It's simply amazing to see the growth of Chinese smartphone makers in India. They have broken assumptions, gone way past records and captured markets that simply amazes me as someone who follows technology. Take the growth of Vivo for instance, it is now amongst the top 5 smartphone makers in the world. Recently they launched Vivo V3 and V3 Max, priced at approx Rs 17,000 and Rs 23,000. Let's look at what's on offer.
Mid-Premium SegmentVivo V3 Max can't termed as a cheap phone nor does it fit in the top bracket premium positioning. V3 Max probably fits in the segment of people who want premium features but don't want to go into premium spending.
The Features* Vivo V3 Max comes with a 5.5 inch screen with a full HD IPS 1920 by 1080.
* A metallic body weighing around 170 gms.
* Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 Octa Core 1.8 ghz processor
* A fingerprint scanner that works pretty well
* Rear Camera is 13 mega pixels and front camera is 8 mega pixels
* The OS is Android 5.1 Lollipop based Funtouch OS 2.5
* Battery is 3000mAh
* Memory is 32 GB with 4GB RAM
The Pros and ConsWhat's Great about the phone
* Performance is GreatQualcomm Snapdragon 652 Octa Core 1.8 ghz processor with the Fun OS 2.5 delivers absolutely great performance. I have been a Vivo user for almost a year now. The Funtouch OS is amongst the better ones I have used. Call it inspired by iOS or whatever I believe Funtouch OS is one the better, underrated ones. "Faster than faster" the tag line of Vivo does work quite literally.
* Fast ChargingDual engine charging ensures you can charge battery faster. Within 30 minutes you get enough charge to get set to go.
* Pixelation Free on ZoomingV3 Max camera delivers great and sharp pictures. That is something which most phones in this price range do. What is distinctly different about V3Max is the level of sharpness and clarity on zooming. It doesn't pixelate.
What's Not GreatHybrid sim slot makes you choose between a second sim and expandable storage. I wonder why would Vivo, a seasoned smartphone maker, would do such a thing?
Rs 23000 is on the higher side for such a phone. In my view with some additional features and an even higher price they could have either taken the premium segment headon or they should have chosen a sub Rs 19000 range.
Having said that I personally like Vivo. The Fun OS gets on you.
Guest Author
Puneet Mehrotra is an author and columnist who loves inspiring people and writes on business and technolog