normal usage, the smartphone was able to last a day despite getting a 5G signal once in a while on the smartphone.

realme 8 5G Review: Software and performance

The realme 8 5G runs on Android 11 and it comes with realmeUI 2.0. It’s clean and the colors of the UI are easy to the eyes and again, the 90Hz of the smartphone does help in the smooth transitions on the smartphone especially when you’re browsing apps on the app drawer. But if you want, you can switch to 60Hz for a smoother refresh rate on the smartphone.

As for the processor, they opted for the MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G chipset inside which is one of the most affordable 5G chipsets out there in the market and then there’s the 8GB of RAM. When it comes to benchmarks, the smartphone was able to get a score of 366k in Antutu. Check out the benchmarks of the smartphone below:

We also tried the smartphone for playing games like Genshin Impact and the smartphone might be able to run the game but expect some frame drops whenever you’re on heavy scenes on the game. When it comes to PUBG Mobile, we were able to play the game at balanced settings with ultra framerate and it was quite good at that.

As for 5G on the smartphone, initially, I was getting up to 20-40mbps on 5G but after a while, I can get up to 200mbps on speeds on the smartphone which is pretty good for a 5G smartphone.

realme 8 5G Review: Camera

For the camera of the smartphone, it comes with a 48MP main camera along with 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensor. The camera of the smartphone might not be as impressive as the other realme 8 smartphones and this one doesn’t have an ultrawide lens at the back too. Check out the shots that we took using the smartphone.

As expected, the shots that we took don’t have the sharpest or the best quality but it can get the job done if you just want to take photos or use the camera for normal usage. If you want the best camera experience, you better go for the realme 8 Pro.

realme 8 5G Review: Verdict

The realme 8 5G is one of the most affordable 5G smartphones out there which is the main selling point of the smartphone. Aside from that, the smartphone does pack a premium design and also a processor that will do the job but it doesn’t really excel in the camera department.

Nonetheless, if you’re looking for an affordable 5G smartphone then you might want to take a look at this smartphone.

Huawei MatePad 11 Launches in the Philippines

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Another interesting tablet from Huawei has arrived in the Philippines and this time it’s the Huawei MatePad 11 that is running on HarmonyOS 2 and also the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor inside.

Other cool feature that you can expect from the Huawei MatePad 11 is the Huawei Share in where you can have a seamless connection to your Huawei notebook so you can use the Huawei MatePad 11 as your secondary monitor.

The tablet also supports keyboard and also the Huawei M-Pencil for better interaction and of course, you can do multi-window applications on the tablet and lastly, the display of the notebook comes with 120Hz refresh rate.

Huawei MatePad 11 Specs

  • 10.95-inch IPS WQXGA 2560×1600 Display, 120Hz refresh rate
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Processor
  • 6GB RAM
  • 128GB internal storage expandable via MicroSD
  • 13MP rear camera
  • 8MP front-facing camera
  • 7250mAh battery
  • 22.5W charging
  • WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, USB-C
  • GPS/GLONASS/BD/Galileo/QZ
  • Quad-speakers, quad-microphone
  • 7250mAh battery
  • HarmonyOS 2

The Huawei MatePad 11 is priced at Php26,999 and if you pre-order this August 6 until August 26, 2021 then you can get freebies worth Php14,888 that includes the Huawei MatePad M-Pencil 2nd gen, Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard, and the Huawei MatePad 11 sleeve.

Get discounts up to Php4,000 on vivo smartphones this Shopee 8.8 sale

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For those who are going back to school and looking for a brand new smartphone then you might want to take a look at brand new vivo smartphones because they’re having massive discounts this Shopee 8.8 sale. From August 8 to 9, shoppers will be able to enjoy discounts up to Php4,000 on select phone models including the vivo V20, vivo Y12s, and the vivo Y20s G 4+128GB.

The vivo V20 that has an SRP of Php19,999 will be available at Shopee 8.8 sale at a reduced price of Php16,999 plus a Php1000 off with a voucher. This is a massive discount of Php4,000 on a mid-range smartphone that is made for selfies. The smartphone features a 44MP Eye Auto Focus camera, a 64MP rear camera, and also a Snapdragon 720G processor inside.

The vivo Y12s comes with an original price of Php6,499 but you’ll be able to get it for Php5,999 with a Php300 off voucher so basically, you can get a total savings of Php800. The smartphone also comes with 13MP rear camera along with 2MP bokeh camera. It also comes with a Helio P35 chip along with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

The vivo Y20s G 4+128GB will also be on a discount. The smartphone is originally priced at Php8,999 but it will be available for Php7,999 plus a Php300 off voucher so you can get a total of Php1,300 savings. The smartphone comes with 6.51-inch HD+ LCD, a Helio G80 processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB ROM, and a 5000mAh battery.

