Vivo V11 Pro Review: The Pseudo-Flagship Experience In An Affordable And Attractive Package

A couple of years ago, a flagship smartphone was defined by a certain premium look and the power of its cameras. The look is still important now, but it's all also all about the convenience features like a fingerprint scanner and notch. And son, that's a problem.

See, it's not always good to rely on features to build a successful device. Because that's when you get tunnel vision and forget that it's also about core functionality. It doesn't matter how fancy the tool, if it doesn't do its job.

So as I walk from the pantry back to my desk in the office, phone in hand and coffee in the other, I attempt to unlock it once more. I fiddle with the fingerprint scanner, jam my thumb down this way and that, but it refuses to cooperate. And I sigh, wishing I hadn't turned off the face unlock in order to push myself to use the in-display fingerprint scanner for this review.

That about sums up my experience with the Vivo V11 Pro.

Don't get me wrong, this is a great device, especially in its price range. It just has a few things that it does in not so great fashion. So let's get down to brass tacks.

Design

As far just aesthetics go, the Vivo V11 Pro is just top notch. It's got pleasingly narrow bezels on all sides, and I've actually gotten used to the new waterdrop notch. I'll be the first to admit I was one of the original notch's strongest naysayers, but I see now that it has its uses. For one, it at least gives me the impression of more screen real estate, even if it doesn't save as much space in reality.

Aside from that, it has rounded sides tapering to the back panel so it's really comfortable to hold on to. A minimal camera bump is also great so you don't cringe as much when you're putting your naked phone down on a hard surface. There's no glass back on the rear unfortunately, Vivo instead sticks with the more budget-friendly fiber.

The one great thing about it at first glance however are the new colours. Dazzling Gold is all right I guess. Our unit however, sporting 'Starry Night Black', was phenomenal. It's honestly a little out there as far as other brands these days are concerned, but the look most definitely works. Too bad the back is also a smudge magnet but hey, it's a small price to pay for that interstellar look.

Display & Fingerprint Scanner

The screen on the Vivo V 11 Pro is good, but nothing to necessarily write home about. Thanks to the the higher screen-to-body ratio, the device can feature a large 6.4-inch (2,340x1,080) 'Halo Full View' display, with narrow borders on all four sizes. For Sunlight readability, you're going to have to chuck it up to around max brightness. But if that's your usual setting (like me), you've got nothing to worry about. Colours pop from the 400 ppi Super AMOLED panel without the oversaturation problem on the default setting for OnePlus devices.

Then there's the aforementioned miniscule notch that sometimes even completely escapes your notice as you're using the phone. Seeing as there's no other space up there in the notch for anything other than the selfie camera, the front sensors have been shifted to the edge of the bezel just beside the camera, while speaker meanwhile is cleverly arranged along the top edge of the device.

Most importantly here though, the AMOLED panel allows for Vivo's now likely trademark in-display fingerprint sensor. It's their second device with the feature, and you can expect others to jump on the bandwagon soon too. The only problem is I hate it.

Sure, it lights up in three different animation choices, and when it works it does wow people. WHEN it works, and even then it takes a second. Unfortunately, even the slightest angle to your thumb pressing down on the display means the sensor won't register your print. And that happens quite a lot given how large the phone is. So unless you have smaller hands and are therefore already holding the V11 Pro in a double-claw grip at all times, you'll most likely find yourself relying on the face unlock instead. It's not nearly as secure, but it sure as heck is more convenient than thumbing the display.

Camera

At least where the camera is concerned, the V11 Pro does a great job. With a 12 MP f/1.8 man sensor and a 5 MP f/2.4 depth sensor, I can guarantee clear and sharp pictures, if not at the level of a flagship triple its price. The autofocus didn't create a single problem through my use, immediately locking on no matter the lighting I tested it in.

On the flip side, the 25MP selfie camera is one of the best in this range. You can expect crystal clear images, and loads of in-app customisation thanks to the AI Face Beauty mode built in. Just tweak the multitude of settings to your liking before lining up the shot and voil¨¤.

Performance

The Vivo V11 Pro has its innards packed with the 2.2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 660, paired with a pretty good 6GB of RAM. Unfortunately that particular processor isn't paired with the greatest GPU (Adreno 512), so you're not going to be running the latest games on the highest. Most will instead be middling settings instead, even for titles like PUBG. At the same time, you might notice a bit of excess heat generated when your in a hardcore gaming session, but that's pretty much the only time you will.

Other odds and ends

This device comes with choices of 64GB or 128GB RAM, expandable upto 256GB via microSD. It also has dual SIM support and a 3400mAh battery. With light to regular usage, that should be enough juice to get you through the day. However if you tend to text a lot, or read, or play games through the day (basically anything that increases your screen up time) expect to be charging the phone once in the afternoon as well, even if you left home on a full charge.

And last, the UI. Vivo's custom Funtouch OS is now at version 4.5, based off Android 8.1. This takes some getting used to, because the look and feel is modelled more after iOS aesthetics than Android. And even after that, it tends to grate on you in little ways, like with the amount of bloatware it comes with, or how the Control Centre window fails to slide out from the bottom for the first couple of tries. Honestly, if I had the option to switch it to even stock Android, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

The other available colour, 'Dazling Gold'

The verdict

At just Rs 25,990 for the 64GB version, the Vivo V11 Pro is certainly a worthwhile budget phone to buy. You can't complain about the camera, sound, or display without sounding like your niggling, and the new colour is certainly something I'm absolutely a fan of. However, there some other caveats you have to make sure you're okay with before you buy.

Do you mind dealing with the oddity that is FunTouch OS? Is the waterdrop notch too far down that path for your taste? Are you comfortable with the main USP of your device, the embedded fingerprint scanner, being iffy at the most inopportune moments? If the answer is no to all of those then go ahead, pick up the Vivo V11 Pro, and save a buttload of money you might have dropped on another device.

But if even one of those answers is a yes (especially that last one) save yourself some buyer's remorse and just keep walking.