Other smartphones that are available on a discount are the vivo Y31, Y20i 2021, Y1s, and the vivo V21 5G. You can check out the discounts below:

Model Original Price (PHP) Shopee 8.8 Price (PHP)
Y12s 6499 5999
V20 19999 16999
Y20s G (4+128) 8999 7999
Y31 12999 11999
Y20i 2021 7499 7299
Y1s 5499 4899
V21 5G 23999 21999

 

To maximize the discounts this Shopee 8.8 sale, you can check out the vouchers over the 2-day sale. You can also avail vivo’s Php500 off midnight voucher on August 8 from 12 AM to 2 AM but it will be limited to the first 500 buyers with a minimum purchase of Php4,000. Here are the vouchers that you can get:

  • P50 OFF voucher (no min spend)
  • P100 OFF voucher (min spend 4000)
  • P300 OFF voucher (min spend 5000)
  • P500 OFF voucher (min spend 9000)
  • P1000 OFF voucher (for V20 only)

 

You can check out vivo Philippines’ official page on Shopee here: https://bit.ly/vivoxShopee88

realme C11 2021 is now down to Php4,590

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realme Philippines has announced that their value smartphone — the realme C11 2021, will be getting a price drop which makes it even more affordable for the Filipino people.

The realme C11 2021 comes with a large 5000mAh battery with ultra saving mode and it also comes with a large 6.5-inch large display. For the camera, the realme C11 2021 comes with 8MP main camera and it will come with a 32GB of internal storage inside.

The smartphone also comes with 2GB+32GB memory inside and the smartphone was initially available for Php4,990 but you can now get it for Php4,590 which if Php400 off from the SRP of the smartphone. You can get it at Lazada, Shopee, and in more than 500 realme stores and over 4000 partner dealers nationwide.

Smart offers fastest 5G network in PH — Ookla

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Want to experience the country’s fastest 5G network? Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) might be the answer!

According to latest report by Ookla — an independent internet analytics firm, Smart has recorded the fastest 5G network in the Philippines for the first half of 2021.

Over 237,000 user-initiated tests were done with Speedtest, revealing that Smart has a Speed Score of 204.81 and median download and upload speeds of 220.66Mbps and 20.61Mbps respectively.

In addition, the telco giant remained dominant as the country’s fastest mobile network for the fourth year in a row.

Smart also received the Fastest Mobile Network Award as it recorded a Speed Score of 44.70. This is impressive compared to last year’s 24.99 Speed Score.

Meanwhile, PLDT and Smart explained that these measurements are just among the tools they use to deliver a world-class mobile network experience in the country.

Vivo V21 5G gets a price drop!

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vivo Philippines has announced that the vivo V21 5G will get a price drop from Php23,999 to Php21,999 and it will be available for installment for 6, 9, 12 and 18 months.

Both the vivo V21 5G and the vivo V21e are interesting smartphones thanks to its features especially its camera. The vivo V21 features a 64MP rear camera and also a 44MP front-facing camera with OIS which makes the smartphone one of the best if you want a smartphone that you can use for posting photos on Instagram.

Aside from that, the vivo V21 also features an 8GB of RAM and an additional 3GB virtual storage so you can improve the performance of the smartphone and store more multiple apps data while they are running on the background.

Inside the smartphone is a Dimensity 800U 5G chipset which also enables us to run 5G on the smartphone. Despite that, the smartphone still comes with a thin 7.29mm thin profile which is perfect as your everyday companion for selfies and activities.

The vivo V21e is priced at Php16,999 while the vivo V21 5G is priced at Php21,999 which is down from Php23,999. The vivo V21 5G is also available or installment for 6, 9, 12, and 18 months.

realme unveils the MagDart, the world’s fastest magnetic wireless charging tech

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realme has just unveiled a new breakthrough for their smartphone tech and it’s the realme MagDart. It’s the first magnetic wireless charging solution for Android and it sports the world’s fastest 50W magnetic wireless charging. But the new MagDart doesn’t just support wireless charging because it also supports other magnetic charging accessories.

realme Flash

The first smartphone to sport magnetic wireless charging is realme Flash. The smartphone comes with 4500mAH battery and it supports 50W of MagDart that can charge the smartphone from 0% to 100% in less than an hour which is nearly the same as the realme 50W SuperDart wired charger.

50W MagDart Charger

The 50W MagDart Charger tackles the heating issue with its active air cooling system that helps the mainboard and also the coil temperatures to be at a reasonable level.It comes with a powerful fan inside that can remove the heat by drawing a large airflow into the charger so it can maintain a high level of charging power for a longer time.

15W MagDart Charger

The 15W MagDart Chager is the thinnest magnetic wireless charger at only 3.9mm thin and it’s even thinner than the MagSafe charger. It’s still way faster because of its separate coil and board design. IT can charge a 4500mAh battery from 0 to 100 in just 90 minutes.

2-in-1 MagDart Power Bank

realme has managed to combined the MagDart charger and also a power bank in one as you can pair the special charging base station and also the MagDart Power Bank into one.

Other MagDart accessories

The MagDart tech is not just for charging as there are other accessories for this technology. First, there’s the MagDart Beauty LIght that enhances your portrait photography. You can connect to your phone via MagDart and with its reverse charging, you can provide flashlight when taking selfies.

There’s the MagDart wallet too that can be used as a kickstand to hold the phone up when watching videos on the smartphone or shooting selfies

The realme GT MagDart Charging case also enables the realme GT compatibility with MagDart. The case can connect through the Type-C connector and it allows the phone to be charged wireless via MagDart technology.

The MagDart technology will definitely bring a new ecosystem of products to the m, market and I can’t wait to see more products that will support MagDart tech.

Vivo V21 5G Review

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If you’ve been following me for the past few years, you would probably know that I’m a fan of the selfie camera of the vivo V-series smartphones as they offer one of the best selfie cameras out there in the market, and today, we’re gonna review the latest one in the V-series, the vivo V21 5G.

Vivo V21 5G Review: Design and construction

Unlike the previous vivo V series smartphones, the vivo V21 5G is more premium than ever when it comes to build quality. We got here a light body on the smartphone but at the back, we can see in here a frosted glass look and feel at the back of the smartphone that doesn’t have a lot of fingerprints because of the frosted look.

The back is flat and there are rounded edges and it is still ergonomic because of the smartphone’s weight and also the thickness of the smartphone despite having 5G inside this one. As for the buttons, the power button and also the volume rocker of the smartphone are perfectly placed on the right side of the smartphone.

As for the camera, the smartphone comes with a protruding camera module at the back of the smartphone but thankfully, it isn’t that thick so I actually liked the design of this smartphone. For the fingerprint scanner, the smartphone comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner and it was fast enough for my usage but I prefer the face unlock on the smartphone.

As for the ports, the vivo V21 5G comes with a single USB-C port and there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack on this one. So you have to rely on the dongle included on the smartphone.

Vivo V21 5G Review: Display

For the display, the vivo V21 5G comes with AMOLED 90Hz display and it does look pretty to the eyes. Thankfully, the smartphone comes with a 90Hz refresh rate so everything was smooth on this one and then there’s the support for HDR 10+ too and the colors on this one are really great and the blacks are black on the AMOLED display of the smartphone.

For gaming, the vivo V21 5G’s display is responsive and thanks to its faster refresh rate, everything was smoother when navigating on the smartphone. Unfortunately, the smartphone’s display is still a notch instead of a punch-hole.

Vivo V21 5G Review: Battery

The vivo V21 5G comes with a 4000mAh battery inside and despite being powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 800U 5G chipset inside, we got here an excellent PC Mark Work 3.0 Battery life score on this one as we got a score of 16 hours and 21 minutes. Compared to other smartphones with the same 4000mAh battery, this one blows the competition and it can last really long despite having 5G inside. For normal usage, the vivo V21 can last up to a day of use or up to a day and a half depending on your usage.

As for the charging, the vivo V21 5G comes with 33W charging which is decent enough but it’s definitely not the fastest one in the market right now.

Vivo V21 5G Review: Software and performance

Running inside the vivo V21 5G is FunTouchOS 11 based on Android 11 and it has improved drastically over the previous generations as FunTouchOS 11 features faster and better performance than ever. Of course, there are pre-installed applications on the smartphone and there are customizations but thankfully, the UI of the smartphone is still fast and very responsive.

Inside the smartphone is a Dimensity 800U 5G chipset along with 8GB RAM and an extended 3GB of RAM in case you needed more. But in my case, I was perfectly happy already with the 8G RAM of the smartphone.

For its performance, I was pretty happy with the results that I got on the smartphone. I was able to get a score of 398516 in Antutu and also a score of 1611 in 3D Mark Wild Life which proves that the smartphone is capable of playing heavy games.

I was able to play PUBG Mobile on the smartphone and I can set it at balanced settings with an ultra framerate and I was also able to play Genshin Impact which proves that the smartphone is decent enough when it comes to gaming.

Vivo V21 5G Review: Camera

For the most exciting part about the smartphone, there’s the triple-lens camera setup at the back of the vivo V21 5G as we got here a 64MP main camera + 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 2MP macro camera. As expected, it isn’t as great as the vivo X60 that we’ve reviewed before but damn, this smartphone does perform well when it comes to the main camera but of course, it’s a different story from the ultra-wide-angle camera

However, there’s no telephoto camera on this one which is a little bit disappointing but hey, at least we’re getting here an excellent camera for a mid-range smartphone.

Vivo V21 5G Review: Verdict

The vivo V21 5G is a pretty cool smartphone not just for selfies but also for some other aspects including 5G, premium build, and battery life. The vivo V21 5G is a pretty good smartphone for a mid-ranger as it performed just fine in its benchmarks and in gaming however, you might be missing here a 3.5mm headphone jack and it doesn’t have the best ultra-wide-angle camera on the smartphone.

The camera of the smartphone also did pretty well but unfortunately, there’s no telephoto lens on this one. Overall, I still think that the vivo V21 5G is an awesome smartphone.

The vivo V21 5G is now available in the Philippines for Php23,990